It's Brisket, B***h

Being raised Catholic, I was very unfamiliar with the Jewish religion, let alone the food. Lord only knows how I survived 16 years without matzo ball soup & noodle kugel. My husband is Jewish and I still remember my first Passover with his family. Man, was this exciting. His grandparent's house was beautiful and everyone welcomed me with open arms. I remember seeing their long, wonderfully dressed table, set for 12. We took our seats, determined by the small name tags with our pictures on them. (Our incredible grandmother still does the same to this day.) 

Out came gefilte fish, which I politely passed on. Next came liquid gold, also known as matzo ball soup. That stuff will get you out of any funk. After that came crispy pieces of heaven (latkes) followed by the reason I'm writing this blog....

Brisket.

Ahhh.... let's say it again..

Brisket.

Out came a big platter of Grandma's broiled and sliced brisket. I'm not sure what she uses to season it, but whatever it is, I'd buy bottles of it. The brisket always has a nice and flavorful crust, and then a tender and juicy inside. 

It was love at first bite, and we've been together ever since.

Below you will find my slow cooked sweet brisket. This is a mix of brisket and pot roast, and it doesn't disappoint. Please enjoy.

Seasoned on both sides 

Seared brisket, resting.. It's been a long day ;)

Onions and garlic, mingling

Brisket returned to pan, topped with chopped tomatoes and ketchup!

Fork tender and almost gone ;)

Sweet Brisket Recipe

2 lb. flat cut beef brisket

4 small tomatoes, quartered

4 small onions, quartered

4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

2 bottles of ketchup

4 Tbsp. olive oil

2 Tbsp. salt

2 Tbsp. paprika

1 Tbsp. pepper

-Season brisket on both sides using salt, pepper and paprika. Heat a heavy pot for simmering on medium heat, and add 4 Tbsp. olive oil. 

-Once oil is hot, but not smoking, place brisket fat side down. Allow to carmelize, about 5 minutes. Flip over and brown other side, about 3 minutes. Remove brisket to a plate, and add onions and garlic to pan. Saute until lightly browned. 

-Add brisket back to pan and top with diced tomatoes and 2, yes, 2 bottles of ketchup. Trust me, this is where the magic happens. 

-Cover and reduce heat to low. Slow simmer 4-5 hours. Serve with egg noodles or by itself!!

(** I used a bouillabaisse pot, below, which you can find at any cooking store, at a range of prices**)

Guess who's back... back again?

Fall!! It's here again! (And me, too!) I'm back to cooking and blogging and being, well... awesome! 

So, for my first day back I wanted to revisit my last recipe. Chili is a fall favorite and a minor change has made a BIG difference! It was delicious before, so what's that new, fun, secret ingredient? One word, BACON. I mean, doesn't bacon make everything better?  

***DISCLAIMER: THIS RECIPE IS NOT FOR VEGANS, VEGETARIANS OR THOSE ON A DIET***

Now that you've been warned, please enjoy this perfected, and scrumptious recipe!! 

Also, remember to buy only the freshest, organic meats and vegetables, it truly makes a difference.

Oink!

Farmhouse Chili

2-1/2 lbs. organic grass fed ground beef, as lean as possible

1 lb. organic ground pork

1 lb. organic uncured bacon, diced

1/2 organic large red onion, chopped

5 organic garlic cloves, chopped

8 oz. organic tomato sauce

1-1/2 cups organic beef broth

1 bottle of mild beer (Stella Artois is awesome for this)

3 Tbsp. organic chili powder

2 Tbsp. organic ground cumin

2 Tbsp. organic instant beef bouillon

2 tsp. organic paprika

2 tsp. organic dried oregano

1 Tbsp. organic dark brown sugar

1 tsp. organic ground coriander

2 tsp. hot sauce, to taste

1 tsp. organic unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp. instant coffee grounds

1 tsp. organic flour

1 tsp. organic yellow cornmeal

2 tsp. warm water

In a large, heavy bottomed pot, brown half of beef, pork and half the bacon until almost fully cooked. Drain, and set aside. Brown remaining meat, and drain, reserving 4 Tbsp. grease for pan. Place grease, onions and garlic back in pan. Saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Add meat back in, along with tomato sauce, broth, beer, chili powder, cumin, coriander, bouillon, paprika, oregano, brown sugar, hot sauce, instant coffee and chili powder.

Stir until well combined. Bring to boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer. Simmer on low-medium for 3 hours. 

In a small bowl, mix together flour and cornmeal. Slowly add water, stirring constantly. Stir into chili, recover and cook an additional 30 minutes.

In a frying pan, cook the remaining bacon slices until crispy. Crumble on top of chili along with cheese, diced onion and crumbled corn chips. 

Dive in!