Cookin' with Ellen: Brisket for a Crowd

[Ellen Forradalom]

To feed 30-40 people:

Two whole briskets, trimmed. Should be around 17-20 lbs.
Pay the warehouse store a visit and pick up:
1 large can tomato ketchup, 7 lbs 2. oz.
1 large packet of Liptons' Onion Soup Mix, to make 1 gallon.
5 liters of ginger ale.
Vegetable oil (such as canola).

Four large crock pots.
Large frying pan
Large pie plate



1. Have the butcher trim the briskets and cut them in half for a total of four pieces.
2. Put a quarter of the ketchup (about 2-3 cups) and a liter of ginger ale into each crock pot.
3. Open the packet of soup mix into the pie plate. Coat each piece of brisket in soup mix.
Brown the meat on each side in oil.
4. When browned, place in a crock pot. Add more ginger ale as necessary to cover the brisket.
5. Plug in the crockpot. Turn to high for 30 minutes to an hour.
6. Before going to bed or leaving for work, turn to low.
7. In the morning or when you come home, carefully remove brisket and slice thinly across the grain. Serve with sauce poured over it. Slurp up sauce with big pieces of challah.

[AlienGirl]

1. If I ate meat, that would sound yummy!

I wonder if I could make the same thing with tempeh?

Tucker

[Ellen Forradalom]

2. Brisket requires long cooking in moist heat

to break down the fibers. I doubt you'd have to cook the tempeh overnight. But otherwise it sounds like a good idea! Try it and let me know.

BTW for the vegetarians in the crowd I am doing a couscous dish. Topping is garbanzo beans, yam, carrot, onion, dried cranberries, golden raisins, cinnamon, saffron, vegetable boullion, pepper. It needs a certain je ne sais quoi. Got any idea what'll give a bit of zing?

[AlienGirl]

3. Cumin and turmeric!

[Ellen Forradalom]

4. Good idea!

Although I settled on a dash of cayenne. I'll taste it when it's done.