Beef brisket

New Year’s Eve 2022

Posted by Gary

Brisket

Avoid this palaver and go to the recipe.

This year had it's ups and downs. The big dip in November was a doozy and had long term health complications.
This year had it’s ups and downs. The big dip in November was a doozy and had long term health complications.

Resolutions for 2023

Is it worth writing these down? I don’t know. How often do people make a list and then forget about it? I would guess it’s most of the time.

The one thing I want to push myself to do next year is to seek clarity in everything. Because I’m partially deaf and because of my tinnitus, I often mishear things. Rather than ask for the words to be repeated, I smile and pretend I understand. I’m also too proud to seek clarity when someone says something that sounds like a good form of words, but I don’t understand what they’re saying. I know some people who are good with words but aren’t very clear. Context is everything; sometimes, context is assumed when it shouldn’t be.

I’m guilty of this myself. I will use a technically correct word or phrase rather than plain language. Next year, I aim to always add an explanation to any technical phraseology to ensure I’m understood. I always try to make the context plain.

There are other aspects I need to improve, and I mentioned those last week. If you liked last’s week’s meal, there’s a follow-up with the leftover KFC.

How will I celebrate New Year’s Eve?

I had no plans. I figured I’d cook a meal, watch TV, and then go to bed.

The meal is a piece of brisket. I bought a portion that will provide a meal tonight and meat during the week for lunches. I’m looking forward to cold brisket and warm gravy sandwiches. I’ll post a story to Random Yummy in the next few days.

The dessert was ice cream and granola.

My dessert Tweet

Recipe

Equipment used

  • Pressure cooker
  • Saucier pan
  • Toaster oven

Ingredients

  • Brisket
  • Potato
  • Carrot
  • Celery
  • Onion
  • Brussels sprouts
  • Butter
  • Flour
  • Beef stock
  • Red wine

Instructions

  1. Roughly chop and dice the potato, carrot, onion, and celery.
  2. Heat a frying pan and add some neutral oil.
  3. Dry the surface of the brisket with some absorbent paper.
  4. Place the brisket into the pan and sear the outside surface.
  5. Put the brisket into the pressure cooker.
  6. Sauté the potato, carrot, onion, and celery until the vegetables soften a little and take on some colour.
  7. Put the potato, carrot, onion, and celery into the pressure cooker.
  8. Deglaze the pan with red wine and add a cup of beef stock.
  9. Pour the wine and stock into the pressure cooker.
  10. Cook under pressure for 45 minutes and then allow the pressure to reach equilibrium naturally.
  11. Cut the Brussels sprouts in half and rub them with olive oil.
  12. Put the Brussels sprouts on a baking tray and cook at 200 °C for about 30 minutes.
  13. Remove the brisket and place it in a shallow dish. Cover it with some aluminium foil.
  14. Pass the cooking liquor through a sieve and keep the liquid in a jug for making gravy.
  15. Make a roux with equal amounts of butter and flour. I used 20 g of both butter and flour.
  16. Gradually pour the filtered cooking liquor into the roux and make gravy.
  17. Slice a couple of pieces of brisket and put it on a dinner plate.
  18. Put the Brussels sprouts next to the brisket.
  19. Drizzle some gravy over the brisket and Brussels sprouts.
  20. Give thanks to the Lord.
  21. Enjoy the last dinner for 2022, watch some TV, and look forward to some creamy vanilla ice cream with granola.

Photographs

Brisket from Coles
Celery and potato
Onion and carrot
Brisket ready for searing
Seared brisket
Cooked brisket fresh from the pressure cooker
Beef brisket with Brussels sprouts and gravy. New Year’s Eve.
Beef brisket with Brussels sprouts and gravy. New Year's Eve.
Beef brisket with Brussels sprouts and gravy. New Year’s Eve.
Beef brisket with Brussels sprouts and gravy. New Year’s Eve.
Beef brisket with Brussels sprouts and gravy. New Year’s Eve.
Beef brisket with Brussels sprouts and gravy. New Year’s Eve.

Final thoughts

  • I hope you have a great New Year’s Eve and a Happy New Year 😃
  • May 2023 be the best year you’ve ever lived.
  • I’ll see you next year.

Endnotes

Roux. Making a roux is simple. Melt the butter in a saucepan, stir in all the flour, and whisk for three minutes. Three minutes will ensure the taste of raw flour is removed. You can make a dark roux with a hot pan and a lighter beige roux with a moderate pan.

Brussels sprouts. Why only one vegetable? I wanted a small meal because I had a big bowl of ice cream planned for dessert. I also had a large serving of hot chips for lunch.

My lunch Tweet

Pastry covered pressure cooker beef brisket and roast pumpkin

Posted by Gary

Dear Reader,

Well, here we are. It’s the middle of January. The days are warm, and the lovely La Niña has kept me moist. Oh, La Niña, how I wish you’d stay forever. That said, I’m sure those experiencing destructive floods do not find La Niña attractive.

Dark clouds over Lake Ginninderra
Lake Ginninderra

Last week I bought myself a couple of large lumps of beef, and I’ve been enjoying leftovers each day. I still have a good-sized chunk of brisket, and I wondered how to finish it off.

Beef Brisket Green peppercorn sauce
Beef Brisket Green peppercorn sauce

I haven’t been out most of today because of work, so I thought I’d put together some random things for dinner. I had store-bought puff pastry in the freezer, so I thought I’d wrap the brisket in the buttery goodness.

I massaged the brisket with mustard and coated it with pepper for extra flavour. I lined the pastry with some chopped onion and parsley. 

Ingredients

  • Leftover beef brisket which has been cooked in a pressure cooker
  • Parsley
  • Onion
  • Mustard
  • Black pepper
  • Puff pastry
  • Kent pumpkin
  • Rice bran oil
  • Marmalade
  • Rocket
  • Walnuts
  • Feta
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Instant gravy

Instructions

  1. Get all the refrigerated items out.
  2. Cut the pumpkin into chunks and massage with oil and marmalade.
  3. Put the pumpkin onto a baking sheet and put it into a moderate oven.
  4. Remove the pumpkin when a sharp probe can penetrate it easily and slide in and out of the flesh.
  5. Allow the pumpkin to cool.
  6. Rub the brisket with some mustard. It doesn’t really matter what type of mustard you use. The mustard is being used to bind the pepper to the meat. Mmm…mustard makes me want a pickled gherkin in my mouth.
  7. Grind some black peppercorns and spread them on a plate.
  8. Gently roll the meat in peppercorns and coat all the sides and the ends.
  9. Chop some parsley and onion together.
  10. Prepare the pastry as per the instructions for use.
  11. When the puff pastry is ready, line the surface with the parsley and onion and then wrap the pastry around the meat.
  12. Seal any gaps and brush the surface with melted butter and sprinkle some coarse salt over the buttered surface.
  13. Put the brisket into the oven and cook until the pastry is golden brown. 
  14. Pull the meat out and let it rest.
  15. While the beef is unlikely to be moist like a slow-cooked piece of brisket, it will be tender given it’s already been cooked in a pressure cooker.
  16. Add the pumpkin, crushed walnuts, feta, and rocket to a bowl. Douse with a little EVOO and season with some salt.
  17. Slice a nice thick slice of meat, add it to a plate, and pour gravy over it. Add the salad on the side.
  18. Give thanks to the Lord and inhale the meal.

Thoughts

The supermarket shelves are still a bit random. The last time I looked, there was no chicken, minced meat, and a scarcity of snags. Like last week, there were many good-sized pieces of beef and lamb ready for roasting or slow-cooking.

Leaving the current wave of COVID-19 caused by SARS-COV-2 Omicron Variant aside, life has been good. Work is busier than ever, and non-work life is going very well.

It’s good to be happy and being hopeful.

This meal was pretty good. The meat cut easily and on the tooth, it was tender yet firm enough to keep its body. The marmalade was fantastic on the pumpkin.

Final thoughts

  • How’s life for you?
  • Do you prefer your meat to be soft and moist or a bit firmer, chunkier, and better feeling between your teeth?
  • What’s the coming week hold for you?
  • Puff pastry Pressure cooker Beef brisket
  • Pastry covered pressure cooker beef brisket and roast pumpkin salad
  • Pastry covered pressure cooker beef brisket and roast pumpkin salad

Pressure cooker beef brisket

Posted by Gary

Dear Reader,

You nearly received a post about corned silverside tonight, but it’s not to be. 

I wanted to make corned beef this weekend and went to find a nice piece of silverside. I couldn’t find one with a decent layer of fat on it.

I came across this lovely piece of brisket, and I thought I might cook it in the pressure cooker.

I’ve usually cooked brisket in the slow cooker; however, I’m in a bit of a pressure cooker frenzy at the moment. I figure it’s worth having a go. 

Saturday lockdown dinner. Pressure cooker beef brisket, pumpkin mash, purple broccolini, baby asparagus, and instant gravy.

Ingredients

  • Beef brisket
  • Black whole peppercorns
  • Barbecue sauce
  • Red wine
  • Beef stock
  • Brown onion
  • Royale red potato
  • Hot chilli flakes
  • Kent pumpkin
  • Purple broccolini
  • baby asparagus

Instructions

  1. Lovingly sharpen your cook’s knife as iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend Proverbs 27:17 NLT.
  2. Quarter the onion and potato
  3. Place the beef into the pressure cooker.
  4. Add the peppercorns, barbecue sauce, chilli flakes, and some red wine in a large measuring cup with the beef stock.
  5. Mix everything in the cup.
  6. Pour the contents of the cup into the pressure cooker.
  7. Add in the onion and potato pieces.
  8. Check the seals of the lid of the pressure cooker, place it on the body of the pressure cooker, and set the seal.
  9. Cook the brisket for 1 hour.
  10. While the brisket is cooking, turn on an oven to 180 °C.
  11. Prepare the pumpkin by gently rub a little oil over the pumpkin’s surface, including its skin.
  12. Cook the pumpkin in the oven for about an hour.
  13. Place the broccolini and asparagus into a bowl and douse with olive oil, and season with iodised salt.
  14. When there are ten minutes left for the pumpkin to cook, add the broccolini and asparagus to the oven.
  15. If you want some gravy, go ahead and use the instant kind, no one will judge you. I certainly won’t think less of you. Instant beef gravy is delicious, and it is easy to make, and there is less of a hassle to wash up.
  16. Once the pressure cooker has finished doing its thing, remove the lid and allow the meat to rest in the cooking liquor for 15 minutes.
  17. Remove the potato, onion, and brisket.
  18. Allow the meat to drain a little.
  19. Carve the beef with your sharp cook’s knife. If you’re feeling decadent, cut lusciously thick slices.
  20. Serve everything on a warmed dinner plate and pour a liberal volume of gravy on the meat and vegetables.
  21. Give thanks to God for all things and your daily bread.

Final thoughts

  1. Have you ever cooked a brisket in a pressure cooker?
  2. Do you prefer instant gravy or gravy made from scratch?
  3. What are your favourite vegetables to enjoy with beef?
  4. How has your week been?

My week

My week has been good. It was busy, and I enjoyed some engagements with international colleagues. On the Wednesday and Thursday mornings, I had 6 am meetings, and on Tuesday night, I had an 8 pm meeting. Long days, but rewarding and edifying. I was in discussions with people from India, Japan, the USA, Canada, Switzerland, and the UK.

There was also good news about a friend who had an investigation. Praise God the result was good.

  • Coles Beef Brisket
  • Kent pumpkin, brown onion, and red royale potato.
  • Saturday lockdown dinner. Pressure cooker beef brisket, pumpkin mash, purple broccolini, baby asparagus, and instant gravy.
  • Saturday lockdown dinner. Pressure cooker beef brisket, pumpkin mash, purple broccolini, baby asparagus, and instant gravy.
  • Saturday lockdown dinner. Pressure cooker beef brisket, pumpkin mash, purple broccolini, baby asparagus, and instant gravy.
  • Saturday lockdown dinner. Pressure cooker beef brisket, pumpkin mash, purple broccolini, baby asparagus, and instant gravy.

Custard addiction

I’ve been enjoying some custard too 😉

  • Friday lockdown second breakfast. Happy Friday! 😊 Dobinsons Cherry Danish with custard! Atlas coffee to keep alive 😉 Praise God! It’s Friday!!!
  • Dobinsons Cherry Danish cut to expose the custard and cherry filling.
  • Saturday lockdown second breakfast. I love the lushness in my mouth of slightly sweet soft vanilla custard. Lick-able with the tip of my tongue but not dripping, encased in delicate and slightly chewy buttery croissant. Dobinsons custard filled almond croissant and Atlas coffee make for a magnificent marriage in my mouth.
  • Dobinsons Almond Custard Croissant
  • Dobinsons Almond Custard Croissant

Pressure Cooker Brisket

Posted by Gary

Dear Reader,

I’ve never cooked brisket in a pressure cooker before. I’ve only ever done it in a slow cooker. 

If I can cook something in the slow cooker, why can’t I do something in the pressure cooker?

At first, I thought I might be my usual lazy self and dump the entire lump of meat into the autoclave and just let it rip. Then, I thought, since I’m in lockdown, why not be a little more creative.

So using a Japanese meat cleaver, because that’s how I roll, I cut the brisket into large bite-sized (if you’re greyhound) chunks and roll the beef in flour and then ‘brown’ the floured meat off.

To keep it authentically unhealthy, I used beef dripping in the skillet to brown the floured brisket.

During the next week, I will eat the leftover chunks of brisket for lockdown dinners.

Pressure cooker brisket with potato, pumpkin, and cauliflower.

Ingredients

  • Beef brisket (1 kilogram)
  • Flour
  • Beef dripping
  • Red wine (1 cup)
  • Beef stock (1 cup)
  • Potato (1)
  • Brown onion (1)
  • Barbecue sauce (½ cup)
  • Worcestershire sauce (¼ cup)
  • Pumpkin
  • Cauliflower

Instructions

  1. Sharpen the meat cleaver and think about Proverbs 27:17 (Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another). A sharp knife is a beautiful thing.
  2. Slice the brisket and dice the meat into large chunks.
  3. Put some flour into a bowl and coat the pieces of beef one at a time.
  4. Place the floured meat into a tray.
  5. Heat a skillet and add some beef dripping until it’s hot.
  6. Add the floured chunks of meat and brown the surfaces. Be careful not to overcrowd the skillet. You want the surface of the meat to fry and not steam.
  7. In the pressure cooker, add the beef, brown onion, spud, and all the flavouring ingredients from the list apart from the pumpkin and cauliflower. 
  8. Seal the pressure cooker and cook for 45 minutes.
  9. Rub some oil over the pumpkin and cauliflower and put them into a hot oven until you can penetrate each of them with a sharp paring knife and not feel any resistance.
  10. After the pressure cooker finishes, allow the pressure to equalise and open the lid.
  11. Remove the meat and place all of it into a container apart from a few chunks for dinner.
  12. Serve the brisket with cauliflower, pumpkin, and spud.
  13. Give thanks to the Lord and enjoy the meal while listening to a sermon podcast from a good preacher.

Final thoughts

The brisket tasted pretty good. It had a good mouthfeel and flavour. Cooking the meat in a pressure cooker was pretty easy. I think setting and forgetting in a slow cooker would be just as good.

What’s happened this week?

The biggest news is that Canberra went into COVID-19 lockdown. We have cases linked with the outbreak in Sydney, which has now spread across many regions in New South Wales.

The saddest news was reading about the death of my favourite teacher at school. If you have Facebook, you can read what I wrote here. I am pretty sad about the death of Mr Stephenson; he was a fantastic teacher. Good teachers are what we need for our young people.

If you want to connect with me on Facebook, feel free to send me a friend request. 

The best things this week included dinner with friends from church and reconnecting with an old friend. 

Stay safe, friends.

  • Beef brisket
  • Brisket sliced with a meat cleaver
  • Brisket sliced and cubed with a meat cleaver
  • Floured cubes of brisket
  • Beef dripping
  • Beef brisket frying in beef dripping
  • Beef brisket frying in beef dripping
  • Browned beef brisket
  • Roast Pumpkin
  • Pressure cooker brisket with potato, pumpkin, and cauliflower.
  • Pressure cooker brisket with potato, pumpkin, and cauliflower.