Beer-Braised Beef Brisket with Cumin and Garlic

It’s 4th of July weekend! If your holiday involves gathering with a group – whether it be at the beach, for a picnic, or a potluck- this beef brisket recipe is PERFECT! Not only does it feed a party, it keeps beautifully and reheats easily. When I have made it in the past, I served it with King’s Hawaiin Rolls and everybody made their own little brisket sliders. Whatever your plans may be, I wish you ALL  the sun, fun, and GumboLove! Let me know if you make the brisket! Happy 4th! Love, LuLu

Serves 12 to 15

1 (8 to10 pound) beef brisket, untrimmed

6 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 tablespoons packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons Creole mustard

2 tablespoons sea salt

1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons ground cumin

1 tablespoon ground Coriander

1 tablespoon paprika

1 teaspoon dried or oregano

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 large sweet yellow onions, sliced vertically

1 (12 ounce) bottle beer or honey ale

Instructions:

  1. Rinse the brisket and pat it dry. If it is extra fatty, trim off a little of the fat, but not too much. With this brisket, you want the fat to make the delicious cooking juice.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine the garlic, brown sugar, mustard, salt, black pepper, cayenne, cumin, coriander, paprika, oregano, and olive oil, mixing well until it has the consistency of a wet paste.
  3. Slather the paste over the brisket so that it is fully coated on all sides, both ends, and in all crevices. Wrap the brisket in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 hours. When you are ready to cook it, pull it out of the refrigerator and let it sit until it reaches room temperature, about one hour.
  4. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
  5. Scatter the onion in the bottom of a large roasting pan.
  6. Carefully unwrap the brisket and place it on top of the onion. Pour the beer or honey ale into the pan over the onion. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 5 to 6 hours. I usually check it at 5 hours. The brisket should be juicy and falling apart. At this point if you’d like it to have a crispy top, turn the oven to broil, remove the foil, and brown the brisket under the broiler. Otherwise I’ll usually cover the brisket and put it back in the oven for the additional hour, where it will brown but not as crisply as if you’d broiled it.
  7. Place the brisket on a shallow serving platter and let it cool slightly. Cut it or pull it apart and spoon some of the cooking juices from the pan over the brisket. Serve with the cooking juices in a bowl alongside.
  8. To re-warm the brisket later, just put the brisket back in the pan with the cooking juices, cover, and warm it up in a 250 to 300°F oven for about an hour. By that time, it looks pretty much like the famous debris from Mother’s in New Orleans and makes a great day-after sandwich.

Note: I often use a disposable aluminum turkey roasting pan, especially if I’m taking the brisket as a potluck dish.

 

 

Daddy’s Fried Chicken

If I had to pick one dish that reminds me most of my daddy, JD Buffett,  it would be his fried chicken. With a side of mashed potatoes and a good helping of butter beans … it was my favorite Sunday dinner for sure. It’s so good in fact that I put his fried chicken recipe in my cookbook. Daddy had a magic-touch with frying chicken that I still don’t have even after all these years. He didn’t need to use a thermometer and every single piece that he fried came out to perfection. I highly recommend using a thermometer, but definitely have fun with it and be fearless in the fryer! 

Let me know if you make Daddy’s Fried Chicken, or if you have any special tricks or tips you use when frying chicken. Comment below, or on social media. I love hearing from you! 

Happy frying and Happy Father’s Day to all the dads and father figures out there! 

Mucho Gumbo Love, LuLu

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 whole chicken, cut up
  • 5 ½  tablespoons LuLu’s Crazy Creola seasoning (or other Creole seasoning)
  • 6 cups all-purpose flour
  • About 2 cups of vegetable oil, for frying, or enough to fill the skillet halfway (Daddy always used Crisco brand)

DIRECTIONS

  1. Season the chicken pieces generally generously with one and a half tablespoons of the Creole seasoning.
  2. In a paper bag, combine the remaining 4 tablespoons Creole seasoning and the flour. Shake and lightly turn the bag to distribute the spices in the flour.
  3. Put the chicken pieces in the bag. Shake and turn the bag to evenly coat each piece of chicken.
  4. In a large heavy skillet (10 to 12 inches, preferably cast iron), heat the oil over medium high heat until it registers 355°F on a candy / deep-fry thermometer, or until a little flour flicked into the oil sizzles.
  5. Place the white meat pieces in the skillet and fry for 8 to 10 minutes, then flip and cook for 5 minutes or so more, making sure the thickest part of the thickest chicken pieces reaches at least 165°F. Daddy never used a thermometer on his chicken, but not all of us have his magic touch – so do use a thermometer if you’re worried about pulling the chicken out before it’s finished cooking all the way through. Your touch and your eye will get better with practice, though.
  6. Once all the white meat is finished cooking, repeat with the dark meat pieces. Cooking the dark meat will take 3 to 4 minutes more.
  7. Place the chicken on a baking sheet lined with paper towels until ready to serve. Try not to steal a wing when nobody’s looking.

Note: you will need a heavy duty paper bag.

The beauty, light, and colors of Key West

From the very first time I visited Key West in the early 70’s, I’ve been captivated by it’s nature and unique island style. Bright yellows, pinks, and turquoise blues reflect and radiate the natural beauty of sunrise, sunset, and tropical ocean. This has been my color palette of choice from the clothes that I wear to the decor of the multitude of homes and spaces I’ve inhabited along the way. Those hues have also been the colors of all the manifestations of the LuLu’s logos and menus and restaurant interiors over the years. I’ve always loved decor and art inspired by oyster shells, starfish, seahorses, and blue crabs, I think because even when I’m on land, I need to feel connected to the ocean. Give me a “drab” space and I will “LuLu-fy” it within hours with splashes of color and ocean treasures! I’m so happy to be in my Southernmost hometown today…soaking up the salty air and relishing the beauty, light, and colors of Key West. #islandtime #gonefishing #gumbolove

Lucy Buffett