Recipe: Atlanta Brisket

Based on a recipe from the October 2012 Cook's Country. Read the story behind this dish in Sunday, Dinner for Two.  Makes about 12 servings.

Ingredients 

1 3½-pound beef brisket, flat cut
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound onions
2 cups cola
1½ cups ketchup
4 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons packed dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried thyme 
salt and black pepper

Instructions

1. Trim the brisket, leaving about ¼-inch of fat.
2. Poke the brisket all over with a fork,  rub all sides with 1 tablespoon salt, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 6 to 24 hours.
3. Pat the brisket dry and season with black pepper.
4. Peel the onions, cut them in half through the poles, then cut into ½-inch slices.
5. Heat a large skillet with the oil over medium-high heat until just smoking.
6. Add the seasoned brisket, fat-side down, and weigh it down with a heavy dutch oven or cast iron skillet. You may need to cut the brisket so it will fit in the pan.
7. Cook until well browned, about 4 minutes, then repeat on the other side, another 4 minutes.
8. Transfer the browned brisket to a plate and add the onions to the skillet with a pinch of salt. If the pan is dry add a few teaspoons of vegetable oil.
9. Cook the onions, stirring occasionally and scraping up the brown bits on the bottom of the pan, until the onions are soft and golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes.
10. Heat the oven to 325° with a rack in the lower middle position .
11. While the onions cook, whisk together the cola, ketchup, brown sugar, onion powder, garlic powder, thyme, 1 teaspoon table salt, and 1 teaspoon black pepper in a medium bowl.
12. Spread the cooked onions in a 13x9-inch baking dish.
13. Place the brisket on top of the onions, fat side up. Add any juices from the meat to the sauce.
14. Pour the sauce over the brisket, place a sheet of parchment paper on top of the brisket, and cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil.
15. Roast the meat and sauce until a fork slips easily into and out of the beef, 3½ to 4 hours.
16. Transfer the brisket to a cooling rack and rest for 30 minutes, still in the liquid and covered with foil.
17. Transfer the brisket to a carving board and use a large spoon to skim fat from the sauce.
18. Slice the brisket across the grain into ¼-inch slices, return the meat to the baking dish, and serve with sauce.

Trim the brisket, poke it full of holes with a fork, cover with salt, and refrigerate.

Slice onions.

Pat the brisket dry and season with black pepper.

Brown both sides of the brisket, weighing it down so it browns evenly.

Remove the meat to a plate then brown the onions.

While the onions cook whisk together the sauce ingredients.

Layer the onions in a baking dish then put the brisket on top.

Pour the sauce over the beef and onions and cover with a sheet of parchment so the acid in the sauce doesn't react with the foil.

Cover tightly with aluminum foil and roast at 325° until fork tender.

Rest in the sauce, remove meat, skim off fat, slice the brisket and return it to the sauce, and serve.

Recipe: Eggs Benedict

This composition is a combination of several recipes. The Hollandaise Sauce is based on a recipe from the March 2011 Cook's Illustrated and the method for poached eggs is from the May 2007 Cook's Illustrated as demonstrated in a 2013 on-line video. Read the story behind this dish in Sunday, Dinner for Two.  Makes 2 servings.

Ingredients 

Hollandaise Sauce
6 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 large egg yolks

¼ cup boiling water

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/16 teaspoon cayenne pepper

table salt

Poached Eggs

1 teaspoon table salt
2 tablespoons distilled vinegar
4 large eggs
table salt and black pepper

Eggs Benedict
2 English muffins, split in half
4 slices Canadian bacon

Instructions

1. In advance, soften 6 tablespoons of unsalted butter at room temperature.
2. Create a double boiler: Place a heat proof bowl in a sauce pan of just barely simmering water, making sure the bowl does not contact the hot water.
3. Bring a kettle of water to boil.
4. Crack 2 eggs each into 2 tea or coffee cups and set aside.
5. For the poached eggs, fill a large skillet with water to within ½-inch of the top, add salt and vinegar, and heat on medium to almost boiling.
6. In the double boiler, whisk the butter and egg yolks together until smooth.
7. Whisk in ¼ cup boiling water and continue whisking until the sauce thickens and reaches 160°, 7 to 10 minutes.
8. Remove the double boiler from the heat, stir in lemon juice and cayenne, and season to taste with table salt. Leave the bowl with the Hollandaise sitting over the hot water to keep the sauce warm.
9. Toast the four English muffin halves and warm the Canadian bacon in the microwave oven.
10. Bring the water in the skillet to a boil then remove it from the heat.
11. Lower the lips of the cups with the eggs gently into the hot water and tip them so the eggs slide into the hot water.
12. Cover the skillet and poach the eggs for 4 minutes.
13. With a slotted spoon, gently remove the eggs to a paper towel to drain. Season with table salt and black pepper.
14. On each of the toasted English muffin halves, add the warm Canadian bacon, carefully add a poached egg,  cover with Hollandaise, and serve.

Assemble the ingredients, including butter, egg yolks, and lemon juice for the Hollandaise.
The measuring cup stands ready for the boiling water.

Eggs ready for poaching.

Poaching water warming in a large skillet.

In a double boiler whisk together butter and egg yolks.

Add boiling water and continue whisking until the sauce is thick and smooth, remove from heat and add lemon juice, cayenne pepper, and salt.

Bring water to a boil, remove from heat, gently slide in the eggs, then cover.

After 4 minutes remove the poached eggs to paper towels to drain and season with alt and pepper.

Assemble the meal with toasted English muffins, warmed Canadian bacon, poached eggs, dress with Hollandaise, and serve.

Recipe: Baltimore Pit Beef

Based on the recipe from the June 2011 Cook's Country.  Read the story behind this dish in Sunday, Dinner for Two.  Makes many servings.

Ingredients 

 

Tiger Sauce
½ cup mayonnaise

½ cup hot prepared (not creamy) horseradish

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 garlic clove

Pit Beef

4 teaspoons kosher salt

1 tablespoon paprika

1 tablespoon pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon dried oregano

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 boneless top sirloin beef roast (about 4 pounds)

kaiser rolls

1 onion 

Instructions

1. Mince the garlic or pass it through a garlic press.
2. In a small bowl, whisk the garlic together with the mayonnaise, horseradish, and lemon juice. Refrigerate until needed.
3. In a small bowl, combine the dry seasonings for the beef.
4. Trim the roast of any fat cap and veins of hard fat then cut it in half.
5. Pat the roasts dry and rub with 2 tablespoons of the seasoning mix.
6. Wrap the roasts in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 6 to 24 hours.
7. Clean the grates on a gas grill, turn all burners to high, and heat with the lid closed for 15 minutes or so.
8. Leave the primary burner on high and turn off the other burners.
9. Unwrap the roasts and place them on the cool side of the grill, using a sheet of aluminum foil to shield them from the hot side of the grill (see photo below).
10. Close the grill lid and cook until the meat registers 100°, 30-60 minutes.
11. Remove the roasts from the grill, discarding the foil.
12. Pat them dry and rub with the remaining seasoning mixture.
13. Place the roasts on the hot side of the grill and cook, covered, turning as needed to char all sides of the meat and cook it to 125&def;.
14. Remove roasts from grill, tent loosely with foil, and rest for 15 minutes.
15. Slice meat across the grain and serve on kaiser rolls with the tiger sauce and some thinly sliced onion.

Whisk together mayonnaise, horseradish, lemon juice, and pressed garlic to make tiger sauce.

Cut roast in half and trim, pat dry, apply spice rub, wrap, and refrigerate for 6 to 24 hours.

Cook the beef on the cool side of a gas grill, shielding it from the highest heat with foil, to an internal temperature of 100°.

Remove from grill, add the remaining spice rub, and cook on the hot side of the grill to an internal temperature of 125°.

 

After the meat rests, slice it thinly against the grain and serve on a bun with the tiger sauce.

Recipe: Fish and Chips

Based on the recipe from the May 2006 Cook's Illustrated and the Cook's Illustrated Cookbook, 2011, page 440.  Read the story behind this dish in Sunday, Dinner for Two.  Serves 2.

In addition to cod you can also use another thick white fish such as hake or haddock. As both the fish and potatoes need to be fried this recipe includes both to help get the timing right so both arrive at the table hot and ready to eat.

Ingredients 

2 quarts oil for frying
1 russet potato
¾ cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup cornstarch
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon paprika
⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Table salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
¾ pounds 1-inch thick cod fillet 
¾ cups cold beer (6 ounces)

Instructions

1. Peel the potato or scrub it clean with a vegetable brush.
2. Trim each end of the potato and cut it lengthwise into ½–inch slices then cut each slice into ½–inch sticks.
3. In a microwave safe bowl, toss the fries with 2 tablespoons oil, cover with plastic wrap, and microwave on high until the fries are partially translucent and bendable but not fully cooked, 1 to 5 minutes.
4. Carefully pour off the water, rinse the potatoes with cold running water, pat dry with a towel, and let the potatoes cool to room temperature.
5. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, cayenne, paprika, pepper, and 1 teaspoon salt. 
6. Transfer a little less than ½ cup of the mixture to a baking sheet.
7. Whisk the baking powder into the mixture in the bowl.
8. In a heavy Dutch oven, heat oil on medium to 350°.
9. Increase the heat to high,  add the pates to the oil, and cook with occasional stirring until the fries are light golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes.
10. Transfer the fries to several layers of paper towels to drain.
11. Reduce heat to medium and heat the oil to 375°.
12. Pat the fish dry and cut it crosswise into four pieces.
13. Dredge the fish in the flour mixture on the baking sheet, shake off the excess flour, and place the floured fish on a wire rack.
14. Whisk beer into the flour mixture in the bowl and stir to just combine. The batter should fall from the whisk in a thin steady stream; add additional beer a few teaspoons at a time if the batter is too thick.  
15. (Drink the leftover beer.)
16. Using tongs. dip the fish one piece at a time in the batter, let the excess batter drain, then coat the fish with the flour mixture on the baking sheet.
17. When the oil reaches 375° increase the heat to high and carefully add the fish, shaking off excess flour.
18. Fry until golden brown, 7 to 8 minutes, then transfer the fish to several layers of paper towels to drain.
19. When oil reaches 375° return the fries to the oil and cook until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes.
20. Remove fries to paper towels to drain, season with salt, and serve with the fish.

Cut a russet potato into ½–inch sticks.

Cook in the microwave with oil until just floppy.

Whisk together coating for fish.

Cook the potatoes until light golden brown

Coat the fish in some of the flour mixture.

Add beer to the remaining flour mixture to make a batter.

Dip the fish in the batter and coat with the flour mixture.

Fry until golden brown.

Return the fries to the hot oil and cook until crispy and golden brown.

Recipe: Spaghetti Carbonara

Based on the recipe from the March 2013 Cook's Illustrated. Read the story behind this dish in Sunday, Dinner for Two.  Serves 6.

Ingredients 

8 slices bacon
½ cup water
3 cloves garlic
2½ ounces Pecorino Romano 
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon table salt
1 pound spaghetti

Instructions

1. Cut the bacon into ½-inch pieces.
2. Press the garlic through a garlic press or peel and mince it.
3. Grate the Pecorino Romano, you should end up with about 1¼ cups of grated cheese.
4. Break the eggs into a bowl, discarding the white of one of the eggs.
5. In a skillet over medium heat, bring the bacon and water to a simmer.
6. Cook until the water has evaporated, 5 to 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to medium low.
7. Cook with occasional stirring until the fat has rendered from the bacon, 5 to 10 minutes.
8. Add the garlic and stir, cooking until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
9. With a fine mesh strainer set over a bowl, strain the bacon; set aside the bacon.
10. Put 1 tablespoon of bacon fat in a medium bowl and whisk in the Pecorino Romano, eggs, and pepper.
11. In a Dutch oven or large sauce pan, bring 8 cups of water to boil.
12. Add the spaghetti and salt and cook until al dente.
13. Drain the spaghetti in a colander set in a large bowl.
14. Set aside 1 cup of the cooking water, discard the rest, and add the spaghetti to the warm bowl. (You can use the leftover cooking water to warm the serving bowls.)
15. Slowly whisk ½ cup of the cooking water into the cheese mixture.
16. Pour the cheese mixture over the spaghetti and toss to coat the pasta.
17. Add the bacon mixture and toss to combine.
18. Let the spaghetti rest for a few minutes, with frequent tossing, until the sauce has thickened. If it is too thick, add some of the reserved cooking liquid.
19. Serve immediately.

Assemble ingredients (clockwise): spaghetti, 3 eggs plus one yolk, water, black pepper, table salt, pressed garlic, grated Pecorino Romano, chopped bacon.

Cook bacon with water until evaporated, continue until fat is rendered, add garlic and cook until fragrant.

Strain the fat from the bacon and move one tablespoon of fat to a bowl.

Whisk the Pecorino, eggs, and pepper into the bacon fat.

Cook the pasta in two quarts water until al dente and strain, reserving the liquid.

Stir ½ cup of the reserved cooking water into the cheese mixture, then toss with the pasta and add the bacon mixture. Rest the spaghetti until the sauce thickens, adding more cooking liquid if needed.

Recipe: Sweet and Tangy Barbecued Chicken

Based on the recipe from the July 2013 Cook's Illustrated. Read the story behind this dish in Sunday, Dinner for Two.   Serves 6.

Ingredients 

4 to 6 pounds bone-in chicken pieces
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
4½ teaspoons kosher salt
1½ teaspoons onion powder
1½ teaspoons garlic powder
1½ teaspoons paprika
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
Sauce
1 cup ketchup
5 tablespoons molasses
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil 
⅓ cup grated onion
1 minced garlic clove
1 teaspoon chili powder  
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

Instructions

1. Trim the chicken pieces of excess fat and skin. Breasts should be split and, if they are large, cut in half.
2. In a small bowl combine the brown sugar, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, and cayenne.
3. On a rimmed baking sheet, sprinkle both sides of the chicken with the spice mixture, cover with plastic, and refrigerate for 6 to 24 hours.
4. In a bowl, whisk together the ketchup, molasses, vinegar, Worcestershire, mustard, and pepper.
5. In a medium saucepan heat oil over medium heat until shimmering.
6. Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened, 2 to 4 minutes.
7. Stir in the chili powder and cayenne and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
8. Whisk in the ketchup mixture and bring to a boil.
9. Reduce heat and simmer gently for 5 minutes. Refrigerate until ready to cook the chicken.
10. Place 1 or 2 (depending on the size of your grill) disposable pie plates directly on 1 burner of a gas grill and fill each with 1½ cups water.
11. Light all burners, set to high, close the cover, and heat the grill for 15 minutes.
12. Adjust primary burner (the burner away from the pie plates) to medium-high and adjust the other burners to low or off to maintain a temperature of 325°.
13. Place the chicken skin-side down on the hot side of the grill and cook until browned, 2 to 5 minutes.
14. Turn over the chicken and cook until the other side is browned, 4 to 6 minutes.
15. Move the chicken to the cool side of the grill, skin side up, with the thicker pieces closer to the primary burner. Brush both sides using ⅓ cup of the sauce and cook for 25 minutes.
16. Brush both sides of the chicken with another ⅓ cup of the sauce and cook until the temperature of the breasts is 160° and the dark meat is 175°, another 20 to 30 minutes.
17. Remove chicken to a serving platter, cover loosely with foil, and rest for 10 minutes before serving.

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Combine ingredients of the dry rub in a small bowl.

Sprinkle both sides of trimmed chicken with the spice rub and refrigerate for 6 to 24 hours.

Combine Worcestershire, vinegar, ketchup, molasses, pepper, and mustard in a small bowl.

Cook grated onion and garlic in oil until softened, bloom chili powder and cayenne, then add the ketchup mixture and simmer.

Brown both sides of the chicken on the hot side of the grill.

Move chicken to the cool side of the grill, baste with sauce, and cook until done.