Rhubarb Chutney

I am still happily embracing the bounty of rhubarb that comes my way.  It was interesting to watch it trickle down:  at the first hint of spring, it could only be had at upscale specialty vendors for way too much money.  By now with it being near-summer they are practically giving it away at Tesco and Lidl and every other chain grocery in the land.  I've taken advantage and stocked up.  

One of the things I've made recently with this glut of 'barb has been a chutney.  The Brits do love their chutneys, and I've come to embrace this (with relish!).  They are usually sweet-tart, quite chunky, and they pair them on all sorts of savory dishes.  Not that I eat a lot of meat, but a spicy tart rhubarb chutney pairs fabulously with any fatty piece you throw at it- pork tenderloin, ham, lamb, roast beef.  It would even do well smothered over a grilled chicken thigh.  Pairing fruit with savory is one of my favorite tricks.  If you don't eat meat?  This is lovely on fish, or added to a vegetable stir fry for a nice sour kick.  I don't normally advocate cooked cheese, but I would be all over this with a baked brie or Camembert.  You get the gist: anything fatty enough to feel guilty about, this will elevate.  

Plus, it's easy to throw together and it will freeze nicely.  You can put it in pretty jars and gift it if you are feeling generous.  

Recipe:  Rhubarb Chutney
Makes about 4 cups

200 g (1 cup) sugar
6 oz (1/2 cup) red wine vinegar
1 cinnamon stick
an inch-long piece of fresh ginger root, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons orange zest
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

1060 ml (41/2 cups) coarsely chopped rhubarb  
180 ml (3/4 cup) dried currants (or raisins or sultanas)
4 green onions, chopped

Stir the first 6 ingredients together in a large pot over medium heat until the sugar dissolves and it begins to boil (and smell wonderful).  Add the last three ingredients and reduce to simmer and stir occasionally for about 4 or 5 minutes- the rhubarb should start to get soft but not so mushy to lose all texture.  

Let cool to room temperature before serving.  Keep covered in the fridge or freeze in small batches.   

Soulfully Spicy Brisket (tacos or otherwise)

Finally!  Some meat!

You were starting to think I dieting on nothing but kale and salads, and a kale salad for when I was feeling indulgent.  Not so!  

While I usually don't cook meat at home, on occasion I will and it's not boneless skinless nothin'.  It's usually something slow-cooked, because that's what I love the most, and it just tastes better when you've put so much time in it.

Brisket is one of my favorite cuts.  The horror of it all:  when I moved to France, I couldn't find it.  They butcher their cows a bit different there.  I had to go to a kosher butcher in Les Marais to acquire my beautiful hunk of pectoral muscle, otherwise, the franco butcher would just shrug and try to sell me on poitrine, which encompasses a much larger area than what I would call brisket.  Tough luck, tender brisket.  

This dish would work nicely for Passover if I ever remember to celebrate, but usually about once a year I'll spend a weekend making a brisket.  I've tweaked and adapted the spices over the years, taking ideas from several sources, but my hat is tipped to Smitten Kitchen on this one, and her's, in turn, to Emierl Legasse. 

  

I do love this spicy though.  Feel free to tone it down if you can't take the heat.  This past incarnation, I found tacos and we quick-pickled some carrots and had a little brisket taco feast, but if you could be arsed to make potatoes and a vege and a yorkshire pud, this would be beyond acceptable Sunday lunch.  

This does take some time.  The brisket needs to rest once it's cooked, and kept in the fridge overnight.  Not only does this make defatting the sauce and the meat loads easier, it makes the meat turn into a tender, flavorful perfectly spicy dish.  While brisket is rarely elegant, this might come close. 

If you have a crock pot (I don't) this would be an easy thing to throw together and forget about.  

I usually make this to feed a crowd, but you can very easily find a smaller brisket and halve the sauce.  Except the garlic.  Keep that full-on I DARE YOU.  

Recipe:  Soulfully Spicy Brisket

serves 8

8 to 10 pound brisket, trimmed of excess fat

3 large onions, sliced

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

6 garlic cloves, peeled and halved

1 teaspoon paprika

2 teaspoons salt

1Tablepoons garlic powder

1 1/4 teaspoons black pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder

1/4 teaspoon cayenne (adjust to your heat preference)

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

16 oz (2 cups) beef stock (unsalted or low salt)

8.5 oz (1 cup) ketchup

8.5 oz (1 cup) chili sauce- Sambal Sauce is my go-to.  

200 g (1 cup) brown sugar 

Preheat the oven to 180c/350f

Make your sauce:  Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and sauté onions in vegetable oil, stirring occasionally, until caramelized and most of liquid has evaporated, about 15 minutes. Add halved garlic cloves and saute for 3 minutes more. Stir in spices- paprika, salt, garlic and onion powders, black pepper, cayenne, oregano and thyme- and cook for 2 minutes. Set aside.

In a large bowl, stir together the beef stock, ketchup, chili sauce and brown sugar. 

Place brisket in a baking dish or casserole, spread onion mixture over the top, then pour sauce mixture over the entire dish. Cover tightly with foil bake until very tender but not falling apart, about 3 to 4 hours.

Rest the dish: When the brisket is cooked but still hot, use a spoon to scrape off any large fat deposits adhered to the top and bottom of the brisket.

Once the brisket has cooled a bit, chill the entire dish in the fridge overnight. 

The next day, preheat your oven to 150c/300f. Take the meat out of the fridge.  All those white globs?  use a spoon and scoop them out and discard.  You don't want a greasy oily sauce here.

Scrape the sauce off and transfer the brisket to a cutting board.  Slice into 1/2 inch segments.  Use a wooden spoon to smash up the sauce into a smooth paste- the onions should just kind of be on the verge of dissolving at this point.

Transfer the brisket slices back to the saucy dish. Cover tightly and reheat in the oven until hot and bubbly- about 1/2 hour to 45 minutes.   

To make simple but amazing tacos:  Quick-pickle some carrots while the brisket is having its second turn in the oven.  Place the slices of meat onto a corn or flour tortilla, top with carrots and sprinkle a little coriander on top for an indulgent and grand dinner.