Three-day brisket is great for both a party and dinner

By Dee Dee Thompson

In the Kitchen

We've had another great week, enjoying all our grandchildren and experimenting with a few new foods and recipes. I'm so pleased to feature a three-day brisket recipe from my friend, Anne Kane of Aledo. And we discovered a new bean called cranberry beans, which is cooking now in the Crock-pot and smells heavenly. I tried a new oatmeal cookie recipe but the family were quick to say they preferred the chocolate chip cookie I have been working on. And a big thank you from Joe-Joe, a very special neighbor and friend, who shares his Verde Enchiladas which are wonderful.

The milder and dry weather has prompted me to turn the sprinkler system on and check for any leaks or broken sprinkler heads. Some creeping green weed has been invading my pansy bed and I haven't cared enough to try and excavate the little weedy darlings. Maybe it will be easier if the ground is watered first.

Anne Kane's 3 Day Brisket

This is awesome and great for a party or a dinner for friends and family. Thanks Anne.

First Day ingredients:

2 Tablespoons Liquid Smoke

1 Tablespoon salt

Second day ingredients:

1 Tablespoon onion salt

1 Tablespoon garlic salt

First Day:

Baste unbaked brisket with Liquid Smoke and salt. Wrap in foil and refrigerate for 24 hours.

Second day: Rub brisket with onion and garlic salt. Rewrap in foil, place on pan and bake at 200 degrees for 5 hours. Return to refrigerator overnight.

Third day: Slice cold brisket, trimming all the congealed fat off the meat and cover with the brisket sauce. Then wrap in foil and bake at 350 degrees for one hour.

The brisket sauce:

1 and 1/2 Tablespoons brown sugar

1/2 cup catsup

1 Tablespoon celery salt

1 teaspoon salt (optional)

2 Tablespoons butter

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

2 tablespoons Lea and Perrin Worcestershire sauce

dash pepper

1 Tablespoon Liquid Smoke

Combine these ingredients and cook in a saucepan until well blended and pour over brisket before the last hour of cooking.

Cranberry Beans (Cefalu Beans-Italian)

We find these at Kroger. They look like a pinto bean but are more colorful. I sort through a pound of these, removing any broken beans and discarding any dirt. Then rinse and drain. I place them in a bowl covered by about 3 inches of water and stir in 3 Tablespoons of salt. The salt softens the outer coating of the bean. I do all our beans this way. I soak these overnight; the following morning rinse and drain carefully-to rinse away the salt. I place them in our slow cooker by about 9 a.m. I start them on high for the first 2 hours, then reduce to low and cook until tender, several hours later. I add to these 1/2 cup diced white onion, salt to taste, 4 pieces chopped and browned bacon pieces. At the last hour I add about 1 Tablespoon chili pepper, and 1 tablespoon of cumin. Taste before adding more salt. We like the flavor of the cranberry beans, and they're a little different than the standard pinto bean. We're having these with tacos tonight but they're wonderful alone, or over white rice or served with a slice of cornbread.

Thank you to friend and neighbor, Joe-Joe, who inspired me to try this wonderful dish instead of making the standard red enchiladas.

Joe-Joe's Green Enchiladas

16 ounce Monterey Jack cheese-cut into cubes

1 large carton sour cream

1 can chopped green chilies

1 pound ground beef

1 small chopped onion

12 corn tortillas

1/2 pound grated longhorn cheese

Cut Monterey Jack cheese into cubes and mix with sour cream. Add green chilies. Heat in saucepan over low heat until the cheese melts. In a skillet, brown meat and onion and drain. Soften tortillas in oil. Put two tablespoons of meat and onion mixture in each softened tortilla and roll up. Place rolled up tortillas in a 9 x 13 or larger pan. Pour sour cream mixture over the enchiladas. Layer Longhorn cheese on top.

This is wonderful with rice, a green salad and a little scoop of guacamole.

Dee Dee's Improved Chocolate Chippers

Because of the addition of cocoa, this cookie is chocolate tasting and colored. The walnuts give a richer flavor than the standard pecans.

1 stick regular butter

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 Tablespoons cocoa

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup Toll House (Nestlé's) Dark Chocolate morsels

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a bowl, beat together the butter and both kinds of sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and mix well. Sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl. Add to the wet ingredients and mix well. Stir in the chocolate morsels and walnuts.

Using a spoon, drop batter onto a greased cookie sheet, forming cookies to whatever size you prefer. Keep the cookies about 2 inches apart. Bake for 8-10 minutes or just until firm. This makes 4 dozen 2-inch cookies. When I make this, we get fewer cookies but larger ones, they're that good.

Next week, Anne Kane shares with all of us another very special recipe. There will be more slow cooking ideas also. We just acquired a very large Crock-pot, about 8 quarts; perfect for big groups. Stay well everyone.

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