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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
I have a little slider, I made it out of... brisket
Sweet-and-tangy barbecue brisket sliders. (CP)
THE nice thing about cooking a monster brisket for Hanukkah -- aside, of course, from the fact that the meat can be mouth-meltingly delicious -- is that it is a dish you can mostly ignore as it cooks.
Season a massive hunk of brisket, toss it in a Dutch oven with some liquid, then pop it in a 135 C (275 F) oven for the better part of a day. Done. And delicious.
And that's what I planned to do for this recipe. Until I realized that while that approach does leave the cook free to do other things, it also monopolizes the oven. And it does so at such a low temperature that it becomes difficult to share the space with other dishes you might want to prepare.
So instead, I turned to that most terrifying -- and misunderstood -- of kitchen tools, the pressure cooker. Modern pressure cookers are quite safe. Basically, they lock in moisture and -- thanks to the pressure seal -- are able to cook at a higher temperature. The result is fast, even cooking that won't dry out your food.
Which means my sweet-and-tangy barbecue brisket sliders cook in about 11/2 hours instead of all day. And the hands-on time is the same.
Sweet-and-tangy barbecue brisket sliders
Start to finish: 1 hour 45 minutes (15 minutes active)
Servings: 10
1.8 kg (4 lb) brisket, trimmed of fat, cut into 3 or 4 pieces
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
30 ml (2 tbsp) canola or vegetable oil
500 ml (2 c) water
445 ml (15 oz) can tomato sauce
125 ml (1/2 c) ketchup
125 ml (1/2 c) packed brown sugar
125 ml (1/2 c) apricot preserves
65 ml (1/4 c) cider vinegar
5 ml (1 tsp) cumin
5 ml (1 tsp) mustard powder
5 ml (1 tsp) smoked paprika
5 ml (1 tsp) garlic powder
Slider buns
Season the brisket on all sides with salt and pepper.
In a large pressure cooker over medium-high, heat the oil. When the oil is hot, add the brisket and sear for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until well browned.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the water, tomato sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, apricot preserves, vinegar, cumin, mustard powder, paprika and garlic powder. Once the brisket has been seared, add the tomato sauce mixture to the pressure cooker. Move the brisket pieces around to ensure the liquid is both under and over it.
Attach the cover of the pressure cooker and seal according to manufacturer directions. Bring up to pressure, then adjust the burner temperature to maintain medium-high pressure. Cook for 11/2 hours.
Remove the pressure cooker from the heat and place in the sink under cool running water. Once the pressure cooker has cooled enough to open, remove the lid. Test the meat; it should be fork tender. Carefully transfer the meat to a platter and use 2 forks to pull it apart into bite-size chunks.
Meanwhile, return the cooker to the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the liquid has reduced and thickened. Return the shredded brisket to the cooker and toss well. Serve with slider buns.
Nutrition information per serving: 470 calories; 110 calories from fat (23 per cent of total calories); 12 g fat (3.5 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 90 mg cholesterol; 46 g carbohydrate; 2 g fibre; 24 g sugar; 44 g protein; 790 mg sodium.
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition December 5, 2012 C1
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