BEEF BRISKET WITH MASHED POTATOES

Adapted from Food Wishes

Ingredients:

3 lb beef brisket
4 t kosher salt
2 t ground pepper

2 T butter
3 yellow onions, sliced
1 1/2 c hard apple cider
4 garlic cloves, sliced
1 t kosher salt
1 T fresh rosemary, minced


Methodology:

Season the brisket and let it rest in the fridge overnight.

The following day:
Melt the butter in a large skillet and sweat the onions until they take on light color.  Add the garlic,  rosemary, and salt and cook 30 seconds.  Deglaze with the cider and simmer until reduced by half.

Spread half the onion mixture on the bottom of the roasting pan.  Top with the brisket, and cover the top of the brisket with the remaining onion mixture.  Cover tightly in foil.

Roast at 325°F for 1 1/2 hours, then at 250°F for 3 hours.  Check for doneness (might need another 30 minutes if the brisket is thick).

Place the brisket in a separate dish and pour the onion mixture into a bowl.  Skim off as much tallow as possible, then pour into a blender.  Blend in bursts until the gravy is smooth.

Serve over buttermilk mashed potatoes, with a grated carrot side salad.



Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes:

Adapted from Cook's Illustrated, via

2 lb yukon gold potatoes
4 T butter, melted
2 1/2 c buttermilk, room temperature
1 T minced thyme
1/2 t truffle salt
1/2 t black pepper

Boil the potatoes until tender.  Mix the remaining ingredients in a large serving bowl and rice potatoes into it; mix well.  Taste for seasoning, and serve.

KALE, SAUSAGE & CANNELLINI SOUP

Adapted from Cup of Jo (the combination), AllRecipes (sausage),  and Epicurious (the beans).

Ingredients:

Beans: (or substitute with 1 30oz and 1 15oz can cooked beans)
1 lb dry cannellini beans
2 bay leaves
1 piece of kombu
1 1/2 t salt
1 head garlic, cut in half

Sausage: (or substitute with 1 lb. sweet Italian sausage)
1 lb. ground pork
1 T red wine vinegar
1 t salt
1/2 t fennel seeds
1/4 t brown sugar
1 t black pepper
1 t dried parsley
1 t dried basil
1 t garlic powder
1 t onion powder
3/4 t paprika
pinch dried oregano
pinch dried thyme
pinch red pepper flakes

2 t olive oil
1 bunch kale, de-stemmed and chopped*
1 lemon, zested and juiced
Grated parmesan cheese

4 garlic cloves


Methodology:

Beans:
Sort and rinse the beans, and bring them to boil, covered by ~2" of cold water.  Remove from heat, cover and soak for 1 hour.  Add the remaining ingredients and bring to boil, then uncover and simmer, until the beans are creamy, about 1 - 1 1/2 hours, adding more water if necessary.

Sausage:
Crush the fennel seeds, salt and sugar with a mortar and pestle. Add remaining herbs and spices and mix well.  Combine all sausage ingredients in a large bowl and knead until the spices are uniformly distributed.

Brown the sausage in the olive oil, in two batches if necessary.  Add the beans, kale and enough water (6c?) and bring to boil.  Simmer for 20 minutes.  Add lemon zest and half of juice, and taste for seasoning.  Serve, topped with parmesan cheese** and fried garlic, recipe below.


*Consider replacing the kale with collard greens next time.
**Consider topping with croutons.

Fried Garlic

4 cloves garlic

1/4 c olive oil

Thinly slice the garlic vertically and gently cook in the oil until the garlic begins turning golden.  Take garlic pieces out one by one, if necessary, so all pieces are golden.