ice.
Beef Brisket
Prep 30 minutes
Cook 6 1/2 hours
Serving s: 12
1 6-7 lb boneless beef brisket
3 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon white pepper
11x9 inch roasting pan
1 cup of water
Hickory chunks
Sprinkle brisket with paprika and pepper; rub over surface of roast. Don’t be stingy about this. Roll up your sleeves and really get in there. Pretend you’re giving that thing a massage. Put roast in pan. Pour in a cup of water and cover with aluminum foil. Soak hickory chunks in water for 30 minutes. (Don’t be impatient and try to skimp on the time trust me.) Then drain. Wrap chunks in foil, and make several holes in foil. Light your grill (Let Michael do this, I’ve seen you with the grill, it’s not pretty). Place foil wrapped chunks directly on hot coals. Let grill preheat for 10 minutes. Place pan with brisket on rack above the hot coals. Smoke 6 hours until tender. Turn brisket every hour, adding additional water if needed. (But don’t keep opening the thing to peek. It’s fine, let it be.) Remove brisket from pan, reserving 1 cup of drippings to make sauce (Don’t forget this, I used to always forget). Coat grill with vegetable oil cooking spray; place rack over hot coals. Place brisket on rack; grill, covered with grill lid for 10-15 minutes for each side. Slice brisket diagonally against the grain into thin slices. (Doesn’t sound like a big deal? It is.) Mix with sauce you’ve made. (If I see you buying a jar of barbecue sauce, I’ll disown you.)
Strawberry Spinach Salad
(Because apparently people are vegetarians now and we’re required to feed them.)
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
3 /4 cup sugar
1 /2 cup olive oil (a good one, not the cheap one)
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 tablespoon minced (like real small) onion
10 ounces fresh spinach (Mary Olivares grows the best I’ve ever tasted if she’ll spare some from her garden)
1 quart strawberries - cleaned, hulled and sliced
1/4 cup almonds, blanched and slivered (optional –but don’t cut corners you can tell the difference.)
In a bowl (I use my big orange one) whisk together the sesame seeds, poppy seeds, sugar, olive oil, vinegar, and onion. Cover, and chill for two hours. Combine the spinach, strawberries and almonds. Pour dressing over salad, and toss.
Down Home Cornbread (Great-Grandma’s)
Prep 10 minutes
Cook 25 minutes
Serving s: 10
1 ½ cups cornmeal
¼ cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
2 cups buttermilk
1 cup of cracklings (That bacon stuff I showed you how to make)
Combine first four ingredients in a large bowl. Mix them up good. Then add egg and buttermilk. Don’t beat it to death, you just need them combined. Stir in cracklings. Here is the key, heat the skillet in a hot oven for five minutes before you do anything. Then pour batter into the heated, well greased (If you miss a spot it will stick) 10-inch cast iron skillet. Stick the skillet in a 450 degree oven. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden.
Grilled Corn
Prep 12 minutes
Cook 20 minutes
Serving s: 6
6 fresh ears of corn
1/2 cup of butter melted
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
Remove and discard husks and silks from corn. (Make sure they are good and clean.) Brush corn with melted butter; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Wrap each ear with foil. (Make it tight) Grill over medium coals. 15- 20 minutes, (They’ll be hotter than two bunnies in a wool sack)
Baked Beans
(Your Pop-Pop ’s Recipe)
Prep 20 minutes
Soak 8 hours
Cook 4 hours
Servings: 10
1 pound dried navy beans
2 quarts of water
1 small ham hock
1 bay leaf
1 large onion, chopped
1 small green pepper, chopped
2 cups ketchup
8 ounces tomato sauce
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 Tablespoons molasses
1 tablespoon mustard
Sort and rinse beans; place beans in a Dutch oven. Cover with water. (All the way.) Let soak over night.
Louise Penny
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