BBQ Braised Brisket with Sweet Potato Mash

BBQ Braised Brisket with Sweet Potato Mash

1 Beef Brisket (~3 lbs)

¼ C BBQ Rub (see notes)

2 T Vegetable Oil (+ drizzle)

2 C Pearl Onions (fresh or frozen)

2 C Baby Carrots

Two 1.5 lb bags Steamable Sweet Potatoes, peeled and cut lengthwise (see notes)

4 Cloves Garlic

2 C BBQ Sauce (store bought or homemade)

2 C Beef Stock

½ C Finely Chopped Fresh Parsley

Directions:

Coat brisket on all sides with rub and rub it in.  Lay out plastic wrap and drizzle with oil where you are going to put the brisket.  Place brisket on plastic wrap and drizzle oil on top.  Wrap tightly and rest at room temperature for 2 hours.

Add 2 T oil to large Dutch oven (or stock pot) over medium-high heat.  When oil is hot sear meat on all sides until brown (including edges). 3-4 minutes per side. 

Remove brisket to a plate. Add potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic to pot. 

Level out veggies and place brisket on top (fat side up).  Stir together BBQ sauce and beef stock.  Add to pot around brisket about half way up the brisket, leaving a bit of the seared meat above the liquid. 

Bring to boil, lower to low simmer.  Cook covered for 3 hours (no peeking).  Remove brisket to carving board.  Remove veggies from pot and place in blender until smooth.  Top with parsley. Use remaining liquid as a sauce for the brisket. 

Patti’s notes. 

Rub: When she made it on TV she said to be sure and use a rub that contains brown sugar.  You want that for the caramelization. That isn’t mentioned in the printed version of the recipe.  I didn’t have rub with brown sugar.  I used a Hawaiian Spice Blend and added some brown sugar. 

Pearl Onions: Frozen of course. I used fresh once.  They are a pain to peel and there is not an extra prize at the end after all that work. 

Baby Carrots: I typically buy loose carrots and peel and cut.  The had the organic baby carrots on sale so why not?

Sweet Potatoes: I don’t use the steamable version.  I bought 1.5 pounds of sweet potatoes because I missed the "TWO bags" when I read the recipe. Opps.  1.5 pounds was plenty.

BBQ Sauce: I used Sweet Baby Rays Original.

After removing the veggies to a mixing bowl I used the immersion blender.  It’s fast and easy and gives the same results with less cleanup (IMO).

I didn't add the parsley.

Easy Meter:  It's not difficult but it’s a little time consuming. This would be a good thing to make if you’re home all day.  Count the time backwards to figure out when to get the brisket into the plastic wrap for a two hour snooze.  I started at noon and we ate at 5:30.

Two Oven Mitts Up: Paul said the meat was so tender he didn't need a knife and the mash was the best part.  Shhhhh, don’t tell him it had carrots.  He says he doesn’t like them!  The mash was really good.  Not too sweet (probably because I accidentally only used half the amount of sweet potatoes).  A little zing from the Hawaiian spices and a little tang from the BBQ sauce.  Good flavor combos.  

~Source – Sunny Anderson, The Kitchen 

Italian Sausage Skillet

Italian Sausage Skillet served over Pasta

(updated below with alternate version - with potatoes instead of pasta)

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon EVOO (extra virgin olive oil),

1 Package Sweet Italian Sausage (5 links)

1 Red Onion – sliced

½ Red Bell Pepper – diced

2 Cloves Garlic – minced

1 Yellow Squash – sliced

1/3 Cup Sun Dried Tomatoes (in olive oil)

1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning (I used Flavor God Italian Zest)

Salt & Pepper

Red Pepper Flakes (I used two shakes - very scientific, I know)

4 Scallion Onions, sliced thin (for garnish)

Cooked pasta tossed with a little EVOO, garlic salt and lemon pepper. Any kind of hardy noodle works best like penne or wide noodles. 

Instructions

Heat skillet and add olive oil.  Cut sausage into circles about an inch thick.  Sauté until browned on all sides.  Add ¼ cup water so sausage won’t stick and burn while cooking.  In the meantime slice and dice veggies, stirring sausage occasionally until cooked.  Remove sausage from skillet and add onion and red pepper. Sauté until soft.  Add garlic and stir.  Add squash, sun dried tomatoes and seasonings.  Add sausage back to pan and continue cooking until everything is done.  Serve over pasta and garnish with scallions.

Cooking time was approximately 30 minutes.

Patti's Notes: As soon as I got the sausage in the pan, I put on the water to boil for the pasta.  I find the best way to cut raw sausage is with a kitchen scissors.  Some recipes suggest cooking the sausage whole and cutting after.  I prefer to cut it first so it gets crispy edges all around.  You can change up the veggies to whatever you like.  Some called for cherry tomatoes or canned diced tomatoes but Paul doesn’t like tomatoes so I subbed the sun dried version because they don’t taste like tomatoes after they are cooked into a recipe (in my opinion).  If you mix up the veggies, add the ones that take longer to cook, followed by the ones that cook quick. Thus the onions and peppers before the squash.

Source ~ none really to give credit to.  I saw a picture of a sausage skillet scrolling on Facebook advertising a Mediterranean Diet Cookbook.  Several comments said they had the cookbook and that recipe wasn’t in it.  I image searched the photo and found a few recipes that looked similar. I couldn't find one I wanted to follow exactly so I made it up as I went along. 

Paul said it was delicious and went back for seconds. 

Two oven mitts up for this one! 

********************UPDATE********************

I decided to try this again with potatoes instead of pasta.

Pretty much the same instructions as above, however I chopped four small red potatoes and added them to the pan with the onions.  When I was shopping they didn't have yellow squash so I used zucchini instead.  I added a little more of the Italian seasoning because I thought the potatoes needed it (vs the seasoned pasta).  

Equally as delicious!  

Hungarian Goulash Soup (Gulyás leves)

I took this picture when we made the soup in the cooking class

Recipe as written from Culinary Hungary (with permission):
Ingredients for 4 people:

For the goulash soup:

400 grams of beef shank (14.1 ounces) – cut into 1-inch cubes

3 medium or 2 large onions – diced 

2 tablespoons lard or 6 tablespoons of vegetable oil (sunflower)

2 tablespoons of sweet Hungarian paprika powder

2 bay leaves

2 medium carrots – peeled and cut into 1⁄4 inch slices

1 medium parsley root– peeled and cut into 1⁄4 inch slices

1 medium fresh tomato – chopped

1 sweet yellow pepper (or wax or banana pepper) – cut into small pieces

2-3 medium potatoes – peeled and cut into medium size cubes

1 clove of garlic – minced

1 teaspoon of ground caraway seeds

10 black peppercorns

Salt to taste

 

Cutting meat into cubes and dicing the yellow pepper in cooking class

Directions:

In a large soup pot, sauté the onions in vegetable oil or pork lard over low heat, stirring frequently, until translucent. Do not let them burn. Salt lightly to help tenderize them. The onions should be cut into very, very small pieces. This is essential in order to achieve the “stew consistency”. Add a small amount of water, if necessary, to keep them from sticking to the pan.

Remove the pot from the heat, add the sweet Hungarian paprika, stir. Add the tomatoes, the sweet yellow pepper and the meat, and stir again. Do not burn the paprika, or it will become bitter.

Add the bay leaves, the peppercorns, and about 7-8 cups (2 liters) of water. Salt to taste. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until meat is almost tender, adding water as necessary. It takes about 1.5-2 hours. If you use a pressure cooker add only 6 cups of water and cook for about 35-40 minutes or until tender.

Add the carrots, the parsley roots, the ground caraway seed, and the garlic. Salt to taste. Cover, bring back to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer.

Add the potatoes and the Csipetke (pinched noodles) when the vegetables are half tender and cook until the vegetables (including the potatoes) are tender. It takes about 5-8 minutes.

Patti’s Notes:

Andrew (our chef at Culinary Hungary) said if you can’t find beef shank you could substitute chuck roast.  I used chuck roast.  I used oil, not lard.  For the parsley root he said not to substitute parsley, it will be too bitter.   You could sub parsley stock or just leave it out.  My store was out of parsley root so I left it out but I will try to find it next time.  I was actually able to find Hungarian Sweet Yellow Pepper in the grocery department at Walmart.  My store only had whole caraway seeds so I ground them myself.  They smelled SO good.  He put the black peppercorns in a tea infuser before adding them to the pot.  Then removed them prior to serving.  So I did that too.  And don't forget to remove the bay leaves.  We made the pinch noodles in class but I did not make the pinch noodles when I made it at home.

Csipetke (pinched noodles) can be cooked directly in the soup broth, or in plain water. It is a great accompaniment for goulash soup. Their name comes from the way they are formed.

For the Csipetke (pinched) noodles:

1 egg – beaten *(the amount of dough you can make with one egg is enough for a recipe for 12 people. I always use only about 1/3rd of one beaten egg.)

Pinch of salt

White flour – as much as necessary to create a firm, smooth dough

In a medium bowl mix together the egg, the salt and the flour, and knead with your fingertips until a firm, smooth dough forms.

Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 15 minutes. You can use it immediately if you are in a hurry.
Pinch off small pieces of dough about the size of a lemon seed and roll them. 

Making pinch noodles in cooking class

Drop them into the soup and cook for about 5-8 minutes.

Enjoy!

~Source - Recipes are from a cooking class Connie and I took in Budapest Hungary at Culinary Hungary

Poppy Seed Bread Pudding (Mákos guba)

I took this picture when we made the Poppy Seed Bread Pudding in cooking class

Recipe as written from Culinary Hungary (with permission):
Ingredients for 4 people:

5-6 pieces of 1-2 day old bread rolls – cut into ½ inch slices

800 ml of lukewarm milk (3 1/3 cups)

6 tablespoons of ground poppy seeds

2 tablespoons of powdered sugar (to mix with the poppy seeds)

2 tablespoons of vanilla sugar (mix with the milk)

2 tablespoons of powdered sugar (mix with the milk)

Butter

Preparation:

Heat the milk until lukewarm with 2 tablespoons of sugar and 2 tablespoons of vanilla sugar. (You can use regular sugar and vanilla extract.)

Mix the ground poppy seeds with 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar.

Butter a baking pan, lay out half of your bread slices and pour half of the milk over it. Sprinkle with half of the poppy seed-sugar mixture. Place the remaining bread pieces in the pan – this is the second layer - pour the remaining milk over it and sprinkle with the rest of the poppy seed and sugar mixture and some more powdered sugar.

Bake in preheated oven (180°C/355°F) for 10 minutes

Picture taken during cooking class

Patti's Notes: When we made this in the cooking class Andrew sliced the bread and toasted it in the oven (single layer), then let it cool completely before assembling the bread pudding.  

I used a baguette when I made this at home.  I sliced it in the morning and let it dry out on its own for a few hours prior to assembling.

  

I also used a 8" x 10" baking pan instead of individual ramekins.  

I ground my poppy seeds in a spice grinder.

~Source - recipes from a cooking class Connie and I took in Budapest Hungary at Culinary Hungary.

Hungarian Cucumber Salad (Uborka saláta)

Recipe as written from Culinary Hungary (with permission):

"Hungarian cucumber salad (Uborka saláta) is typically eaten with many heavy, meat-centric meals (like most Hungarian meals) and we eat this salad a little differently than other nations typically do.

Usually, instead of eating a salad as an appetizer, we eat this right along side our main meal, alternating bites to get something heavy and something light at the same time.

There are variations on this salad that include raw, minced garlic, and some don’t use sour cream. My family makes this salad without sour cream; my husband’s family always mixes it with sour cream. It is up to you. You can have it both ways.

Also, make sure to slice the cucumbers thin enough. To get the thinnest possible see-through slices, use a mandolin slicer."

Recipe

Ingredients for 4 people:

2 large English cucumbers

250 ml (1 cup) of water

1 clove of garlic, minced

3 tablespoons of sugar

2 tablespoons of 10% white vinegar

sweet paprika powder (to sprinkle)

ground black pepper (to sprinkle)

salt

Directions:

Peel the cucumbers and, using a mandolin slicer, slice both cucumbers as thinly as possible into a bowl. Add the salt and mix the cucumbers slices to lightly and evenly coat them. Let sit for 30 minutes to draw out the water from the cucumbers.

The cucumbers will release about ½+ cup of liquid. Then, take large handfuls of cucumbers and, with your hands clenched, squeeze out as much liquid as you can and place the balls of squeezed cucumbers in a bowl. Discard the liquid.

In a cup, combine the sugar, the vinegar, and the water and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Add this mixture to the squeezed cucumbers and mix thoroughly. Add the chopped garlic, sprinkle with paprika powder and ground black pepper.

The vinaigrette is so light and refreshing, that you will be tempted to drink it after you eat the cucumber salad.

Enjoy!

Patti’s Notes

I put the sliced cucumber in a strainer over a bowl.  It’s amazing how much liquid comes out!

I did not squeeze the cucumber into balls.  I just gently squeezed them between the palms of my hands and left them in circles.  My vinegar was only 5% so I doubled the amount.  (I didn’t even know vinegar came in percentages!  And I don't know if it works that way but they turned out good so I'll go with it!)  
Super delicious! You can store it in jars or air tight containers.  It makes a pretty gift too.

~Source - Connie and I took a cooking class in Budapest Hungary at Culinary Hungary.  We did not make this recipe in class but I found it on their website and it sounded good so I made it when I made the Hungarian Goulash Soup. I've also made it many times since. 

Meatballs in White Wine Sauce (Polpette della Nonna)

This is one of Chef Andrea's recipes as written by another blogger. 
Recipe says serves 4, YMMV

Ingredients 

For the meatballs:

1 pound ground meat (the ideal mixture is 70% beef and 30% unseasoned pork sausage, squeezed from their casings, or just plain ground pork if you can't find unseasoned sausages)

1 egg

1 cup grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano Cheese

1/3 cup grated Fontina or Edam Cheese

1/2 loaf leftover or day-old bread such as baguette or ciabatta, torn into small pieces and soaked in milk (no crust, use only the soft part of the bread)

1 T salt

Pepper

1/2 cup fine dry unseasoned breadcrumbs (not panko)

For the sauce:

5 T extra virgin olive oil

1 clove garlic, lightly smashed, skin on

1 glass dry white wine, preferably Chardonnay

Fresh herbs of your choice, roughly chopped (sage, rosemary, marjoram, thyme, etc.)

Instructions

In a large bowl, use your hands to mix together the ground meat, grated cheeses, egg, the bread soaked in milk and salt and pepper. Mix it powerfully until it's completely smooth and all the ingredients are blended to uniformity. Set aside for about half an hour to let it rest.

Shape the meat mixture into meatballs, making sure to roll them in your hands firmly until they are compact balls slightly smaller than a golf ball with no cracks, gaps or lines. Roll them in the breadcrumbs just until they're lightly coated.

In the meantime, in a large shallow frying pan over low heat, heat the olive oil and cook the garlic until it starts to become golden.  Raise the heat to medium-high and begin adding the meatballs. Make sure not to crowd the pan too much, else they'll steam instead of brown. Fry until they're nicely browned outside but still a bit undercooked on the inside. Work in batches and add all the meatballs back into the pan before you proceed to the next step.

Now add the wine and fresh herbs and cook, covered, for 10-15 minutes until the majority of the wine has evaporated. During this time the meatballs will cook all the way through, but make sure to turn them once or twice so they get nicely coated with the sauce. Season with salt and pepper and serve hot.

~Source: Chef Andrea Consoli, Cooking Classes in Rome (with permission)

http://www.cookingclassesinrome.com/

I took a cooking class in Rome, Italy with friends Jay and Bruce.  It was an amazing experience and one of the highlights of the trip.  Chef Andrea uses fresh and local ingredients.  We learned a lot of tips, like leaving the skin on the garlic, that’s where the nutrients are. This was not one of the recipes we made in class, therefore I don't have meatballs tips from Chef A. I referenced the garlic tip because "we Americans" have been taught to peel our garlic. I found this recipe on someone else's blog who took one of Chef Andrea's classes.  I was going to reference the blog but it appears the recipe has been removed. I asked Chef Andrea if I could post the recipe in my blog after I made it.  Permission granted. ;)  

Patti’s Notes: I used 1 pound Ground Beef and ½ pound Ground Pork.  For the cheeses: Parmesan and Fontina.  One small Baguette (crust removed) and fresh Rosemary from my yard.  I put the torn bread in a bowl and covered the bread with milk, maybe 1/4 to 1/3 cup.  After I mixed the meat and set aside to rest, I got the potatoes ready for roasting.  
I used a ¾” diameter scoop for the meatballs then rolled them until firm with no cracks (as indicated in the instruction). When I started mixing the meat I thought I should have grated the cheeses finer, but they worked into the meat mixture just fine.

Two Oven Mitts Up.  The meatballs were seriously delicious.  
I served them with Chef Andrea's Rosemary Roasted Potatoes.  I think they would also go perfectly with mashed potatoes or over pasta.  

Rosemary Roasted Potatoes (Patate al Forno)

This is one of Chef Andrea's recipes as written by another blogger. 

Recipe says serves 4, YMMV

Ingredients 

6 medium yellow potatoes (not Russet, just a basic yellow thin-skinned potato)

2 cloves garlic, roughly smashed (leave a thin layer of the skin on)

2 stalks fresh rosemary

4 T extra virgin olive oil

Salt to taste

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350°. Peel and slice the potatoes into slim wedges and put them in a bowl of water until you're ready to use them.

Remove the potatoes and dry them off a bit with paper towels. Run your hand down the rosemary stalk in the opposite direction that the leaves tilt in order to strip the leaves off.  In a large bowl toss the potato wedges with the olive oil, garlic cloves, rosemary leaves and a light sprinkling of salt.

Arrange the dressed potato wedges on a nonstick tray, making sure that they DO NOT OVERLAP. This is critical to ensuring you get some good crispy bits. Roast at 350° for about 45 minutes or until they are crispy and browned in spots and fork tender. This may take a little longer or a little shorter depending on the size of the potatoes; keep an eye on them.

Remove from oven and let cool for 2-3 minutes. This will make them easier to unstick from the pan.

~Source: Chef Andrea Consoli, Cooking Classes in Rome (with permission)

http://www.cookingclassesinrome.com/

I took a cooking class in Rome, Italy with friends Jay and Bruce.  It was an amazing experience and one of the highlights of the trip.  Chef Andrea uses fresh and local ingredients.  We learned a lot of tips, like leaving the skin on the garlic, that’s where the nutrients are. This was not one of the recipes we made in class, therefore I don't have rosemary or potato tips from Chef A. I referenced the garlic tip because "we Americans" have been taught to peel our garlic. I found this recipe on someone else's blog who took one of Chef Andrea's classes.  I was going to reference the blog but it appears the recipe has been removed. I asked Chef Andrea if I could post the recipe in my blog after I made it.  Permission granted. ;)  

  

Patti’s Notes: I used white rose potatoes and did not peel them. I was kind of surprised when the recipe said to peel the potatoes.  Skin/Nutrients!  I lined the pan with foil to reduce sticking (and easy clean up). I mixed everything in the baking pan eliminating the extra bowl.  I'm all about the easy clean up! 

These potatoes were excellent.  Crispy on the outside and creamy (almost like mashed potatoes) on the inside.  I served them with Chef Andrea's Meatballs in White Wine Sauce however I think they would also go well with pork chops or grilled steak.