All Easy Recipes. Cook all that you can cook. Creole Boiled Beef
 
What You Need:            (To Serve: 8)
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  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • A 4- to 4½-pound lean fresh beef brisket, trimmed of all excess fat, rolled and tied
  • 6 quarts cold water
  • 3 large onions, peeled and coarsely chopped
  • 3 large garlic cloves, peeled and coarsely chopped
  • 2 medium-sized carrots, scraped and coarsely chopped, plus 6 medium sized carrots, scraped and cut lengthwise into quarters
  • 2 medium-sized firm ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped (see shrimp Creole)
  • 1 cup coarsely chopped celery leaves
  • 1 medium-sized turnip, scraped and coarsely chopped
  • 1 medium-sized parsnip, scraped and coarsely chopped
  • 1 small hot red dried chili, stemmed, seeded and coarsely crumbled
  • 1 large bay leaf
  • 2 or 3 fresh parsley sprigs, preferably the flat-leaf Italian variety
  • ½ teaspoon crumbled dried thyme
  • 6 whole allspice
  • 10 whole black peppercorns
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • A 1- to 1½-pound green cabbage, trimmed, cut lengthwise into 8 wedges, and cored
  • 16 small boiling potatoes, peeled

  • How To Cook:
    1. In a heavy 12-inch skillet, heat the vegetable oil over moderate heat until a light haze forms above it. Pat the brisket of beef completely dry with paper towels and brown it in the hot oil.

    2. Turn the brisket frequently with two large spoons and regulate the heat so that it colors deeply and evenly on all sides without burning. Transfer the beef to a heavy 10- to 12-quart pot and pour the water over it. Bring to a boil over high heat and skim off the foam and scum as they rise to the surface.

    3. Meanwhile, discard all but 2 tablespoons of the fat remaining in the skillet. Add the onions, garlic and chopped carrots and, stirring frequently, cook over moderate heat for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft and delicately browned. With a slotted spoon, transfer the vegetable mixture to the pot with the beef.

    4. Stir in the tomatoes, celery leaves, turnip, parsnip, chili, bay leaf, parsley, thyme, allspice, peppercorns and salt, and return the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot partially, and simmer for 2½ hours, or until the brisket is almost tender and shows only slight resistance when pierced deeply with the point of a small sharp knife.

    5. Transfer the brisket to a plate and set aside. Strain the stock through a fine sieve lined with cheesecloth and set over a bowl. Discard the vegetables and seasonings, skim the fat from the stock, and taste for seasoning.

    6. Wash the pot and return the brisket and stock to it. Add the quartered carrots, cabbage and potatoes, and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook briskly, uncovered, for about 20 minutes, until the meat and vegetables are tender.

    7. Then transfer the meat to a cutting board, remove the strings and carve the brisket into ¼-inch-thickslices. Arrange the slices attractively on a heated platter, overlapping them slightly, and place the carrots, cabbage wedges and potatoes around them.

    8. Serve the meat and vegetables accompanied by cupfuls of the stock or, if you prefer, serve the meat, vegetables and stock together in heated soup plates.


     
     
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