My Bubie's Beef Brisket

Okay, technically, I didn't have a Jewish grandmother who made magnificent brisket.  I had two grandmothers I loved very much, but my fond memories of them don't revolve around their kitchen prowess.  My Italian grandmother didn't live near us, so she was more likely to visit us rather than the other way around.  She DID make spaghetti sauce, although learning to deal with bits of neck bone remnants was not easy.  My other grandmother was pure WASP.  She hosted bridge parties and ordered pies from a local restaurant for her guests.  When we went to her house for Thanksgiving dinner, she arranged for us to be served family-style in a restaurant--to give us the illusion that we were living in a Norman Rockwell painting.  I only remember one thing that she ever cooked.  That was corn pudding.  To make it like Grandma, you HAD to use her covered pink baker which would find itself nestled in its shiny copper cradle before being brought to table.  I think my sister Kay inherited the pink baker, so she's the only one on Earth capable of making Grandma's Corn Pudding.  C'est la vie.

I distinctly remember the first time I ever tasted a beef brisket.  I was in college and I'd gone to Columbus for a weekend with a suite-mate who hailed from Bexley.  Kerry RAVED about his mother's brisket. Incessantly.  Like all good mothers, Mrs. Rubin heeded her first-born's wish and made a beef brisket for dinner one evening.  It was delicious.  It may have been 38 years ago, but I remember the caramelized onions and the interesting (and tasty) sweet-sour finish to the meat.  I've been craving that dish ever since.

Since brisket wants to be cooked 'long and slow', the CP seemed like it might be just the tool to use.  I searched The Internets for guidance.  I resorted to googling 'Jewish beef brisket'.  If you ever find yourself bored, do this.  There are endless arguments from people who SWEAR that their mother/aunt/Bubie makes the best brisket EVAH!  None of the recipes seemed to hit all the notes of Mrs. Rubin's brisket, however.  I ended up using an amalgamation of others' recipes with the hope of finding my way to Nirvana. Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa, is my fairy godmother anway, so I started with her choice for a braising liquid: plain tomato juice.  Mrs. Rubin's brisket wasn't tomato-y at all, but you have to learn to adapt.  The onions were easy.  Now that I'm fairly comfortable with the magic that the CP can perform, I knew that simply tossing sliced onions into the mix would result in  perfectly finished onions.  As for the sweet-sour oomph, I decided to add some balsamic vinegar, honey, fresh ginger and allspice.  I used some Spanish pimenton to add a touch of smokiness to the mélange.  I also added garlic powder.  Why?  Because I use some sort of garlic in almost everything I cook.  That's why.

INGREDIENTS:

1 beef brisket (I used a first cut/nose off brisket weighing 5.8 pounds)
1 large can of tomato juice
3 large carrots, cut into sizable pieces
1 1/2 large onions, thinly sliced
2" piece of fresh ginger, cut into thin slices
8 ounces button mushrooms, quartered
1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar
6 allspice berries
1 tablespoon garlic powder
salt & pepper
1 teaspoon of pimenton
4 tablespoons of honey

TECHNIQUE

I put about half of the onions and half of the carrots into the bottom of the CP.  I took some sage advice from many brisket-bloggers and didn't bother browning the brisket first (they all argued that they'd tried it both ways and the differences weren't discernible, so...go for ease).  This brisket had to be WEDGED into the 6 qt CP.  No worries, as it shrinks as it cooks.  The spices were tossed on top of the meat, followed by the rest of the onions, carrots and mushrooms.  I poured most of the contents of the can of tomato juice over the mix (just enough to come about 3/4 of the way up the sides of the CP.  Lastly, I drizzled the honey.  I set the timer for 10.5 hours on low and headed to work.  Be forewarned, a brisket can put off a TON of fat.  You will have to deal with this after you remove the brisket to a platter, along with the veggies (covered).  As the brisket rested (30 minutes), I removed as much fat from the top of the liquid in the CP.  The liquid was then reduced over high heat on the stove until it thickened slightly.  Half of the reduced braising liquid was poured over the platter of meat and veggies, the other half put in a gravy boat for the table.  We served this dish with mashed potatoes and a simple lettuce and tomato salad, lightly dressed.

ASSESSMENT

It wasn't Mrs. Rubin's brisket, but it will be my go-to recipe for brisket for the foreseeable future.  The onions and carrots were perfectly done over the 10.5 hours that they spent at the spa, and the meat was fork-tender, but not falling apart soft.  The cooking time was right.  The sweet-sour finish was there, as I had hoped.  In the future, I'll ditch the fresh ginger and substitute ground, so as not to have to work at digging them out of the mix.  The mushrooms all but disintegrated, so I'd leave them whole in the future--or skip them entirely.  The tomato juice worked well as a braising liquid and lent itself well to the sweet-sour finish.

A whole first cut of brisket is huge.  This thing could have served 8-10.  Easily.  We were three for dinner, sent home leftovers with Terry's mother, and STILL have plenty in the refrigerator for leftovers of our own.

I wouldn't hesitate to make this for anyone with their own, real Bubie.

Peking-ish Duck

In a twist, I made a dish more quickly in a Crock Pot than it would have taken using traditional methods:  Peking Duck.

I'd been shopping in the freezer section of our basement when I spotted the frozen duck.  Not a clue as to how long it had been there, but its time had come.  As it was thawing, I decided that I'd try it in the Crock Pot.  Why not?

Yeah, yeah, yeah...I know that if I was making REAL Peking Duck, I'd be hanging the duck to dry for extended periods of time.  Please keep in mind that I'm using a Crock Pot. That's how traditional a Chinese cook I am. I'm also all about simplicity, so my technique results in the ILLUSION of Peking Duck.

Ingredients:
1 whole duck (fresh or thawed--mine weighed about 4.5 pounds)
fresh ginger (about a 2-inch chunk, peeled)
5-6 pieces of star anise
1 1/2 tablespoons Chinese five spice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
a dash of freshly grated nutmeg
honey
low-sodium soy sauce
6 scallions (for cooking, 3 more for serving)
Hoisin sauce for serving
crepes for serving (They're crepes...and not made in the Crock Pot...you're on your own)

Technique:
I was worried about the quantity of fat that would be rendered from the duck, so, after CONSIDERABLE research on The Google, I opted for the much-touted "foil ball" approach.  This involved making 6 balls of crumpled aluminum foil--about the size of a jumbo chicken egg, if that egg was round (larger than a golf ball, smaller than a tennis ball--almost squash ball-sized, for you sports nuts).  The foil balls went into the CP first, followed by the 6 scallions.  Here's a gratuitous shot of my balls:

The ginger pieces and star anise were tucked into the duck (both the outside and inside were patted dry with paper towels first).  The five-spice, nutmeg and cinnamon were mixed and rubbed over the duck's skin.  The duck was placed on top of the scallions and foil balls in the CP.  Honey was drizzled over the duck, followed by a drizzling of soy sauce.  It looked like this before I turned on the CP:

I cooked the duck on high for 4 hours.  This gave me time to learn to make crepes.  I may be using a Crock Pot, but it ain't Peking Duck unless there are crepes!  After 4 hours, I removed the duck from the CP and finished it off on a cookie sheet in a 450 degree oven for 15 minutes.  This crisped up the skin nicely.  I gently removed the skin and put it on a platter.  (it's a fast and easy process--and the serving of the skin is traditional, too!)  I whacked up the duck and served it along with the aforementioned crepes, scallions (cut into thin strips) and cucumber strips.  The hoisin sauce was the condiment that was spread on the crepes before wrapping the duck, onions and cukes.  Sure, I could have made my own plum sauce, but this is about 'relative' simplicity, right?  Steamed rice and garlic spinach rounded out dinner.

For some reason, Bonanza came to mind.  Why?  THE most memorable line, of course, from that long-gone show..."Mr. Hoss, you get out of Hop Sing kitchen!"  Somehow, I doubt that the Cartwrights dined on Peking Duck at the Ponderosa.  I could be wrong. I have been before.

Assessment:
Despite the prep time of 7 minutes (not including thawing), 4 hours is a long time to wait when you're hungry for Peking Duck.  On the other hand, it didn't take 2 days.  Besides, I learned how to make crepes!  The duck was perfectly done in the cooking.  The spices really did give the illusion of Peking Duck--it was Peking-ish.  It was a tasty dish--not a bad choice for a Saturday. The crispy skin was quite a treat, too.  More importantly, I learned the secret of the foil balls...AND was able to work in a Bonanza quote on a blog about Crock Pottery!

Lamb Shanks with Moroccan Spices

Sometime in the last 15 years, restaurants started serving braised lamb shanks.  Few were as happy about this as Terry and I.  We love them.  If they're on the menu, one of us will order the lamb shank.  While we have made them on weekends, they're not the best choice for dinner on a typical work night because of the length of the traditional braise.  Then, of course, I discovered the Crock Pot.

On Friday evenings, we regularly get together with a group of dear friends for a pot luck. The host makes the entrée, others fill in from starters to dessert. Since the weather has started to become crisp, braised lamb shanks seemed like the perfect choice for last night. I decided to try a Moroccan spin on them with spices, olives and dried apricots. 8 lamb shanks were simply too many for a 6 quart Crock Pot, so I was forced to bring out the vintage avocado model to handle 2 of the shanks.

Ingredients:
8 lamb shanks
1 large onion, diced
2 tablespoons of ground ginger
1 tablespoon of whole allspice
1 tablespoon of ground cloves
1 tablespoon of garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon pepper
1 1/2 quarts of canned tomatoes with liquid(I used our own whole Juliettes)
2 cups apple cider
2 cups whole olives (any variety) with pits
About 20 dried apricots, cut in half
honey
flour for dredging
olive oil for browning

Technique:

1/2 the chopped onions went into the bottom of the CPs. The ground spices were sprinkled over the onions. Then, I liberally seasoned the shanks with salt and pepper, then lightly dredged them in flour. They were browned in 2 batches in olive oil in a large skillet. Once browned they shanks went into the CPs. I deglazed the skillet with the apple cider, tossing in the excess flour from the dredging. I whisked until it started to thicken--about 3 minutes. The liquid was poured over the lamb. The tomatoes were added next, followed by the olives. I drizzled several tablespoons of honey over the lamb. The prep time took about 20 minutes (not including clean-up). The shanks were cooked for 10 1/2 hours on low. About an hour before they were finished, I added the dried apricots. To serve, the shanks were moved to a serving platter and I used a large a spider-style strainer to retrieve the olives, apricots and tomatoes. They were put on top of the lamb on the platter. I removed as much of the fat in the remaining liquid with a ladle and reduced the remaining liquid until it became slightly thickened and glistening, before pouring it over the lamb.

Assessment:

The Crock Pot is MADE for this dish. Perhaps it was the company. Perhaps it was the assortment of dishes brought by others. Perhaps it was the piano-playing and singing after dinner. Perhaps it was the dramatic recitation of the Gettysburg Address (seriously!). For whatever reason, it was a great evening and the lamb shanks hit the spot...and on a work-night evening! Truly, a dream come true.

Baby Back Ribs in the Crock Pot

(IMPORTANT UPDATE!!!  It turns out that my dear sister Kay left out a key ingredient.  A jar of chili sauce gets added to the 'sauce'.  If you do this, you'll enjoy the dish far more.)

This recipe was sent to me by my sister, Kay, in Seattle. Her sons love it.

1 slab baby back ribs (3.7 pounds)
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard
teaspoon of hot sauce (I used slightly less than 1)

Technique:

I cut a slab of ribs in half and placed them in the bottom of the CP. I mixed the other ingredients together and poured half of the liquid over the ribs. I cooked the ribs on low for 10 hours. The extra sauce was served with the ribs. Couldn’t have been easier.

Assessment:

The flavor was great. Ten hours was too long in my CP. The range given to me was 8-10. 8 would have been perfect. After 10 hours, the bones began to disintegrate. The prep time took less than five minutes (including the photo-taking). This is the easiest dish I’ve ever made in a CP. It was also the first time I’ve used the CP to cook without braising.

Pie Camp Braised Beef Short Ribs

Let me apologize in advance for this recipe. There is no picture of the finished product. Terry was conducting Pie Camp III (don't ask) and use of the still-unnamed CP seemed to be the perfect solution for dinner prep, as every inch of counter space and the range were dedicated to pie. Some have seemed dubious of the morning prep-work prior to crock potting. My goal, at least for the moment, is to keep the prep time to less than 30 minutes (20, ideally). This recipe uses things that we had on hand Friday morning.

Pie Camp Braised Beef Short Ribs

7 pieces of meaty beef short ribs (I haven't a clue as to the weight)
1 pint of canned whole tomatoes (I used our own Juliette tomatoes, but San Marzano would work as well)
1 large onion (1/2 chopped, 1/2 cut into thin slices)
2 stalks of celery, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
2 tbsp. tomato paste
2 c. chicken stock
3 tbsp. honey
flour/s&p for seasoning and dredging.
olive oil for browning

Place chopped onion and celery in bottom of CP. Dredge the short ribs in flour/salt/pepper. Brown on all sides in a few tablespoons of olive oil. Add browned meat to CP. Add stock to browning skillet, stirring to loosen the brown bits in the skillet. Pour over meat in CP. Sprinkle the basil and oregano over CP contents. Add tomato paste. Drizzle CP contents with honey. Cook on low for 10-11 hours. Serve with mashed potatoes and a green salad. This recipe made enough to serve 6. Fresh pie from Pie Camp III was the perfect dessert on a cold autumn evening.

I won't make the mistake of a pictureless entry again. I'm sorry. I'm new to this.

You may want to dig out your CP (I know that you have one) and make sure that it's in working order. Keep an eye on this blog for an important announcement about your CP in the near future.

Meet Crock Pot Doe

People have started stopping me on the street to ask about my coming out of the closet about the Crock Pot Lifestyle.  I explain that I was in denial about the benefits of the CP for too long and that a stroke of luck helped me see the light.

 

About a month ago, I was in the basement looking for something.  I’ve completely forgotten what treasure I was seeking that day. The basement of the Louvre has nothing on our basement.  Somewhere between the crates of Victorian era tiles and chicken brooder, I came across what may, in fact, be the ORIGINAL Rival Crock Pot.  I don’t know how long it’s been there, but it hasn’t seen the kitchen in the last 20 years.  Of that I’m certain.  It’s avocado green.  It holds about 3 quarts.  I took the relic to the kitchen and cleaned it and discovered that it still worked.  I made a couple of dishes and decided that the vintage piece had some design flaws.  The crockery portion is fixed in the metal housing.  It’s a pain to clean after use.  More importantly, I wanted size.  Don’t judge.

 

 

(despite the charming graphics, I’m guessing no one has ever cooked a lobster in a Crock Pot)

 

After much research, I settled on a sleek 6 quart Crock Pot.  I haven’t named her yet, but am open to suggestions.  It would seem that the world of slow cookery hasn’t changed that much since the days of avocado green kitchens.  It cooks at either hi or lo temperature.  None of that quandary as to what’s meant by ‘slow oven’ here.  The liner comes out for easy cleaning or, as is advertised, for presentation at table.  I guess you could do that if you weren’t having guests.  Seriously?  No one in their right mind would take the liner to the table as a serving piece…unless you were hosting a pot luck dinner, in which case you’d take the entire beast to the buffet table, not just the liner…like good church people do.  She’s as smart as a Thermos, though.  When she’s finished with her cooking time (yes, she has a digital timer, too), she goes to ‘warm’ mode, so you don’t overcook dinner (like another 30 minutes would ruin something that has been cooking for 10 hours already)  and dinner remains at serving temperature until you’re ready for dinner. 

 

Please meet Crock Pot Doe:

 

She really needs a name.  It doesn’t seem right to just call her Crock Pot.  Any suggestions?

 

 

Boeuf Bourguignon

I'm embarrassed that I'd never thought of a Crock Pot when making beef bourguignon in the past. This dish was MADE for the CP.

We were having Terry's mom over for dinner last night and we always like to have enough in the way of leftovers so that we can send some home with her. I mention this, as the quantity prepared would have served 6...not 3.

I started the process yesterday morning by dicing an onion and covering the bottom of the CP. I topped the onion with 3 medium carrots that had been cut into medium chunks.

A 2.75 pound chuck roast was cut into 1.5-2 inch chunks, patted dry, seasoned with salt & pepper and dredged in flour. The meat was browned (in batches) on all sides in a skillet with a few tablespoons of butter.

The browned meat was added to the CP, along with 1.5 cups of frozen pearl onions, 1 pound of mushrooms (cut in half) and 6 slices of bacon (uncooked and cut into postage stamp-sized pieces). I added 3 tablespoons of tomato paste and about 2 tablespoons of herbes de Provence to the ingredients in the CP.

1/2 can of beef broth and 3 tablespoons of flour were added to the meat-browning skillet, then simmered over medium heat for 3-4 minutes. After simmering, the liquid was poured over the contents of the CP. 2 cups of red wine was poured into the CP. On went the lid and I set the temperature on low and programmed dinner to cook for 9 hours (it would have been fine after 10, too).

Et voila! When we arrived home from work, the house smelled exactly as if I had used Julia Child's traditional recipe. I reduced the liquid in the CP and served the beef with buttered noodles and a Caesar salad. Very tasty, indeed.