Memorial Day - Or "Smoking a Brisket"

We had a great long weekend. Dr Food took Friday off and so we had 4 whole days. I was determined that we were going to plant our vegetable garden and fix up the pool area. We got both done and by the time we were done neither of us could move. I never knew that planting vegetables could be so much work. We had to get the beds ready which consisted of much weeding and turning of dirt. It was all worth it. I now have Padron peppers, and 2 kinds of eggplant, and 2 kinds of beans, 2 kinds of squash, basil, shiso, tarragon, tomatoes and other stuff that now I can't remember.



We also decided to smoke a brisket in the smoker so that we could smell it cooking all day while we worked away. Dr Food is the master of the smoker.

We started off by getting ourselves a big ole brisket





I made a batch of Dr Food's favorite rub. It comes from "Smoke and Spice by Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison. It is a all purpose rub which is easy to make and really good. It is also good on poultry.

Wild Willy's Number One-derful Rub

3/4 C paprika
1/4 C ground black pepper
1/4 C salt
1/4 C sugar
2 Tbl chili powder
2 Tbl garlic powder
2 Tbl onion powder
2 tsp cayenne

1. Mix spices thouroughly in a bowl.
2. Store covered in a cool, dark pantry.

Doesn't get much easier than THAT

Next we covered the brisket with the rub.



and then it was time to put that baby on the smoker



Next off I made some Mac and Cheese from Saveur. It was incredible.



Yes, there is a "little" cheese in there. Luckily we had some aged cheddar that Dr Food brought me back from Wisconsin when he did business there. It is very aged and very sharp.

NOTE: Mom and everyone else that worries about my eating habits... I swear that I post stuff that is interesting and not stuff that we eat EVERY night. Most nights are chicken or fish that are pretty boring. I don't want a lecture about my Cholesterol.

Southern-Style Macaroni and Cheese
Saveur

1 1⁄2 tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
8 oz. hollow pasta, preferably elbow macaroni
Butter, for greasing
7 oz. extra-sharp cheddar, cut into 1⁄2" cubes (about 1 1⁄2 cups), plus 6 oz. grated (about 2 cups)
2 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. flour
1 1⁄2 tsp. dry mustard
1⁄4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1⁄4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1⁄8 tsp. cayenne pepper
2⁄3 cup sour cream
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1⁄2 cups half-and-half
1 1⁄2 cups heavy cream
1⁄3 cup grated onion
1 tsp. Worcestershire

1. Heat oven to 350°. Bring a 4-qt. saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until cooked halfway through, about 3 minutes. Drain pasta and transfer to a greased 9" x 13" baking dish. Stir in the cubed cheddar cheese and set aside.

2. Combine 1 1⁄2 tsp. salt, flour, mustard, black pepper, nutmeg, and cayenne in a large mixing bowl. Add the sour cream and the eggs and whisk until smooth. Whisk in the half-and-half, heavy cream, onions, and Worcestershire. Pour egg mixture over the reserved pasta mixture and stir to combine. Sprinkle the grated cheese evenly over the surface. Bake until the pasta mixture is set around the edges but still a bit loose in the center, about 30 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.



Thanks to time lapsed photography (not really) this was the brisket 8 hours later. I am sure glad that Dr. Food kept SOME of his texas roots



Um, I forgot to take a picture of the Mac and Cheese before we dug in.



The other afternoons were pretty much spent like this...