Brisket Stroganoff

Post and images by guest blogger, Rebecca White, of A Pleasant Little Kitchen. 

Visit her full blog or find out more about her here. 

Part of the beauty of smoking a brisket is the amount of leftovers available to use in following meals-- and I'm not just talking about leftovers for a few chopped brisket sandwiches.

There is a world of recipes to make from this one smoked cut of beef and they’re all tantalizing. Off the top of my head these meals come to mind:

Chopped Brisket Omelets
Brisket Arugula Salad with BBQ drizzle
Brisket Tacos
Brisket Enchiladas
Brisket Mac and Cheese
Brisket Nachos
Open Faced Brisket Sandwich with a Runny Egg
Brisket Migas
Burnt End Cheese Fries

Better than a sandwich, am I right? The list seems endless. Recently, however, there is one brisket recipe I find myself making every time Randy, A Pleasant Little Kitchen's master griller, fires up the smoker.

Brisket Stroganoff.

It is play off the traditional Russian comfort food, beef stroganoff and, in my mind, is a perfect way to use leftovers. It utilizes about 2 1/2 cups of smoked brisket and the remaining ingredients are always stocked in my pantry.

Did I mention it’s a quick fix? Onions and garlic sautéed in butter. Tomato paste browned and then deglazed with chianti and organic chicken stock. Sour cream and chopped brisket. Stir and serve over egg noodles (or your favorite pasta).

Four steps and about 30 minutes later a delicious flavor packed meal is ready to be devoured… and loved. It’s perfect for a weeknight meal following a fun-filled weekend of grilling.

To make brisket stroganoff, smoked brisket (recipe at the bottom) is needed. While it’s easy to pop into your favorite smoke house and  pick up some chopped smoked brisket, wouldn’t it be more fun to make it at home?

If this makes you hesitate, let me reassure you. Smoking meat is doable. Abandon the fear of backyard smoking. Embrace slow cooking over low flames and approach this Memorial Day weekend with smoking confidence. Here's a breakdown of getting prepped and educated in smoking:

If you prefer more crust on brisket, use your favorite grill rub to coat the brisket before smoking. Market Street has an excellent selection of premixed grill rubs if making your own doesn’t sound appealing.

A meat thermometer will help guarantee the brisket does not get over cooked.

Remember, quality meat makes a difference in the outcome of a smoked brisket. Pop by Market Street and pick up Rancher’s Reserve USDA Choice and Angus beef brisket. It’s the type of quality meat you want for grilling season.

Once the brisket reaches 195 degrees, use a wooden skewer to check for doneness. The skewer should slide in and out of the meat with ease.

I prefer to use oak as the smoking wood.

It is good to periodically check the smoker to make sure it maintains heat properly. There are fancy gadgets that will allow you to monitor the meat temperature via smart phone.

When you remove the brisket from the heat, you can wrap it in foil and store in a cooler for up to 3 hours before serving.

Blow up the kiddie pool this weekend, grab some chilled beverages and pick up a Rancher's Reserve brisket at Market Street.

In the days following you will be reminded of the perfect outdoor grilling weekend with all leftovers available to use. Get creative, but start with brisket stroganoff to get the leftover smoked brisket ball rolling.

Brisket Stroganoff

Serves 5-7

Author note: Before cooking, set out the sour cream to bring to room temperature. This helps to keep the sour cream from curdling once it hits the warm sauce.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 cups Chianti

2 1/2 cups chopped smoked brisket

3/4 cup sour cream (room temperature)

 
Instructions

1. cooked egg noodles (or your favorite pasta)

2. fresh parsley, chopped (for topping)

3. In a large pan, melt the butter over medium heat.

4. Add the onions and garlic. Cook over medium heat, until softened, about 4 minutes.

Smoked Brisket Recipe

Author note: If you prefer more crust on brisket, use your favorite grill rub to coat the brisket before smoking. A meat thermometer will help guarantee the brisket does not get over cooked. Remember, quality meat makes a difference in the outcome of a smoked brisket. Once the brisket reaches 195 degrees, use a wooden skewer to check for doneness. The skewer should slide in and out of the meat with ease. I prefer to use oak as the smoking wood. It is good to periodically check the smoker to make sure it maintains heat properly. There are fancy gadgets that will allow you to monitor the meat temperature via smart phone. When you remove the brisket from the heat, you can wrap it in foil and store in a cooler for up to 3 hours before serving.

Ingredients

4 pounds trimmed brisket flat 

7 teaspoons salt

4 teaspoons pepper

Instructions

1. Evenly coat the brisket with the salt and pepper combination.

2. Prepare grill or smoker for 225 degrees. Once it reaches 225 degrees allow the grill to maintain this heat for at least 30 minutes before beginning. Adjust as necessary to keep the temperature between 225 and 250.

3. Insert the meat thermometer into the brisket. Place brisket on the grill.

4. Smoking time is about 10 1/2 hours, but once the internal temperature reaches 195 degree, probe for doneness. If the meat is still ‘tight’, wait another 15 minutes and probe again.