Cooking with Rod

By Rod Cohenour

My sweet wife and I love to cook and we love trying new twists on old favorites. We like spice and this delicious brisket provides just the right bite. This one's a great recipe. It takes a little bit of time to cook, but Ooooh, it is worth it! The good part is, it's an inexpensive cut but tastes like a million bucks.

Stay safe. Stay well. Stay separate now so we can be together later.

Bon appetit~!

Ingredients:
* 5 to 6 lb brisket. Ask your butcher to leave about 1/4" of the fat cap (that provides the moist flavor that makes brisket so good)
* 2 large poblano peppers, stem and seeds removed. Rinse and slice to leave long, flat strips
* Barbecue sauce, use your favorite bottled sauce or make your own. Your choice. Our recipe is included.

Rub:
* 1/4 cup brown sugar
* 2 Tbsp chili powder
* 1 Tbsp garlic powder
* 2 tsp onion powder
* 2 tsp cumin
* 1 tsp ground oregano
* 1 tsp smoky paprika
* 1 tsp ground black pepper

Instructions:

1. Prepare brisket. Rinse and pat dry with paper towels. Check fat cap to make sure it is about 1/4 inch thick. Check direction of the grain. When serving, you will cut ACROSS the grain to sever long fibers and provide the most tender slices.

2. Rub all surfaces of the brisket liberally with the rub.

3. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

4. Prepare a a foil packet to completely envelope the brisket. Using a baking sheet (broiler proof) with a rim or a large roasting pan, place the brisket, fat side up to permit it to self baste. It is important to make sure the foil pack will contain all the meat juices that will cook out. Place strips of one large poblano pepper on foil before positioning the brisket. Top the brisket with strips of second poblano. Seal the foil pack well but not too tightly. Leave room for the steam. Top with an additional sheet of foil over entire pan.

5. Roast brisket for about 1 hour per pound in the medium oven (300 degrees). Slow cooking leads to a more tender brisket.

6. Remove pan from the oven. Permit brisket to rest until cool enough to handle, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove brisket from foil pack but DO NOT lose any meat juices. Pour juices into a saucepan.

7. Brush brisket with some of the meat juices and return to the oven to broil until the fat pack is made crisp, 2 to 5 minutes as necessary.

8. Slice against the grain. Serve with the au jus or a barbecue sauce.

Delicious with baked beans or jalapeno pintos, a cool potato salad or pan-fried potatoes, and a crisp salad. Warm buns or crusty bread make a great accompaniment to sop up all those delicious spicy juices!

Our House Barbecue Sauce:
* 3 cups tomato catsup
* 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
* 2 Tbsp yellow mustard (like French's bottled mustard)
* 2 Tbsp brown sugar
* 1 tsp smoky paprika
* 1 tsp Chili powder
* 1 large onion, diced, carmelized
* Poblano pepper strips retained from roasted brisket, diced
* Retained meat juices (fat removed if you wish). To remove the fat, pour up meat juices in a narrow container, making sure they have cooled enough not to break your glass. Place container in the fridge while you chop and carmelize the onions (brisket resting at this point). Fat should congeal slightly and rise to the top. Skim off.

Instructions:

In a medium saucepan, add all ingredients. Cook, stirring frequently to prevent lumps or scorching. Sauce should simmer and thicken as it reduces slightly. Slow cooking permits the flavors to blend.

Serve in a bowl or gravy boat with a ladle.