Low and Slow is the Key to Success! Tasty Slow Roasted Brisket Recipe! Noreen's Kitchen

Time to prepare for another in our bulk cooking series.  This time around I am using a beef brisket, slow roasting it to perfection and then see how many meals for four we can get out of it.  I have slow roasted brisket in a video many years ago.  Time for an upgrade!  Brisket can be intimidating to some people, simple because of the nature of the cut.  It is not forgiving and if done wrong, it can be be an awful experience.  There are a few tricks to doing it just right.  First off, low and slow is imperative, secondly, the way you slice this cut of meat is going to make all the difference in whether you have a melt in your mouth slice of beef or a chewy, stringy and tough piece.  Today I am going to show you the right way to achieve the perfect brisket!

I have around a 10 pound brisket, with a trimmed fat cap.  You want to make sure your cut is trimmed well.  Some brisket can come with a very fatty layer, which can be unappealing after it is cooked.  You don't want the fat to be trimmed away completely, because the fat helps to flavor the meat and keep it moist and delicious.  You can always discard it when serving.  Over all, I like to leave about a half inch if it is not already trimmed well.

Like my Calphalon roasting pan?  Check it out here: http://amzn.to/2kKzb1Q

Next is the seasoning and aromatics.  I have created a "rack" of vegetables to place the brisket upon.  Carrots and celery are great for this.  I also thick cut a yellow onion and scattered it around the roast.  For seasoning, I have generously spread some of my homemade dry onion soup mix.  If you would like to see how I made that, check out my video here:  http://bit.ly/2kQoLRo

I also added some bay leaves and crushed rosemary to the seasoning as well.  I added about 3 cups of water to the bottom of the roasting pan, then covered the roast with parchment and a double layer of foil.  The brisket was roasted in a 300 degree oven for 7.5 hours then allowed to rest for an additional 2 hours before slicing.  Allowing the brisket to rest for a long period is going to be helpful when slicing.  

To slice a brisket properly you will want to ascertain the grain of the meat.  Slicing straight across the meat is not the way to go.  You want to slice against the grain.  To do this you will want to slice diagonally from the narrow end of the brisket to the wide end.  This will help you to know that you will get nice short, tender, melt in your mouth pieces of meat instead of long stringy inedible pieces.

This brisket is a delicious treat.  It does cook down a bit so in the end, I would guess that we have about 7 pounds of edible meat.  We enjoyed our brisket the first night with mashed potatoes, gravy made with some of the drippings and steamed veggies.  We will be sharing other options to use the leftovers.  This makes for great budget cooking and freezer banking for nights when a long cooking process is out of the question.  

The leftover meat from a  tasty brisket is great for bbq beef sandwiches, taquito filling, burritos, enchiladas, tacos, tostadas, hot beef open faced sandwiches, Chicago style beef sandwiches, beef pot pie, beef and barley soup and so much more!  You can even make a red flannel, roast beef hash with these leftovers and it will be amazing!  Stay tuned to see what I come up with!  I am confident we will be able to get 4 to 6 meals out of this roast.    Not as many as we did from the chicken, but a good number nonetheless.

I hope you give slow roasting a brisket a try and I hope you love it!

Happy Eating!

You can see how I made this in my YouTube video here:

You can find a printable version of this recipe on my website here: http://bit.ly/2kyEuAT

Noreen's Kitchen

Slow Roasted Beef Brisket

Ingredients

1 whole beef brisket 8 to 10 pounds 4 carrots roughly cut 4 stalks of celery roughly cut 1 large onion, thickly sliced

½ cup dry onion soup mix 1 teaspoon dried, crushed rosemary 4 bay leaves 4 cups water

Step by Step Instructions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Place celery and carrots in the bottom of a deep roasting pan.

Place brisket, fat cup up, on top of the carrots and celery.

Arrange onion slices around the brisket.

Sprinkle onion soup mix generously over the top of the brisket.  Sprinkle rosemary and bay leaves on top as well.

Pour water into the bottom of the roasting pan.

Cover with parchment if desired then double seal the pan with aluminum foil.

Roast for a minimum of 6 hours and check to see if the brisket is done.  If not return it to the oven for an addition hour to hour and a half. 

When brisket is tender all the way through a the thickest part of the meat, remove from oven and allow to rest for two hours before slicing.

When slicing the brisket, you will want to use a sharp carving knife and slice diagonally across the grain of the meat.  When you look at your slice it should not have long strings of meat running horizontally. It should have a short grain that runs vertically across the slice.  Slicing diagonally will achieve this.  Start at the narrow end of the brisket and slice your way back toward the wider end diagonally.  This will give you the perfect, tender, melt in your mouth experience you are going for.

Leftover brisket should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for no longer than ten days.  It can also be frozen in sealed containers or zip top freezer bags for later use.

ENJOY!

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Homemade is Best! Old Fashioned Chicken Soup Recipe!!

Today we wrap up our budget buster bulk cooking chicken journey.  We have made chicken and stuffing casserole, buffalo chicken pizza, Hawaiian BBQ chicken pizza, salsa verde, sour cream chicken enchiladas, chicken citrus super food salad of course our initial meal of roast chicken dinner and now for the grand finale.  There will be nothing left after this!  Taking the carcasses of the roasted birds as well as the bones and skin from what we have been using for all the rest of the goodness we have made and we are now making a delicious, nutritious and simple chicken soup.  

This soup is so easy to make and really you are making a good quality bone stock that will have shreds of chicken meat that will shed from the bone over the long cooking time.  I did not add anything fancy here.  Only simple aromatics such as celery, onion and carrot as well as a half a lemon.  I always like to add lemon to my chicken soup or stock because I think it helps to clarify the stock and reduce the "scum" that can sometimes build up while cooking.

I tossed everything in the pot from the freezer, added the veggies and a handful of seasonings.  I like to add parsley, salt, peppercorns, sage, bay leaf,marjoram and a few other spices.  You can add what you like, I would recommend going easy on the salt at the beginning.  Over time and the cooking process the flavors can concentrate.  You can always taste for seasoning in the end, and adjust to your taste.  

I cooked my soup for three hours on a low simmer.  Then I did my best to get all the bones and cartridge out of the pot.  This can be a daunting task, but keep at it.  Just when you think you get it all, another one pops up.  It can be maddening, but make sure to tell your family to watch for bones.  They can be small, but they are soft, and chewy most won't cause a problem.  I just like to let everyone know.  Don't give this to your dogs though because even a small chicken bone can splinter and cause a trip to the emergency vet and nobody wants that!

I don't ever cook my noodles in my soup.  I always cook them separate.  We each fix our bowls by putting the noodles in the bottom then ladling the soup over the top.  This way everyone gets their preferred soup to noodle ratio!  I much prefer to do things this way because I don't like the noodles in leftover soup.  They swell and get mushy and very unpleasant.  You should do what you like best.  If we were going to eat this all at one sitting then I may consider cooking them right in the soup pot, but this way I can use the leftover soup for yet another meal.

In the end, we had a 6 quart pot of delicious chicken soup that was chock full of meat and veggies.  We at well that night and we also had the soup for lunch the next day.  Then I strained the meat from the stock and allowed the stock to cool before putting it in the fridge.  I went through the remaining chicken to fish out all the bones and we fed it to our pets over a few days time as a treat.  There were 2 quarts of "jellied" stock left that I froze for another time.  Everyone saw benefit from these two chickens.  Even our dogs and cats!  I have some stock left for another use later down the line and overall I think we did great with two birds.  

I hope this encourages you to challenge yourself and see how far you can make two chickens last for your family.  Remember my chickens were 7 pounds each or there abouts.  You want to keep that in mind.  I don't think we could have stretched it this far if they had been smaller.

I hope you give this bulk cooking, chicken journey a try on your own and I hope you love it!

Happy Eating!

You can get a printable version of this recipe on my website here:

You can see how I made this in my YouTube video here:

Noreen's Kitchen

Homemade Chicken Soup

Ingredients

Carcasses of 2 roasted chickens including any bones and skin saved and frozen. 1 large onion, chopped 4 carrots, cleaned and chopped 4 stalks of celery with leaves, chopped 4 cloves of garlic, minced 2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon black pepper corns 2 tablespoons salt 1 teaspoon dried marjoram ½ teaspoon dried thyme 2 tablespoons dried parsley ½ of a large lemon, quartered Cold water to cover

Step by Step Instructions

Place all ingredients into a large stock pot, that is at least 6 quarts in size.  If you prefer, you can place the peppercorns into a cheesecloth pouch to make it easier to remove.

Cover the contents of the pot with cool water.  Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce to a simmer.  Allow soup to cook for 3 to 4 hours or until the meat has fallen from the bone and the bones are clean.

Turn off the heat and allow the soup to sit for 15 to 30 minutes.

Remove all the bones from the soup the best you can.  It may be impossible to get all of them because small rib bones are hard to fish out.  Just be sure to let your family know to be aware there may be small bones.

You can remove any large pieces of meat and shred them.  Then return them to the pot.

Cook noodles of your choice or rice to go along with the soup.  I like to do this separately because leftovers with noodles or rice are not that great.

Serve soup by placing rice or noodles in the bottom of each bowl then ladling the soup over.  Add more parsley to each serving and you can also sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese if desired and lots of cracked black pepper.  That is my favorite!

You can store any leftover soup with the chicken and vegetables in it for another meal or you can strain out the chicken and veggies and have chicken bone stock to freeze for another use. 

I strained my soup and fed the veggies and shredded meat that was left to my pets.  Nothing went to waste with the exception of the bones. 

The stock is “jellied” and perfectly delicious.  We will use this in another meal soon.

Fresh Is Best! Sign Up for Zaycon Fresh and Get 20% off your First Order!

Sign up here for emails and notifications of Zaycon sales in your area!  http://bit.ly/Zaycon-Fresh 

Use coupon code BL20 and get 20% off your first order!

You can get great deals on ground beef, chuck roasts, steaks, whole chickens, chicken breasts, tenders and thighs, bacon, hot dogs, fish and more!  They always surprise me with their variety!  In the summer they even have fresh, locally sourced produce from time to time!  

In this video I am sharing how we picked up our Zaycon Fresh order of 80/20 ground beef, took it home and processed it.  We also got a little interview with our pick up guy Jerry!  Thanks to him for answering all our questions and being so awesome!

Here is some information about Zaycon Fresh that will help you know more about who they are:

How does it work?

You need food. Fortunately, our food tastes great.

You go online to ZayconFresh.com and place your order, your jaw dropping at how much great food you can get for such low prices.

On the day of your local Zaycon sales event, you bring your order confirmation to a designated location a short drive from your home, and you get your fresh, delicious, nutritious food!

That’s it, just three easy steps! And let’s be honest, that first step wasn’t even time-consuming.

We represent the greatest value in the food industry today. Here’s how we do it:

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OK, here’s a bit more info about us, because you seem so nice!

Zaycon Fresh is a privately owned company based in Spokane, Washington. The company was founded in 2009 with the simple mission to bring farm fresh meats direct to consumers at wholesale prices.

You see, we knew all the farmers who had the best stuff around. Thanks to our experience in the grocery industry, we knew how to quickly move that great stuff from point to point, preserving its freshness, taste, and nutrition.

So we asked ourselves: “Why are there middlemen involved? Why aren’t we just getting this food directly from the farms to the people who are going to eat it?”

That idea grew into the company we are today.

When we started off just a few short years ago, we offered only a few meats in a few areas. But thanks to the overwhelmingly enthusiastic response we’ve gotten from all of you, Zaycon has grown like wildfire!

We now offer a wider range of fresh foods to over 1,200 locations nationwide. If we have not been to your area yet, let us know and you can bet we’ll be there soon. And if we’ve already been through a dozen times, you know we’re coming back again, too.

If you are interested in signing up to find out how you can purchase Zaycon Fresh meats in your area, please use the link above!  

I hope you try Zaycon Fresh and I hope you love them!

Happy Eating!

The Whole Enchilada! Salsa Verde Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas! Bulk Cooking Recipe!

Let's make meal number 4 from our roasted chicken!  Today we are making a delicious pan of Salsa Verde, sour cream, chicken enchiladas today!  These are super easy to make, quick to get on the table and this pan will feed between four and six people, depending on how many they choose to eat.  I planned for two enchiladas per person, however if you have younger kids they may eat less.  I only enjoyed one and was full and satisfied.  These are rich and delicious.  So, this may stretch further than four people.

I have used flour tortillas, shredded chicken, sour cream, cream of chicken soup, cheddar and pepper jack cheese to make this very satisfying and filling meal.  Paired with an avocado salad, green salad or jicama and orange salad this will be a completely delicious and well rounded meal.  You could even add fresh spinach to the filling to include more greens.    As economical, budget stretcher meals go, this one is one of my favorites!

The secret to this dish is definitely in the sauce!  You can choose to start with a homemade cream of chicken, but this is a quick recipe so I make no apologies for using the canned soup.  The sauce is simple.  Sour cream, cream of chicken soup and a healthy dose of your favorite jarred salsa verde sauce.  I sometimes like to also add a small can of chopped green chilies to add more of that flavor.  

The filling is simple.  shredded chicken, shredded cheddar cheese and a bit of the sauce.  All mixed together to make a thick but workable filling for the tortillas.  I divided the filling evenly between eight "fajita sized" flour tortillas.  I prefer the Cesareo style tortillas because they are a bit thicker and roll much easier.  Spreading the filling across the middle portion of the tortilla then rolling tightly into a compact cigar.  I fit all of these into a foil pan and they were perfectly snug.  You can feel free to use your favorite baking dish to make this as well.  Just be sure the enchiladas have enough space to spread out on each end.  You don't want them folded up on themselves.  

When all the enchiladas were filled and snugly set in their cooking pan, I poured the creamy sauce over them and spread it evenly.  As this bakes the sauce will cook down into all the crevices and become even more delicious.  I then topped this with a generous handful of pepper jack cheese.  You can add more or less to your preference and if you like a different type of cheese then go for it!  I think just about anything would be great with the exception of Mozzarella which has no business around Mexican style cooking.

This bakes up in just around a half hour, uncovered and is bubbly, cheesy, creamy and amazing.  Everyone is going to love this one.  Even people who think they don't like enchiladas will love this.  The creamy sauce is the key!   This casserole is best made and eaten fresh.  Leftovers are alright, however not exceptional due to over sogginess of the tortilla after it sits post cooking.   If you should have leftovers, they should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator and eaten within 3 days.  

I don't recommend this recipe for freezer banking due to the sour cream.  Once frozen and thawed this will "break" making the sauce separate and look unappetizing and not become creamy upon baking.  So this should not be frozen before or after cooking.  

I hope that you give this salsa verde sour cream chicken enchilada recipe a try and I hope you love it!  I hope that you give bulk cooking a try some time soon!

Happy Eating!

You can get a printable version of this recipe on my website by clicking here:  http://bit.ly/2j1ZWyK

You can see how I made this in my YouTube video:

Noreen's Kitchen

Salsa Verde Sour Cream

Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients

2 cups cooked chicken, shredded 2 cans, cream of chicken soup’ 2 cup sour cream 1 cup green chili salsa

1, 4 ounce can, chopped green chilies 8, medium sized flour tortillas 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded 1 cup pepper jack cheese, shredded

Step by Step Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine cream of chicken soup, sour cream, green chili salsa and additional chopped green chilies.  Whisk together until well combined.  Set aside.

In a separate bowl, combine chicken and sharp cheddar cheese along with 1 cup of the prepared sauce mixture.  Blend together well, to make a somewhat thick paste like consistency.

To prepare the enchiladas, place a tortilla down on the work surface in front of you.  Spread approximately 2 tablespoons of the chicken mixture, across the tortilla, in a line, just off center, toward you.  Roll up the tortilla tightly.  Place into a baking dish that comfortably fits the width of the enchilada.  Continue filling and rolling until the chicken mixture and the tortillas are used.

Pour the sauce over the prepared enchiladas in the pan.  Spread evenly.  Don’t worry too much about getting the sauce down in all the nooks and crannies.  That will happen as it bakes.

Top with the shredded pepper jack cheese.

Bake for 30 to 45 minutes until the pan is bubbly and the cheese is melted and lightly browned on the top.

Remove from oven and allow to rest for five to ten minutes before serving.  This will help the enchiladas to set up a bit before you attempt to lift them out of the pan in one piece. 

Leftovers should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator and eaten within three days.

This recipe is not recommended for freezing either before or after baking due to the inclusion of sour cream which may separate and break after thawing.