A slow-cooker turns brisket into an easy meal
I’ve said it before. I really like brisket, but as I’ve said
before it takes a really long time to cook it right. Most of the
time I opt to order it at restaurants or during the summer pick up
half a brisket at the Farmers Market, where Mansmith’s sells it
along with their tri-tip and chicken. But I’m always on the lookout
for a way to prepare it at home.
A slow-cooker turns brisket into an easy meal
I’ve said it before. I really like brisket, but as I’ve said before it takes a really long time to cook it right. Most of the time I opt to order it at restaurants or during the summer pick up half a brisket at the Farmers Market, where Mansmith’s sells it along with their tri-tip and chicken. But I’m always on the lookout for a way to prepare it at home.
So I was excited when I picked up a Food Network Magazine a couple months ago and found a recipe for Slow-Cooker brisket sandwiches. In fact, the recipe was really the only reason I bought the magazine. Brisket is a thick cut of meat and it can be tough if not cooked slowly over a long period of time, which helps tenderize the meat. The typical way to cook it is to smoke it for hours over indirect heat. But the recipe below instead makes use of a slow cooker. That means even though the recipe takes eight hours to cook, the slow cooker does most of the work. The prep time is limited to browning the meat in a skillet with garlic and beer, then transferring it to the slow cooker with the rest of the ingredients. By the time it was done, the meat pulled apart and was quite tender.
We made coleslaw on the side, and as the recipe suggests we used a package of shredded coleslaw mix to save the time of shredded the vegetables ourselves. The coleslaw uses non-fat yogurt to keep the fat content of the dressing down. I accidentally grabbed vanilla instead of plain, but the sweetness of the yogurt just complemented the sweet flavor of the sauce from the meat.
One thing to keep in mind is that brisket is not a cut that is always readily available in the grocery store, so check to see if you can find the cut before planning the meal. We checked in at Nob Hill in Gilroy a couple times before they had one, and even then had to ask for it at the counter because it wasn’t out on display. The cut is large enough that there should be leftovers, so plan for sandwiches for lunch or think up another way to use the leftover meat.
Slow-Cooker Brisket Sandwiches
Recipe courtesy of Food Network Magazine
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 5-to-6-lb. first-cut or flat-cut brisket, cut into 3 pieces
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
4 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
1 12-oz. bottle stout beer
4 stalks celery, cut into large pieces
2/3 c. packed dark brown sugar
1/2 c. tomato paste
1/2 c. red wine vinegar
1/3 c. dijon mustard
1/3 c. soy sauce
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. paprika
2 brioche or other rolls, split open and toasted
Coleslaw, for serving (see recipe below)
Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the brisket with salt and pepper, then brown on all sides, about 10 minutes, adding the garlic in the last 2 minutes. Transfer the meat and garlic to a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. Pour the beer into the skillet and simmer 30 seconds, scraping up the browned bits from the pan; add the beer mixture to the slow cooker.
Nestle the celery around the meat and add the brown sugar, tomato paste, vinegar, mustard, soy sauce, bay leaves and paprika. Stir, then cover and cook on low 8 hours or on high 6 hours. Transfer the meat to a cutting board and let rest 10 minutes, then thinly slice.
Serve on brioche halves with coleslaw; drizzle with the cooking liquid.
Per serving: Calories 474; Fat 16 g (Saturated 7 g); Cholesterol 128 mg; Sodium 265 mg; Carbohydrate 18 g; Fiber 0 g; Protein 61 g
Classic Coleslaw with Caraway
Recipe courtesy of Ellie Krieger
1/2 c. nonfat Greek-style yogurt or 2/3 cup regular plain nonfat yogurt
1/4 c. mayonnaise
1/4 c. apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp. honey
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 (16-ounce) bag shredded coleslaw mix
2 tsp. caraway seeds
If using regular yogurt, place it in a strainer lined with a paper towel and set the strainer over a bowl. Let the yogurt drain and thicken for 20 minutes.
In a large bowl whisk together the Greek or stained yogurt, mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper. Add coleslaw mix and caraway seeds and toss to coat.
Per Serving: Calories 110; Total Fat 7 g; (Sat Fat 1 g, Mono Fat 2 g, Poly Fat 4 g); Protein 3 g; Carb 10 g; Fiber 2 g; Cholesterol 3.5 mg; Sodium 265 mg
