Crockpot Brisket

Whenever I am a pinch, I always yank out my trusty Crockpot. I love to prep something in the morning and come home to a great smelling house. I seem to like this recipe a lot as it is rather easy.

1) Cut 2 onions into rings. Put some on the bottom of a 6 quart Crockpot. Next, put in a brisket flat, 2-3 pounds is ideal for a family of 4. Put some of the onion rings on top. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and what else your heart desires.

2) I add about 1/2 - 1 C of liquid around the brisket (not on top). Guinness, other non-hoppy beer or beef broth works well here. If you want to add carrots or celery on the side to flavor your gravy, sure.. go ahead!

3) 10 Hours Low. When you come home, it should be rather tender. If not, you can always cook a bit longer or blast it in the oven.

Serve with a nice starch and some veggies. Make a gravy out of the liquid in the pot.

Eat. Drink. Savor.

Dutch Oven Braised Turkey Breast

I love this recipe because it can be made into a one-pot meal. I used a few turkey breasts (boneless) that I portioned from a whole bird. I had about 4 lbs but you can use various sizes, just keep an eye on that internal temp, that’s all. You will need a Dutch oven for this or you can do it in a saute pan and a regular ovensafe pot.

1) Dice up some bacon and render some fat, about 2 TBSPs worth. You can interchange butter, oil or other fats. Make sure the fat is hot. Pat the turkey breasts so that they don’t have moisture. Put them in skin side down and brown them for about 3-4 minutes. Flip and do the other side.

2) Take out turkey breasts and put them aside. Add 2 large onions, chopped into large pieces in bottom and some sprigs of your favorite herbs . Add a splash of wine to deglaze the pot for a few minutes. Now put the turkey breasts on top of the onions. Add 1/2 C. of chicken stock. Cover and put in a 325 degree oven for about an hour.

3) After an hour, take pot out of oven. Take turkey breasts out. To the pot, add 2 potatoes, chopped, 1 celery stalk, sliced thick and 2 carrots sliced thick. Mix the vegetables into the cooking liquid. Add seasoning if desired. Put breasts on top of the vegetables and cook for about another hour. The breasts are safe to eat at 165 degrees internal temp.

4) Remove the pot from the oven. Take out turkey breasts and let them rest on a carving board for at least 15-20 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove vegetables on put in bowl, cover. You have the option of making a gravy from all this wonderful liquid leftover if desired.

Eat.Drink.Savor.

Braised Red Cabbage

When I was little, cabbage meant soup. It also meant overcooked, stinky cabbage… As I am righting wrongs as an adult, here is one of my staple cabbage recipes, braised red cabbage. I modified this recipe a few times from the Chowhound site over the years.

1) One head of red cabbage, cut in 4 wedges. Remove hard core. Slice crosswise into strips.

2) In a heavy pot with a lid, slowly cook (low) 6 slices of smoked bacon. If you don’t want the smoky flavor, use what I use often which is pancetta. When most of the fat has rendered and melted in the pot, add 1 sliced sweet onion. Combine with the fat and cook until onion softens, about 5 minutes. I often substitute shallots here when I want to switch things up.

3) Add cabbage, stir into fat and cook until the cabbage wilts, say 4 minutes. Add 2 TBSP of brown sugar and 2 TBSP of mustard (any kind, but Dijon if you want to get fancy). Combine and mix well. Now add 1/3 cup of good vinegar to deglaze the bottom of the pot. I use cider or white/red wine vinegar. You can experiment here. Use a wooden spoon to get off any cooked bits off the bottom. Add 1 C of stock, chicken or beef. Bring to a simmer and cook over low/medium heat for about 30-40 minutes. Make sure cabbage doesn’t dry out but really the cabbage should soften to a nice consistency and with the liquid gets a bit soupy.

Eat.Drink.Savor.