Making a Silk Purse out of a Sow's Ear

Fabian and Ted

The plan seemed like a good one.   Fabian was visiting us from Switzerland, and we knew he would be looking forward to some delicious Canadian beef.  Off we went to market to buy 40 day aged steaks for one night, and beef brisket for another.  Knowing I would be out of town all day on Sunday, I prepared the brisket for the smoker by applying a rub and mixing up a “mop” for basting according to a recipe in Cheryl and Bill Jamison’s great book Smoke & Spice.  

 Instructions were left (with a certain husband who shall remain nameless) to fire up the smoker in the morning, place the brisket on it and mop it hourly.  All went well in the first two steps, but then he and Fabian went to the office for the day.  No mopping occurred. 

At the end of the day when we all convened at home, we whipped up some vegetables, carried in the brisket, and prepared for our feast.  With the first slice, we knew we were sunk!  The meat was tender and smokey, but practically dehydrated.  If not for a generous bowl of barbecue sauce, it would have been completely inedible....as it was it was just a little embarrassing! 

After slicing off a few pieces for our dinner, we put the rest of the roast into a container with the (mostly untouched) mop and left it in the fridge for the night, while we pondered what to do with it to rehydrate it in some tasty way.  Our friend Bev, made the brilliant suggestion of chilli con carne, and even offered to cook up some beans for it in her pressure cooker.  The results were outstanding:  tender, delicious, smoky meat flavoured the spicy, tomato sauce. 

We all have some culinary failures, and the important part is to learn from mistakes, ideally finding a way to salvage the problem.  The recipe bears repeating, and with improved technique will be outstanding.  In the future, we will:

a)  buy a brisket with more fat (our very conscientious butcher had over-trimmed)

b)  place a water pan under the meat

c)  use the mop continually throughout the day

If you are looking for something fun for your St, Patrick's Day celebration, try the smoked brisket.  It can be prepared ahead and feeds a crowd.

Smoked Beef Brisket

Rub:

6 tablespoons paprika

2 tablespoons black pepper

2 tablespoons kosher salt

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon cayenne

Mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl and rub generously over an 8-10 pound beef brisket, reserving at least one tablespoon for the mop and more for the barbecue sauce if you are making your own.  Cover and let stand in the refrigerator overnight to flavour the meat.

                                                                                          Mop:

                                                                                    1 bottle lager beer

½ cup cider vinegar

¼ cup vegetable oil

½ medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon rub

Barbecue Sauce (see our recipe for Low & Slow Ribs, or use your favourite prepared product)

This can be cooked on a gas barbecue over very low indirect heat with a drip pan and a smoker box, or in a smoker.  If using a smoker, prepare the coals, place a punctured foil packet with 1 cup soaked wood chips in the coals, and position the water pan above them.  Place the meat on the rack above, lightly tented with foil, and count on smoking the meat for approximately 1 hour per pound.  Brush with the mop hourly.  Let rest 20 minutes before carving against the grain, and serve with barbecue sauce. 

Rescued Brisket Chili Con Carne

It is not necessary to use FAILED brisket!  Any leftover beef will do.

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 red pepper, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

2 tablespoons chili powder

2 tablespoons ground cumin

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 tablespoon oregano

1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes

1 small can tomato paste

2 cups beef broth

Leftover brisket, cut into cubes

Leftover mop

2-3 cups kidney beans

In a large dutch oven, saute the vegetables in oil until soft.  Add the spices and cook for one minute, then add the remaining ingredients up to the kidney beans.  Simmer for 1/2 hour, then add the beans and heat through.  

Garnish:

1 avocado cut into small cubes

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

Grated Cheddar