We make brisket here pretty regularly - I have couple of questions,
please.

The procedure is simple enough - a large cooking vessel, a 2-3 lb. beef
brisket (currently grass-fed, local, purchased from Whole Foods), and a
couple of jars of store-bought marina sauce. The oven is set at 300 F,
and it cooks for 6-8 hours. The end result is very tasty, very tender,
works great as leftovers on a roll for a kids' sandwich for school, too.

We've tried three different pots - some old, blue thing that I'm
assuming is enameled metal, a cast iron "dutch oven", and now a clay
"dutch oven". The Dutch Oven part isn't completely clear to me, but all
three are big enough pots that have lids that are supposed to be fairly
tight-fitting.

My wife says that she's taken to using a piece of aluminum foil under
the lid and sticking out the sides a bit to form a better seal - when
she didn't do this, she says the whole thing used to dry out too much.

Now, questions:

First, is there any problem or danger with aluminum foil being used this
way, e.g., does it leech anything, do we need to be sure we get a "heavy
duty" kind, etc.? I know I should start by just looking at the
appearance of the aluminum foil when the thing's done cooking, but my
wife seems always to be the person to take it out of the oven - I'll try
to get to doing this today (one is cooking upstairs now).

Second, I have noticed what I'd best describe as a tingly or slightly
numb feeling in my gums after eating this stuff - tasty as it is, it has
me a little concerned, but I'm the only one in the family who has this
reaction. My wife thinks it may just be some herb/spice in the tomato
sauce that I'm sensitive to.

Third, is there a kind of pot that would do this job without the
addition of aluminum foil? I don't know if we'd want an actual airtight
seal as I suspect the lid might still, as we currently have it, pop up
to release pressure, but I don't know since I've never sat and stared at
the thing through the oven door while it's cooking.

Thanks in advance, sorry for the rambling questions.

-S-

On 5/18/2010 10:52 AM, Steve Freides wrote:

> Now, questions:
>
> First, is there any problem or danger with aluminum foil being used this
> way, e.g., does it leech anything, do we need to be sure we get a "heavy
> duty" kind, etc.? I know I should start by just looking at the
> appearance of the aluminum foil when the thing's done cooking, but my
> wife seems always to be the person to take it out of the oven - I'll try
> to get to doing this today (one is cooking upstairs now).



My mom (of blessed memory) made brisket in the oven wrapped in
aluminum foil all the time. While my sister is certifiably crazy, I
don't think it was from the foil. She put the foil wrapped brisket in a
covered roaster.


--
Janet Wilder
Way-the-heck-south Texas
Spelling doesn't count. Cooking does.

Steve Freides > wrote:

> First, is there any problem or danger with aluminum foil being used this
> way, e.g., does it leech anything, do we need to be sure we get a "heavy
> duty" kind, etc.?

Acidity of the tomato sauce might react with the aluminium foil in those
6-8 hours of cooking and make the food taste metallic.

Victor

On Tue, 18 May 2010 14:33:31 -0500, Janet Wilder
> wrote:

> My mom (of blessed memory) made brisket in the oven wrapped in
> aluminum foil all the time. While my sister is certifiably crazy, I
> don't think it was from the foil. She put the foil wrapped brisket in a
> covered roaster.

I made brisket not too long ago in foil and didn't like it. I'm going
to stick with a dutch oven and braise it from now on.

--
Forget the health food. I need all the preservatives I can get.

"Steve Freides" > wrote in message
...
snip
> First, is there any problem or danger with aluminum foil being used this
> way, e.g., does it leech anything, do we need to be sure we get a "heavy
> duty" kind, etc.? I know I should start by just looking at the appearance
> of the aluminum foil when the thing's done cooking, but my wife seems
> always to be the person to take it out of the oven - I'll try to get to
> doing this today (one is cooking upstairs now).
>
> Second, I have noticed what I'd best describe as a tingly or slightly numb
> feeling in my gums after eating this stuff - tasty as it is, it has
snip
> -S-
>

you get more aluminum in your system by eating Tums, and secondly, you need
to see a dentist or doctor about those gums of yours, unless your chewing
the foil, if so, STOP IT!
piedmont

In article >,
"Steve Freides" > wrote:

> First, is there any problem or danger with aluminum foil being used this
> way, e.g., does it leech anything, do we need to be sure we get a "heavy
> duty" kind, etc.? I know I should start by just looking at the
> appearance of the aluminum foil when the thing's done cooking, but my
> wife seems always to be the person to take it out of the oven - I'll try
> to get to doing this today (one is cooking upstairs now).
>
> Second, I have noticed what I'd best describe as a tingly or slightly
> numb feeling in my gums after eating this stuff - tasty as it is, it has
> me a little concerned, but I'm the only one in the family who has this
> reaction. My wife thinks it may just be some herb/spice in the tomato
> sauce that I'm sensitive to.
>
> Third, is there a kind of pot that would do this job without the
> addition of aluminum foil? I don't know if we'd want an actual airtight
> seal as I suspect the lid might still, as we currently have it, pop up
> to release pressure, but I don't know since I've never sat and stared at
> the thing through the oven door while it's cooking.
>
> Thanks in advance, sorry for the rambling questions.
>
> -S-

Tomatoes are acidic and it's been my personal experience that aluminum
foil tends to be dissolved somewhat when it comes in contact with them.
Makes for a nasty, bitter (and some think slightly toxic) blackish, foul
tasting compound.

If there is any way you can cook in steel or glass, that would be best.
Or even heavily coated aluminum so the metal does not come in contact
with it.

Personally, I slow roast brisket either in the BBQ pit (without the
tomato) or in my enamel lined electric roaster.

Hope this helps! :-)

Tomato sauce can be cooked separately and added later, but I do
understand that it's not quite the same effect.
--
Peace! Om

Web Albums: <http://picasaweb.google.com/OMPOmelet>
*Only Irish *coffee provides in a single glass all four *essential food groups: alcohol, caffeine, sugar *and fat. --Alex Levine

On May 18, 11:52*am, "Steve Freides" > wrote:
> We make brisket here pretty regularly - I have couple of questions,
> please.
>
> The procedure is simple enough - a large cooking vessel, a 2-3 lb. beef
> brisket (currently grass-fed, local, purchased from Whole Foods), and a
> couple of jars of store-bought marina sauce. *The oven is set at 300 F,
> and it cooks for 6-8 hours. *The end result is very tasty, very tender,
> works great as leftovers on a roll for a kids' sandwich for school, too.
>
> We've tried three different pots - some old, blue thing that I'm
> assuming is enameled metal, a cast iron "dutch oven", and now a clay
> "dutch oven". *The Dutch Oven part isn't completely clear to me, but all
> three are big enough pots that have lids that are supposed to be fairly
> tight-fitting.
>
> My wife says that she's taken to using a piece of aluminum foil under
> the lid and sticking out the sides a bit to form a better seal - when
> she didn't do this, she says the whole thing used to dry out too much.
>
> Now, questions:
>
> First, is there any problem or danger with aluminum foil being used this
> way, e.g., does it leech anything, do we need to be sure we get a "heavy
> duty" kind, etc.? *I know I should start by just looking at the
> appearance of the aluminum foil when the thing's done cooking, but my
> wife seems always to be the person to take it out of the oven - I'll try
> to get to doing this today (one is cooking upstairs now).
>
> Second, I have noticed what I'd best describe as a tingly or slightly
> numb feeling in my gums after eating this stuff - tasty as it is, it has
> me a little concerned, but I'm the only one in the family who has this
> reaction. *My wife thinks it may just be some herb/spice in the tomato
> sauce that I'm sensitive to.
>
> Third, is there a kind of pot that would do this job without the
> addition of aluminum foil? *I don't know if we'd want an actual airtight
> seal as I suspect the lid might still, as we currently have it, pop up
> to release pressure, but I don't know since I've never sat and stared at
> the thing through the oven door while it's cooking.
>
> Thanks in advance, sorry for the rambling questions.
>
> -S-

please reference the thread "haute stoner cuisine" for further
information.

piedmont > wrote:

> you get more aluminum in your system by eating Tums, and secondly, you need

Aluminum in Tums? I don't think so, unless you are chewing the foil package
some of them come wrapped in. Tums are calcium carbonate. You are probably
thinking of Mylanta or something.

Bill Ranck
Blacksburg, Va.