Brisket: A Versatile Roast

Roast Brisket. Not very attractive right now, but delicious nonetheless.

Basic Brisket to serve with potatoes 

Brisket BBQ Sandwich

Taquitos & Flautas

Teriyaki Brisket (aka Meat Candy)

I've gotten to the point in this blogging thing that I need to put out there some of the ordinary, everyday foods that I cook, that although I enjoy them, aren't all that special to look at. For Fathers Day yesterday, my husband requested shredded bbq beef sandwiches. I thought about making Food Network's Oven Roasted Brisket, but then if I had leftovers I would have to stick with that flavor profile. With only four of us eating a whole brisket, I figured we'd have plenty of leftovers. So, I went my mom's old school route of roasting the brisket seasoned simply with a packet of Lipton Onion Soup Mix. (I let my son Max eat a bite of this just out of the oven and he savored it with his eyes closed and two thumbs up.)

Usually, the first round meal with this method/seasoning involves mashed potatoes. I mix the pan drippings (skimmed of excess fat) with a can of cream of chicken soup and enough water to thin it to a nice gravy. The onion soup mix & roast drippings mixed with the cream of chicken soup make a very salty, very flavorful gravy. Mmmm...my mouth is watering right now.

After round one, I will usually do either a bbq beef sandwich (one of my husband's favorites), taquitos & flautas, enchiladas, or teriyaki brisket. The idea for the teriyaki brisket comes from some friends' wedding reception. It was one of several choices, and boy, were Eddie and I glad we selected that one. It was simply shredded brisket mixed in a liberal amount of teriyaki sauce (Mr. Yoshida's most likely) and served with steamed white rice. The shredded meat soaked up the teriyaki sauce like a sponge. Oh my goodness, it was like meat candy. Yes, meat candy. And we LOVED it. 

The basic brisket takes a lot of time, but not a lot of effort. I suggest purchasing about a 4-5 pound piece of trimmed brisket because you get more meat per pound. A whole brisket is just too fatty, as far as I'm concerned; and this is coming from a woman who is relatively comfortable with a high portion fat in her diet.

Basic Roast Brisket

Ingredients:

4-5 pound trimmed beef brisket

1 packet dry onion soup mix

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

Sprinkle a tablespoon or so of soup mix on the bottom of a large roasting pan. Place brisket in pan and sprinkle with remaining soup mix.

Cover tightly with heavy duty aluminum foil.

Roast at 325 degrees for 4-5 hours, or until meat is tender and shreds very easily with a fork.

Remove from oven and choose one or more of the following options for round one and for leftovers.

Option 1: Meat and Potatoes

Remove fat layer, if desired. Pour pan drippings into a heavy medium saucepan and turn heat to medium. Add a can of condensed cream of chicken soup and whisk until smooth. If the gravy is too thick, add 1/4 of water at a time and whisk to thin it out. Slice meat into 1 to 1 1/2 inch slices and serve immediately with mashed potatoes and gravy.

Option 2: BBQ Beef Sandwiches

Allow to cool for 30-60 minutes, slice into 1 to 1 1/2 inch slices, shred, and mix with about a cup of your favorite bbq sauce in a heavy saucepan. Add more bbq sauce if it seems dry. Heat through over low heat, stirring to break up and shred meat. Serve 1/2 cup portions on buns.

Option 3: Taquitos & Flautas. (Click on the words to go to that post.)

Option 4: Teryiyaki Brisket

Allow to cool for 30-60 minutes, slice into 1 to 1 1/2 inch slices, shred, and mix with about a cup of your favorite teriyaki sauce in a heavy saucepan. Add more teriyaki sauce if it seems too dry. Heat through over low heat, stirring to break up and shred meat. Serve with fresh steamed white rice.

Option 5:

Find a good enchilada recipe and use the meat for that. (Sorry, I don't have an enchilada recipe posted yet.)

I'm sure there are several other options, but these are the ones I use most frequently and that I find most delicious.