Holiday Brisket

 

This brisket has a mildly sweet and sour flavor, but it is not overpowering. This should be made a day or two ahead of time and then sliced and reheated before serving. This gives the meat a chance to get very tender.  It can even be frozen until needed! Serve with roasted vegetables, a salad and perhaps mashed potatoes* or for Hanukkah, latkes!

5-6 lb brisket

Sprinkle of Salt, pepper, 1 tsp each -garlic powder and onion powder, paprika

1-2 onion, thinly sliced

4 or 5 carrots sliced lengthwise

Vegetable oil

Sauce: one can cranberry sauce, jellied

1 bottle chili sauce 

2 TBSP brown sugar + extra to sprinkle on top

4-5 cloves garlic finely minced

¾  cup red wine

1 cup beef broth

1 TBSP balsamic vinegar. More if needed

3 tsp Worcestershire sauce, optional

 

Preheat over the oven to 300°.  Rinse brisket and pat dry. Rub generously with salt, pepper, onion and garlic powder, paprika. Let it sit for 10- 20 minutes.

Heat oil in large wide pan. Brown brisket for several minutes on each side. It may be too big for pan but just move it around until all is browned.

Mix sauce ingredients together.  Place onions and carrots in the bottom of a large roasting pan. If it is aluminum, place a piece of parchment paper in first to line the pan. Pour a bit of the sauce into pan and place brisket over then pour the rest of the sauce on top. Sprinkle with a bit of brown sugar. Cover with parchment paper ( to reduce reaction to foil) and aluminum foil.

Place in oven for 4-5 hours until brisket is tender or reaches internal temperature of 200 °. Remove from oven. Place brisket into a glass baking dish, reserving cooking liquid, and cover with plastic wrap. Pour sauce into another container. Discard carrots but keep onions with the sauce. Cool and refrigerate both brisket and sauce.    

To serve- heat oven to 350. Skim all the fat off top of the cold sauce. Heat sauce in deep pot on medium high heat to reduce for 15 -20 minutes. Add beef broth and salt if needed for taste. Trim away fat from brisket and slice brisket thin, across the grain and return to glass baking dish. Pour sauce over brisket, getting in between slices. Tightly Cover baking dish with aluminum foil. Heat for about 30-40 minutes until heated through.

* Dairy free mashed potatoes can be made by cooking potatoes in chicken broth and using a bit of non- dairy milk such as soy or cashew and margarine. 

Lobster Tails in the Air fryer

 I love air fryers. I first bought a Cosori air fryer and was simply amazed by fish, potato and vegetable recipes I could make in it as well frozen foods like fish fillets or fries. I recently upgraded to a Ninja Foodi Grill which can also grill or dehydrate. Any air fryer could do this recipe well!

Lobster tails were on sale so I picked up a couple. It is the first time I have tried cooking lobster at home. They turned out great!

 

Lobster Tails in the air fryer

You may double this if the tails fit inside your air fryer

Two 5-8oz lobster tails

2-3  Tbsp unsalted butter melted

  2 cloves garlic pressed or minced

1/2 tsp salt, paprika, garlic powder, lemon pepper

1 tsp lemon juice

Extra butter for dipping

1.               Prepare butter mixture by combining butter, garlic, seasonings and lemon juice.

2.               Butterfly lobster tails – cut  through the top of the shell and loosen the lobster meat with a butter knife around the edges. Remove the meat as far back into tail as possible and place the meat on top of the shell.

3.               Place in Air Fryer basket and spread a spoon or so of butter mix over top of lobster meat. Remember do not let the spoon touch lobster as you will use any left over on finished lobster. Close Air Fryer basket and cook on 390 degrees Fahrenheit for 4 minutes.

4.               Open Air fryer basket and and spread a little more more butter on top, cook for an additional 2-4 minutes until done.

5.               Lobster shell will turn red and meat will be firm but tender, and an opaque pinkish white color when done.

6.               Check with thermometer if needed, Temp should be no less than 135 f

7.               Serve with dipping bowl of left over butter with a bit of extra butter added in.