BOUNTIFUL BRISKET, SPICY GINGERBREAD

 

                            Bountiful brisket, spicy gingerbread

 

          It was tempting to paraphrase the old (1805) poem “The North Wind” by Anonymous these past weeks. “The north wind doth blow, And we shall have snow, And what will the ‘cook’ do then Poor thing? She’ll sit in her kitchen and keep herself warm, And cook for her folk, without care, Poor thing!.”

          A warm kitchen and food requiring a long cooking time are a good combination in times like this. Beef brisket, one of the primary cuts of meat, is relatively inexpensive with great flavor and can feed many people or serve several meals. Its drawback is that it is a tougher cut of meat requiring a long cooking time. It has recently regained popularity with many complicated recipes requiring searing and other steps during hours of the cooking period. The following simple recipe goes back many years in my kitchen, when time and money were short, and growing sons could rival a swarm of locusts at the dinner table. The flavor still remains incredibly rich despite the ease of preparation.

                                     Brisket with onions and mushrooms

          In a small dish mix: 1 ½ tsp. kosher salt, 1 tsp. lemon pepper, 1 ½ tsp. paprika. Rub this evenly all over a 3 lb. brisket and place it in a dry Dutch oven, fat side up. Lay 2 large bay leaves on top. Thickly slice 4 large onions and together with 2-3 chopped garlic cloves, cover the top and sides of the brisket. Do not add any liquid. Cover the Dutch oven tightly and bake in a preheated oven at 325 degrees for 3 ½ hours. Soak 1 oz. dried porcini or wild mushrooms in boiling water for 30 minutes.  Remove mushrooms and decant liquid from any debris and set both aside.

          After 3 ½ hours of baking, remove cover and add to the pot: 4 large, peeled potatoes cut in quarters, 2 large carrots cut in 2-inch pieces and the soaked mushrooms. Baste vegetables with the accumulated liquid from meat and onions, cover again and continue to bake for an additional hour.

          Remove meat on a large platter and surround with vegetables for serving. Cover lightly to keep warm while preparing the gravy. On medium heat, melt 2 tbsp. butter in a pan and make a roux with 2 tbsp. flour, slowly stir in reserved mushroom liquid, 1 cup juices from the roasting pan, 1 cup beef broth, 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce and 2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar. Cook with stirring until thickened and adjust with additional beef broth to desired thickness. Serve meat with gravy on the side. Leftover slices can be reheated in gravy and served with biscuits. Cold leftovers make great sandwiches with onion dip or sour cream and horseradish.

          Soft and dense old-fashioned gingerbread is not only rich in flavor but will perfume your house with its mouthwatering fragrance.

                                              Gingerbread coffee cake

          In a large bowl cream ½ cup soft butter with ½ cup sugar with an electric mixer until fluffy. Beat in 1 egg and ½ cup molasses or treacle beating for 2 minutes. In a small bowl combine 1 ½ cups flour, ¼ tsp. salt, ½ tsp. baking soda, ½ tsp. cinnamon, ½ tsp. allspice. Blend together ½ cup milk with 2 tbsp. sour cream (substitute for buttermilk) and 1 tsp. freshly grated ginger. Using a wooden spoon, beat the flour mixture into butter mix alternately with milk, starting and ending with flour mix. Turn batter into an 8x8x2 inch baking dish treated with baking spray and smooth out the top. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick tester comes out clean. Serve with whipped cream.

          Now may be time to hope in the Northeast for that “January Thaw”, supported by both folklore and science.

 (I. Winicov Harrington lives in coastal Maine and is the author of “How to Eat Healthy and Well for Less than $5.00 a Day:” and “Uncharted Journey from Riga”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com)