Frank’s Slap-Yo-Momma Boiled Brisket

Instead of baking, broiling, grilling, or barbecuing your brisket, try fixin’ it this way. It’s the epitome of simplicity, the flavor is phenomenal, and—if that don’t beat all!—it’s good for you and healthy too! Of course, once you go slathering on the creamed horseradish sauce and drizzling on all that melted butter over the potatoes and green beans that come with it. . .well, forget I even brought it up!
6-8 lb. beef brisket, trimmed
1 gallon bottled water
3 Tbsp. pickling spice
1 Tbsp. black peppercorns
3 tsp. salt
4 bay leaves
3 small onions, peeled and quartered
6 cloves garlic, whole
4 ribs of celery, chunked
1/3 cup fresh parsley, minced
10 medium size red potatoes, peeled and halved
6 carrots, peeled and chunked
2 small cabbages
1 bunch broccoli
2 lbs. fresh green beans
2/3 cup creamy horseradish
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tub soft margarine
12 hot-baked Pee Wee French Breads
First, wash the brisket thoroughly under cold running water. When all of the “slick” has been removed from the surface (and you can feel the difference on your hands once it’s gone), set the brisket aside so that you can prepare the poaching broth.
Start by pouring a full gallon of bottled water into a large oval roaster and setting it over a medium-high flame. Then drop in the pickling spice, peppercorns, salt, bay leaves, onions, garlic cloves, celery, and parsley and stir everything together completely. When the water comes to a boil, reduce the fire and allow the broth to simmer for about 15 minutes (covered) so that a flavored poaching stock develops.
When the simmering time is up, place the brisket into the roaster, cover it again, and allow it to cook over a low heat—actually a very gentle bubble—for about 4 to 5 hours until tender. It will be necessary to skim the broth occasionally to remove the “beef scum” that forms periodically. When doing this, though, it’s also a good idea to check the level of the poaching broth for evaporation—ideally you want the liquid to just barely cover the meat.

I suggest you remove the lid from the roaster about a half-dozen or so times during the total cooking time to taste the flavor of the broth, adding whatever it takes as the cooking process continues. Depending on the quality of the beef, it could take extra salt, or pepper, or onions, or whatever. Let your personal preference be the determining factor.

Now, to do a complete one-dish meal (actually, a one-pot meal is probably more like it!), I recommend that you add potatoes, carrots, cabbage, broccoli, and green beans to the oval roaster on top of the brisket during the final 30 minutes of cooking. Then replace the cover and allow the veggies to simmer until they become tender crisp.

When you’re ready to eat, serve the beef and vegetables piping hot together. To do this easily, first remove the vegetables from on top of the brisket and place them into a large Pyrex bowl. Then with two large meat forks (because the brisket will be so tender at this point it will fall apart if you try to use only one), lift the beef from the roaster and place it on a cutting board. For best results, carve it into thin slices across the grain while it is still hot.

Finally, place several slices of meat into each serving bowl, top them with an assortment of poached veggies,and pour on a ladleful of the pot liquor. A hot buttered French bread peewee roll, a tablespoon or so of creamed horseradish sauce, and a frosty glass of iced tea rounds out the meal.
------------
Chef’s Notes:

To make the creamed horseradish sauce, whisk together with a wire whip the creamy horseradish and the heavy whipping cream, along with a tad extra salt to taste.
For this recipe, you can choose either a plain raw brisket from the meat department of your supermarket or opt for the pre-seasoned “corned beef” style brisket. Whichever one you choose be sure to wash it thoroughly under cool running water before putting it into the poaching pot (especially if you selected one that has been
pre-cured). Make sure you trim away as much of the fat from the brisket as possible before placing it into the poaching stock. As it cooks, you might also take time to skim off the “scum” and the excess fat that collects from time to time on the surface.

If you buy a pre-seasoned brisket—corned beef style—reduce the amount of salt you put into the poaching broth. You might also want to cut back slightly on the pickling spices.