I'm in the mood for something simple that will also provide more than
one meal. I settled on the recipes that follow. I've tinkered with
the brisket in that I threw in some quartered new potatoes with the
carrots and after having browned the brisket, I put it in the slow
cooker to make it working woman friendly. I'll use the new potatoes,
skins and all, in the mashed potatoes that are called for in the hash
recipe and see how that works out.

Simple Braise of Brisket

Category: meats and poultry

2 tablespoons olive oil
3 1/2 pounds beef brisket or cross rib
1 large onion, peeled, quartered and stuck with 2 cloves
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch slices
1 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 large sprig of fresh thyme

Heat the oil in a large skillet over low to medium heat. Brown the
meat on all sides very slowly. This will take about 40 minutes. Turn
the meat, adjusting the heat if necessary. Transfer the meat to 5 1/2
quart Dutch oven.

Add the vegetables to the pot and pour in 1/2 cup water. Season with
salt, pepper and thyme. Cover the pot and, over low heat, simmer for 2
hours or until very tender. During the slow cooking, the condensation
of steam on the underside of the lid will fall back into the meat,
yielding about 2 cups of cooking juices. Transfer the meat to a
cutting board and cover it with foil. Discard the sprig of thyme and
skim off the fat from the cooking juices. Reserve the fat for hash.

Cut the meat into slices and serve with the vegetables and degreased
cooking juices.

Hash

Category: meats and poultry

1/2 pound left over braise of brisket
2 cloves garlic, peeled
3 sprigs of fresh parsley, stems discarded
2 tablespoons leftover fat from braised brisket or olive oil
salt
freshly ground pepper
old fashioned mashed potatoes
1/2 cup grated Gruyere cheese

Cut the meat into small pieces and combine it with the garlic and
parsley in the bowl of a good processor fitted with the steel blade.
Grind coarsely in several short pulses.

In a large skillet, heat the leftover fat from the brisket or oil over
medium heat. Saute the ground meat for 2 - 3 minutes, and stir in the
cooking juices of the brisket, if there is any.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Layer half the mashed potatoes on the bottom of an oiled 3 quart
casserole. Layer the meat over them and top with remaining potatoes.
Sprinkle the cheese over all. Bake in the oven 15 minutes or until
the top is golden brown. Serve piping hot with a tossed green salad.

Old Fashioned Mashed Potatoes

Category: vegetables

2 pounds russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 2 inch
cubes.
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup heavy cream

In a large pan, cover the potatoes with cold salted water. Bring to a
boil, partially cover, and cook for 20 minutes or until tender.

Remove the potatoes from the water as soon as they are done (they'll
get soggy if you leave them in the water); reserve 1 cup potato water.

Transfer the potatoes to a heavy-duty mixer fitted with a whisk. At
high speed, beat the potatoes with 1/4 cup of the reserved potato
water, butter, salt and freshly ground pepper. Gradually pour in the
cream. If the mashed potatoes are too stiff, add more potato water or
cream. Beat until very smooth.

To keep the potatoes hot, place the bowl of mashed potatoes in a
stockpot, and add enough water to the pot to come halfway up the side
of the bowl. Cover the pot and keep it at a very low simmer for no
more than 1 hour.

Whisk the mashed potatoes just before serving.

Contributor: _Slow Cooked Comfort_ by Lydie Marshall

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"