Wayne, I believe I warned you that the brisket recipe I posted earlier
was a disappointment. The hash was really good, but the meat should be
chopped, not ground (thus saving me from having to throw out $$$ worth
of brisket). OTOH, not wanting to be driven from the brisket field, so
to speak, I tried a recipe today that I got out of the LA Times the
other day and it was excellent. The recipe "reads" long, but it's
really not that laborious:
@@@@@ Now You're Cooking! Export Format
Chinese Beef Brisket
asian
1/2 cup rice wine
2/3 cup soy sauce
3 ounces yellow rock sugar; about 2 walnut sized lump
1 (1 1/2 -inch) piece ginger; sliced
3 star anise
1/2 cinnamon stick
1 (2-inch) piece dried
tangerine peel
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 teaspoons fennel seeds
2 teaspoons cornstarch
(optional)
2 green onions, sliced
(optional)
asian red chile sauce
(optional)
1 3 lb. beef brisket
1. Choose a large pot or Dutch oven just wide enough to hold the beef
brisket. Fill it with enough water to submerge the brisket. Bring the
water to a boil. Carefully lower the brisket into the pot. Boil it for
about 3 minutes (this gets rid of the impurities, which rise to the
surface as foam).
2. Using tongs, carefully transfer the brisket to a colander and rinse
it in cool water. Set aside. Discard the cooking water and rinse the
pot.
3. In the pot, combine 6 cups water, the rice wine, soy sauce, rock
sugar, ginger slices, star anise, cinnamon stick and dried tangerine
peel. Bundle up the cumin and fennel seeds in a piece of cheesecloth
and tie it shut with a piece of string. Add to the pot.
4. Cover the pot and bring the mixture to a boil. Lower the heat and
carefully place the brisket in the liquid. If necessary, add more
water to ensure that the brisket is covered. Return to a boil, then
simmer for about 2 hours, until fork-tender.
5. Remove from the heat, uncover and allow to cool. Remove the spices,
then refrigerate the brisket overnight to allow the flavors to meld.
(If serving immediately, proceed to the next step.)
6. Transfer the brisket to a cutting board and cut into one-third-inch
slices. If the brisket was cooled or refrigerated, place the pieces in
a large saucepan and ladle in just enough of the braising liquid to
cover.
Warm over medium heat until heated through.
7. Remove the meat with a slotted spoon or tongs, and arrange the
pieces on a serving platter. Pour a little of the liquid over the
beef. If you want a thicker sauce, cover the beef with foil to keep
warm. In a cup, combine the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water. Bring
1 cup of the braising liquid to a boil and add the cornstarch mixture,
cooking and stirring until thickened, about 1 minute. Pour the sauce
over the beef. Garnish with sliced green onions, if desired, and serve
with red chile sauce.
8. Save the remaining braising liquid. Strain into an airtight
container and refrigerate for up to 3 days, or freeze. Discard any
congealed fat on the surface. The next time you make brisket, use this
liquid in place of some of the 6 cups of water. Add more water to
cover the meat and toss in a new batch of rice wine, soy sauce and
spices.
Note: Yellow rock sugar and dried tangerine peel are available at
Asian grocery stores, usually in the spice aisle. The sugar is
crystallized and often labeled "rock candy," and the peel is labeled
"citrus peel." Or you may substitute 2 tablespoons granulated or light
brown sugar for the rock sugar and dry your own tangerine peel. (To do
so, carefully remove the peel from a tangerine, either in a spiral or
in segments, keeping it in one piece if possible. Hang the peel on a
clothesline or a hook for a few days until completely dry, ashy brown
and stiff. Break off what you need and store the rest in a jar or
plastic bag.) Do not use fresh peel for this recipe. Various Asian red
chile sauces are available in the Asian food sections of supermarkets.
Contributor: LA Times
Terry "Squeaks" Pulliam Burd
AAC(F)BV66.0748.CA
--
"If the soup had been as hot as the claret, if the claret had been as
old as the bird, and if the bird's breasts had been as full as the
waitress's, it would have been a very good dinner."
-- Duncan Hines
To reply, replace "spaminator" with "cox"