Cook Like a Texan
You know I normally write about ideas and events, but every once in a while I learn something in the food department worth sharing as "edutainment."
Last week our church had a sign-up sheet for volunteers to bring food for today's after-service potluck. Coordinators asked for people to cook brisket, but I had never done that. And it turns out I had company, as I overheard a couple of seasoned cooks in their eighties asking each other, "Have you ever made brisket? Me, either. How do you do that?"
While at the grocery store yesterday, I noticed that the store's only raw brisket meat came in large packages sized to fit my grill, not my crock pot. The only crock-pot-sized brisket was corned beef brisket. And at least I knew corned beef brisket was not the same as BBQ! I saw the butcher setting out packets of meat he had just carved, so I walked over and asked him what cut I needed for brisket. He handed me a four-pound pot roast of beef and said, "Use this. The secret is giving it lots and lots of time."
When I arrived home with it yesterday, I made the marinade. After finding the ingredients on the Internet, I made alterations, adapting the recipe for what I actually had in my pantry:
BBQ Brisket Marinade
1-3/4 c. KC Masterpiece barbecue sauce*
2 T. brown sugar
2 t. Worchestershire sauce
2 t. black pepper, freshly ground
1 t. garlic salt
1 t. salt
1/2 t. onion powder
1/2 t. dry mustard
*You could probably use any barbeque sauce, but we love KC because it's thick, dark, and sweet.
I combined the marinade ingredients in a dish just large enough for the meat. Then I drenched the meat in the sauce, covered it, and stored it in the refrigerator. About four hours later, I turned the roast over and drenched it again in the marinade. (The recipe recommended letting it sit overnight.) Finally, at bedtime, around 11 PM, I threw it all in the crock pot and turned on the "low" setting.
When we arose this morning, my daughter said, "I smelled something cooking all night." Yes, she did!
When we got ready to leave at nine AM, I turned off the pot and shredded the meat, which easily fell apart. (The recipe called for ten hours, which I had given it.)
Yum! How have I lived in Texas for 30+ years and never done this? Tastes great and it's easy to make. We ate it straight, but we have some leftovers, which we plan to eat on buns like Sloppy Joe's. Y'all have gotta try it!