Did I do this right?

[thebighat]

Should I have floured the brisket before braising it? This here sauce is not too tick. And it isn't going to get much thicker when I reduce it, because a lot of it's flavor comes from the fine products of the Minor Company. I bought 15 lbs of flat cut brisket from the earthy crunchy grocery where I work. Nice stuff. A lot better than the point cut I mistakenly bought last year from a freezer plan company up the hill with a retail butcher shop.
Now, on the baked red onions with spinach, pine nuts and golden raisins. I don't ever remember baking an onion before. What do I do, snip off the ends, cross one of them, shallow baking dish, S & P, a little water, a little melted butter, then cover and bake till almost done, scoop them out, make the stuffing and finish?

[mofo1]

TBH, make a little cornstarch slurry to thicken your gravy. As for your onions, I've never done them either, but it sounds like your idea woulds work.

[thebighat]

That's what I wound up doing, the cornstarch thing. I suppose if I had floured the meat before browning it I would have gotten a thicker sauce, but I had 15 lbs of meat so I mixed water, chix base, beef base, brown sugar, ketchup, and vinegar in a pot and poured it over the meat in a 4 inch hotel pan. I find it tough working at home with smaller pans and sinks and so on. I could have browned that much meat at once in a big rondeau, but had to settle for a large cast iron skillet and do it one piece at a time. The onions I simmered gently in water till they were somewhat soft, then cut out the centers and stuffed them with duxelles, spinach, pine nuts and golden raisins. Then I put them in the oven with a little water and butter and baked them.

[alexia]

For the brisket: I don't like using cornstarch in anything that might be reheated, so I'd add some flour at the end of the searing to be absorbed by the fat thrown off into the pan. (IMHO, Brisket should be made a day in advance for best flavor.)

Also, I've almost given up using spinach if chard is available. It works just as well, has a slightly sweet undertone, and doesn't set my teeth on edge (the oxalic acid).

[kokopuffs]

For braising I always flour the meat prior to browning. The meat seems to brown better and the sauce thickens a little bit more.

[Suzanne]

Ah, brisket! Just recently saw a nice THICK piece in the store, and cooked it up exactly as my mother used to. And that means no searing, no starch to thicken the gravy! EASY!!!!!

I make a bed of lots and lots and lots (I mean LOTS) of sliced onions and garlic. Season the meat with salt, pepper, and paprika. Place the meat fat-side up on the onions, and put in a 325 - 350 degree F oven UNCOVERED until the meat and onions are lightly browned on top. Then cover, and bake until the meat is tender. There will be plenty of liquid in the pot when it's done (if I want more gravy, I add some beef stock then). Take out of the oven and store separately in the fridge. That way you can easily remove the fat from the pan juices, and the meat is very easy to slice without shredding. Reheat the sliced meat in the skimmed gravy.

Granted, this preparation wouldn't work too well with the stuffed onions (which, btw, sound great!). But that's what I grew up on, an unthickened onion/garlic/beef sauce. Believe me, it works just fine on mashed potatoes, noodles, or bread!

And I too love chard! Much more of a sweet/mild-savory flavor. But spinach is also great.

[Kimmie]

That sounds so good, Suzanne. How long does it cook, i.e. how long per pound?

[Suzanne]

Thanks!

Uh, oh! Um, until done?? When I just did it, it was about 2 pounds of meat. Probably a half-hour uncovered, and a couple of hours AFTER you cover it. This is NOT going to be a rare roast, by any stretch of the imagination But it stays nice and moist, especially if the meat is fresh (never been frozen).

Kasha (buckwheat groats) is a perfect side dish. Let me know if you need info on kasha (although I seem to remember that we had a thread on it sometime ago).

[Kimmie]

AH!

Dunno what's Kasha? Hubby is pretty far from his roots and me = Goy!!

But I braid a pretty good Challah!

[Suzanne]

Gee, I thought we'd talked about kasha, but can't find anything by searching. Sorry.

Kasha is another name for roasted buckwheat groats -- that is, kernels of buckwheat that may be whole or crushed (fine, medium, coarse). As everyone knows buckwheat isn't a kind of wheat at all, but a sort of grass. But it can be eaten as a cereal product, or as a starch-type sidedish. It is also absolutely essential as part of "kasha varnishkes." (That you could look up here. Kasha has a lovely, nutty flavor. Great stuff!!!

The brand I see the most is Wolf's. To prepare, you mix a beaten egg into the groats, then put them in a heated saucepan. Stir them around with a wooden spoon until they're lightly browned (a little hard to see, since they start out brown-and-white) and fragrant. Then add boiling water or stock. Watch out, it will bubble and spit like lava! Cover, let steam over low heat. Fluff when done. The package should give proportions and cooking time. Try it, you'll like it!

[Kimmie]

Sounds good to me. I will try to find kasha. Would be nice to stumble onto Wolf's!

Thanks again for your excellent description.