RECIPES
MEATS
Classic Texas Smoked Brisket
Brisket
is the Holy Grail of Texas barbecue, reflecting the only significant
barbecue tradition in America based on beef instead of pork. There are
as many brisket recipes as there are brisket cooks, and each cook is
convinced everybody else is dead-wrong. At the risk of being precisely
that, here’s our way to make a terrific beef brisket, complete with
both a dry rub and a bit of mop sauce.
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 boneless beef brisket (6 to 8 pounds), trimmed
1/2 cup water
1 bottle (12 ounces) Shiner Bock beer, divided
2 cups steak sauce, divided
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons prepared mustard
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce
Combine
the paprika, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder; rub evenly over
the surface of the brisket. Place with fat side up in a large
disposable pan. Add water and about half of the beer to pan. Seal
tightly with foil. Place pan in the middle of a grill rack over hot
coals. Close grill cover; cook for 5 hours, turning brisket in the pan
juices about every 90 minutes. Add additional water to pan as needed.
Remove
foil from pan. Transfer brisket directly onto the grill rack over very
low coals. Combine 1 cup pan drippings with 1 cup steak sauce and
remaining beer; brush some of this sauce over meat. Set remaining
drippings aside. Close grill cover; cook for 1 hour, brushing meat
occasionally with remaining sauce.
Allow brisket to rest for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, saute onion
in
butter until transparent. Stir in the ketchup, mustard, brown sugar,
hot pepper sauce, remaining steak sauce and reserved drippings. Simmer
for about 10 minutes. Slice meat 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick across the
grain. Serve with warm sauce on the side. Serves 8-10.
Dr. Pepper Barbecued Chicken
The
original recipe for Dr. Pepper was formulated in Waco. Whatever your
feelings about the quirky soft drink, we think you’ll like what it
brings to the table in this version of barbecued chicken.
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup Dr. Pepper
2/3 cup white vinegar
Grated peel of 1/2 lemon
3 slices bacon, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 tablespoon prepared mustard
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
4 chickens (about 11/2 pounds each), cut in half
Additional salt and black pepper
In
a saucepan, combine the first 13 ingredients. Bring just to a boil;
reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, season the chicken
halves with salt and pepper. Place skin side down on a hot grill. Brown
on both sides, turning occasionally, for about 15 minutes. Continue to
grill, brushing regularly with sauce, until a meat thermometer reads
180°, about 45 minutes. Serves 8.
SIDES
Warm German Potato Salad
Germans
were important to the development of Texas barbecue, and, in Central
Texas, you’ll sometimes see this warm, vinegary potato salad instead of
the standard mayo-mustard kind.
2 pounds russet potatoes
1/2 pound bacon, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Boil
the potatoes in salted water until tender, about 35-40 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the bacon until crisp and fat is
rendered. Using a slotted spoon, remove bacon to paper towels.
In
the drippings, saute the onion, celery, tarragon and basil for 5
minutes. Stir in vinegar and water; bring to a boil. Add the sugar,
cornstarch, celery seed, salt and pepper.
Drain potatoes; peel
and slice while still warm. Place in a large bowl; add dressing and
stir to coat. Sprinkle with bacon. Serve warm. Serves 8.
Pepper Jack Potato Casserole
Texans
love casseroles. You wouldn’t find something like this on a cattle
drive, but you certainly would find it served by the lady of the house
at many a social on the ranch.
6 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 to 4 tablespoons whole milk
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded pepper Jack cheese
Boil
the potatoes in salted water until tender, about 25 minutes; drain.
Mash by hand or with an electric mixer set on low. Add the sour cream
and salt, along with just enough milk to make a fluffy consistency.
Stir in the shredded cheese.
Preheat oven to 350°. Transfer
potato mixture to a greased 11/2-quart baking dish. Bake, uncovered,
for 45 minutes or until heated through and golden on top. Serves 6.
Sweet ’n’ Creamy Coleslaw
It’s
possible to make coleslaw without mayonnaise, though many will tell you
the taste of traditional Texas coleslaw is more than worth the caloric
price of admission.
1 head green cabbage, shredded
2/3 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup shredded carrots
11/2 cups mayonnaise
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup honey
21/2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon minced seeded jalapeño
peppers
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
In
a large bowl, combine the cabbage, green onions and carrots. In a small
bowl, whisk the remaining ingredients until blended. Pour over cabbage
mixture and toss until thoroughly combined. Cover and refrigerate for
at least 1 hour.
Serves 6-8.
Chuck Wagon Pinto Beans
The
more south and west you go in Texas, the more an eastern fixation on
sweet baked beans gives way to this taste of the Old West.
2 cups dried pinto beans, sorted
and rinsed
Water
1 ham hock
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/3 cup heavy cream
Place
the beans in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add enough water to cover beans
by 3 inches. Add the ham hock, onion, sugar, chili powder, paprika,
garlic, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer
until beans are tender, about 3 hours. Add cream after about
2 hours of cooking. Add water if more
liquid is needed. Do not stir to avoid breaking the beans. Serves 6-8.
DESSERTS
BBQ Joint Banana Pudding
Banana pudding isn’t hard to make. Here’s our toast to the
old-fashioned way.
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 egg yolks, beaten
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon banana extract
2 cups milk
3 bananas, sliced
14 vanilla wafers
Whipped cream and additional vanilla wafers for garnish
In
a mixing bowl, combine the sugar, flour and salt. Whisk in the egg
yolks and extracts. In a saucepan, heat milk; gradually stir in egg
yolk mixture. Cook until thickened. Layer the bananas and vanilla
wafers in a 11/2-quart dish. Pour pudding over the top. Refrigerate
until chilled. Garnish with whipped cream and additional vanilla
wafers. Serves 8.
Hill Country Peach Bread Pudding
Good
years and bad, Texas Hill Country remains one of America’s greatest
destinations for peaches in the summertime. And when the peaches come
in, juicy and sweet, it is every Texas cook’s moral responsibility to
use them as many ways as possible. Thus this delicious (and very
timely) bread pudding.
2 cups milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup peach juice
1 loaf French bread, torn into pieces
3 eggs, beaten
2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
11/2 cups chopped Texas peaches
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
Whipped cream
In
a large mixing bowl, combine the milk, cream and peach juice. Add bread
pieces; soak for 45 minutes. In a separate bowl, combine the eggs,
sugar, vanilla and peaches. Using your hands, combine the peach mixture
with the milk and bread mixture.
Preheat oven to 300°. Pour
melted butter into an 11-inch x 7-inch x 2-inch baking pan; pour batter
evenly into pan. Bake for 1 hour or until a knife inserted in the
center comes out clean. Serve warm with whipped cream. Serves 8.
From the June 2012 issue.
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