BRAISED BRISKET WITH RED WINE & PRUNES

Ingredients

• 5-6 pounds brisket
• kosher salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
• 3-4 large carrots, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 3 stalks celery, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
• leaves of 2 sprigs of rosemary, leaves only, finely minced
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 25 pitted prunes
• 2 large onions, thinly sliced
• 2 heads of garlic, cloves removed and peeled
• 2 cups dry red wine
• 1/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
• 1 14.5 ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 2 cups beef or chicken stock

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Season the brisket on both sides well with salt and pepper, at least a tablespoon of salt per side and 2 teaspoons of black pepper per side (more or less depending on personal taste). Heat the oil in a large skillet (or the bottom of your roasting pan, like I did, because my 6-pound brisket would not fit in any of my pans) and brown well on both sides, about 6-7 minutes per side. Transfer the brisket to the rack of the roasting pan and surround with the carrots, celery, rosemary, bay leaves, and prunes.
2. Add the onions to the same skillet (or a separate one with some oil, like I had to do, because, as I said, I bought a giant freakin’ brisket) and saute over medium-high heat until well browned, about 8 minutes. Add in the whole, peeled garlic cloves, red wine, and 1/4 cup of the red wine vinegar and stir to combine. Reduce the mixture until the pan is almost dry, about 10-15 minutes, stirring often, then add in the tomatoes, brown sugar, and stock. Stir to combine.
3. Pour the onion mixture over the brisket in the roasting pan, and cover entirely with foil. Place in the oven and roast for 4 hours, or until tender (I found that 4 hours was perfect for my 6-pound brisket).
4. Remove the brisket from the oven and uncover. Allow it to cool for 15 minutes, then transfer it to a cutting board and cover to keep warm. Discard the bay leaves, and use a slotted spoon to remove the prunes and set them aside. Strain the cooking liquid into a large bowl, and reserve 1 cup of the cooked vegetables, discarding the rest. Allow the fat to rise to the top of the bowl of cooking liquid, then skim it off with a spoon and add in the reserved 1 cup of vegetables and half of the prunes (you can cut up the prunes and add them to the sauce later, but I just used half of the prunes and discarded the rest). Place in a food processor, a blender, or use an immersion blender to puree the sauce. Add in the remaining 2 teaspoons of red wine vinegar, taste, and adjust seasonings as needed.
5. Slice the brisket very thinly, against the grain, and serve with the sauce.

Original Post:http://crepesofwrath.net/2012/09/24/braised-brisket-with-red-wine-prunes/#more-6846

 

Leftover Steakhouse Risotto

 

Ingredients

• 4 c low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 c arborio rice
• 1 c white wine (I use a sauvignon blanc in the $8 range)
• 2 c leftover roasted vegetables, brought to room temperature and diced into bite-size pieces
• 1 c leftover steak, cooked rare, brought to room temperature and diced into bite-size pieces
• 1 c grated smoked gouda (this gives it a mac-and-cheese type feel)
• 1 tbsp steak seasoning (or more if you so desire)

How-to

1. Bring broth to a boil, then reduce to simmer.
2. Saute onion and garlic in olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-low to medium heat until onion is translucent (about 3-5 minutes)
3. Add dry rice and saute for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
4. Add 1 c wine and stir until absorbed.
5. Once the rice has absorbed the wine, start adding the broth, two ladles at a time. Your goal is to have this at a simmer. Stir frequently (but not constantly) until absorbed. Add more broth. This does take a while (you’re looking at about 20-30 minutes of active cooking from start to finish).
6. Continue adding the broth at 2 ladles at a time until all the broth has been added.
7. Cook, stirring almost constantly, until the risotto reaches your desired consistency (maybe another 5 minutes, tops!). Add in the leftover vegetables and steak.
8. Turn the heat to as low as possible, then stir in the smoked gouda and steak seasoning. Remove from heat and cover for 5 minutes to let the leftovers heat up, then serve.

Oven-Roasted Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Total Time:

30 hr 15 min

Prep

15 min

Inactive

24 hr 0 min

Cook

6 hr 0 min

Yield:

12 servings

Level:

Intermediate

Ingredients

Dry Rub:

• 3 tablespoons paprika
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon dry mustard
• 3 tablespoons coarse salt
• 1 (5 to 7 pound) pork roast, preferably shoulder or Boston butt

Cider Vinegar Barbecue Sauce:

• 1 1/2 cups cider vinegar
• 1 cup yellow or brown mustard
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 12 hamburger buns
• 1 recipe Spicy Slaw, recipe follows
• Pickle spears

Directions

Mix the paprika, garlic power, brown sugar, dry mustard, and salt together in a small bowl. Rub the spice blend all over the pork and marinate for as long as you have time for, as little as 1 hour or up to overnight, covered, in the refrigerator.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Put the pork in a roasting pan and bake for about 6 hours. Basically, roast the pork until it’s falling apart and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 170 degrees F.

To make the barbecue sauce: combine the vinegar, mustard, ketchup, brown sugar, garlic, salt, cayenne, and black pepper in a saucepan over medium heat. Simmer gently, stirring, for 10 minutes until the sugar dissolves.

Remove the pork roast from the oven and transfer to a large platter. Allow the meat to rest for about 10 minutes. While still warm, take 2 forks and “pull” the meat to form shreds. Using 2 forks, shred the pork by steadying the meat with 1 fork and pulling it away with the other. Put the shredded pork in a bowl. Pour 1/2 of the sauce on the shredded pork and mix well to coat.

To serve, spoon the pulled pork mixture onto the bottom 1/2 of the hamburger bun, and top with the spicy slaw. Serve with pickle spears and the remaining sauce on the side.

Caramelized Chicken with Jalapeno Cream

Caramelized Chicken with Jalapeno Cream

serves 4

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons canola oil

2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped

1 shallot, sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon flour (any kind will do, I used whole wheat)

1/4 cup low-fat or skim milk

1 12-ounce can fat-free evaporated milk

2 tablespoons finely grated parmesan cheese

Add chopped jalapenos, shallots and garlic to a food processor and pulse until very finely chopped (not pureed). Set aside.

Tenderize chicken breasts if desired and pat completely dry with paper towels. Season on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon canola oil. Once the oil is hot, add chicken breasts (make sure they are COMPLETELY DRY) and cook for about 8-10 minutes per side, until each side is caramelized and golden. If needed, use the remaining canola oil when flipping the chicken.

While the chicken is cooking, heat a small saucepan over medium heat and add butter. Once sizzling, add in the chopped jalapeno mixture, stirring to coat, and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once fragrant (do NOT put your face directly over the jalapenos!), whisk in flour and stir continuously to create a roux. Cook mixture for 1-2 minutes, then add in milks, reducing the heat to medium-low. Continue to stir continuously until mixture begins to thicken (about 6-8 minutes), adding in parmesan cheese and reducing the heat even more. Once the desired thickness has been reached, turn off heat. Stir every so often – it may thicken even more while sitting – and you can add additional milk to thin it out if needed. Taste and season with salt and pepper as desired.

Serve chicken over rice, vegetables or pasta and top with jalapeno cream. This reheated beautifully for us!