Author: Debbie
#ARWB Holiday Food, Fun and Family Link-Up
Sunday Link-Up {Nov. 27, 2016}
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Debbie Michael: Tuscan Brisket
These cold wintery days always give me a craving for comfort food. Usually my inspiration for a recipe comes from ingredients that are seasonal or on-hand available, and this recipe is no different. Our local grocery store was having a sale on whole brisket so I thought, ” Let’s see what comfort food I could create using this it of meat.”
Unwrapping the whole brisket, my first challenge was the realization that this was a huge hunk of untrimmed meat. I wasn’t sure where to begin so I stared at it and decided to call on Paul to trim the brisket. He does such a good job cleaning our deer I figured the principles for the cow couldn’t be much different.
Here is what the piece of meat looked like….yours will be a lot like this if you choose to buy a whole brisket. If I was preparing this again I would buy an already trimmed one because so much fat came off. That was a lot of weight that I paid for to just throw away. I also think I might have trimmed a little too much off. Here’s a picture of the whole brisket. That top part is called the fat cap. It is usually at least 1/2″ thick and I removed most of the cap.
When Paul finished with the brisket we ended up with two pieces. The A or “flat” piece is used for corned beef, pastrami and meat-market trimmed brisket. The B or “point” is much thinner and the grain runs in a different direction. I saved it for a later recipe.
Paul and I went to New Orleans for the New Year in 2015 and enjoyed the most amazing Tuscan pork rib recipe prepared by our brother-in-law, Mike. That recipe was my inspiration for this brisket.
After the meat was trimmed, I combined all the ingredients below to make a dry rub. I then place the brisket in a zip lock bag for about 24 hours.
I used our fantastic real Portuguese porcelain deep platter serve ware to bake the brisket. Our entire family loves to cook and entertain but have always found it hard to find the large size bakeware and serving pieces it takes when we all get together. On a buying trip to Europe we found this company that were the manufacturers of this real porcelain. It bakes beautifully and I love the way my recipes just look so professionally presented in them. Check out all the styles in our stores.
Below are some shots of the finished product. Check the cooking time because depending upon the thickness of the meat it will vary. It was delicious. The leftovers we will turn into BBQ sandwiches for another night.
Sunday Link-Up {Nov. 20,2016}
Debbie Arnold: At Home With the Arnolds
I have dual citizenship.
And I love them both and cherish the time I spend in each.
Central Arkansas has it’s convenience and history and steadfastness.
Northwest Arkansas has it’s vibrancy and youthfulness and expectancy. And my grandchildren.
I am thankful I can call them both “home.”
The doors are always open and you’re welcome to drop by anytime.
Thanks for stopping by:)
Sarah Shotts: Sharing Family Favorites {Foodie Friday}
The holidays are coming up and this is a great time to celebrate the family recipe. We all have special recipes that we bring out once a year. They remind us of holidays gone by and family members that may no longer be with us. Digging into a family recipe can be just like stepping into a time machine. Heirloom recipes have powerful magic like that.
Make this year the year that you document cooking with your family. Pull out your camera (or phone) and take some photos or videos in the kitchen together. There’s something priceless about memories in the kitchen, and yet we often forget to document them.
Need some inspiration?
Check out these family recipes…
- Photo Credit: Discovering Breadcrumbs (with permission)
- Pumpkin Bread
- Auntie’s Spice Cake
- Grandma’s Chocolate Sandwich Cookies
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Share your photos and connect with other family recipe lovers using #ProjectSTIR or joining the Project STIR Facebook group. (Project STIR is an online community that celebrates family recipes from all over the world. We’re passionate about bringing people together through food.)
What’s your family recipe?
Let us know in comments or leave your links with our Family Favorites Linky.
#ARWB member Sarah Shotts is a visual storyteller with a heart for adventure. She blogs at www.lovelettertoadventure.com. Sarah loves finding new local haunts and creating opportunities for bringing adventure into our everyday lives. You can connect via Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
Sunday Link-Up {Nov. 13, 2016}
Lizzy Michael: Venison Bolognese – From Harvest to Table
Southeast Arkansas is the best place in Arkansas to hunt the big bucks.Even though I grew up in Lake Village, Arkansas, I was unaware of this fact up until three weeks ago when I went on a conservation hunt. What makes this realization even more astounding is the fact that my father, Paul Michael, owned a hunting camp called Georgetown that practiced wildlife management. I went all the time for social purposes; the best meals are made around a campfire but I never went on a hunt.
Three weeks ago, I went on Georgia Pellegrini s Texas Big GameAdventure Getaway. I wasn’t sure I would bite the literal bullet and hunt. I went through all the motions hunter’s safety, bought my hunting license, sighted in my rifle, and practiced – I was actually a good shot! Surrounded by a group of like-minded, supportive women, I decided that yes! I can do it! As Georgia says, in hunting, I learned to pay the karmic price of my meal.
We learned about wildlife management, foraging edible plants, tracking animals, falconry, and, yes, processing and cooking your deer. While I didn’t get my deer that weekend, I went back to my roots and hunted in SoutheastArkansas the very next weekend. My patient brother-in-law took me. We woke up early. Shooting first light. I harvested a doe.
I insisted on processing the deer. Here’s what I learned. You may be wondering what this has to do with the recipe, but it is VERY important for the flavor of your dish. Full disclosure, if you are a vegan,vegetarian or pescatarian
you will probably be disgusted beyond this point (if you haven’t already been.)
- In Texas, our deer was aged. Mine was not. When you harvest a deer you must, must, must get as much blood out as possible. I recommend aging it if you can.
- I did not have a way to age my deer in Downtown Little Rock. First, I gave the meat an ice bath for about 12 hours, changing out the water and ice about every four hours. Apparently, that was not enough. Also, Georgia warned me not to do the ice bath for too long because I could “waterlog” the meat.
- My good friend told me to truly remove the gaminess, soak the meat in milk, preferably buttermilk. I did this for about another four hours.
While I cannot tell you the best method (aging, ice bath, buttermilk), I do know you must do this before you proceed.
Sixty pounds of meat later, we’ve tried tons of different recipes and preparation methods. I ground about 20 pounds of the meat, and have been trying a lot of recipes involving ground venison. This has been our favorite.
Elizabeth (Lizzie) was born and raised in the Delta, then left “the most southern place on Earth” for Villanova University, near Philadelphia. She then returned home to Arkansas and the family business, the Paul Michael Company. She now work at Arkansas’s best ad agency, CJRW, where she works in the digital department as the director of content and social strategy. In her free time, she plays tennis, cooks and constantly redecorates. She grew up in a big hunting family but had never hunted herself – until now. Her new found love of the hunt is inspired by wildlife management and conservation efforts.
Snapchat: lizzymmichael
Sunday Link-Up {Nov. 6, 2016}