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