The Times They Are A-Changin'

There is some big news in our household that I thought I should share with those of you out there still reading my little blog…I got a new job! After 3+ years of working from home, I will be back in the real world come July. I’m pretty excited about the opportunity to try something new (I have been in my current job—my first out of grad school-- for the last six years) and because this is a big step up for me in terms of roles/responsibilities, salary, benefits, EVERYTHING.  The only downside to my new role is that it may require a move. I am going to be working for the federal government (!) and while you might think that would equal DC, the agency I am going to be working for is actually headquartered outside Baltimore. As of now, I will be in the DC office until September at least, but after that is a big question mark. Chances are I will have to be in the main office which means that Jason and I will move –probably to the Maryland suburbs of DC since neither one of us are all that anxious to leave our friends and everything we know in the DC area behind. But working in the DC office has not been taken off the table YET so I’m cautiously optimistic. Regardless of where we end up, there will be a lot of changes ahead as we might finally get to the point where we can BUY A HOUSE! So for those of you who may be a little tired of the food-focused posts and are waiting for more newlywed adventures/life posts—stay tuned…you may be in for more than you bargained for soon!

In the meantime, one of the biggest things on Jason’s mind regarding my job change is what this will mean for his daily dinners. Obviously, it has been much easier for me to whip up a nice meal every night (and have dinner on the table soon after Jason gets home from work) with me working from home.  While I am sure that some adjustments may have to be made once I start commuting, I am still planning on maintaining my role as resident cook—I enjoy cooking too much to let it slide. But I realize that some things may change—we may rely on takeout more often than we do now, I may do more prep work on the weekends, or we may eat more leftovers. There is also a little thing called a Crockpot which can be a great way to have a hot meal as soon as you walk in the door with minimal effort. A meal like the one I made for dinner tonight—Smitten Kitchen’s Southwestern Pulled Brisket (how’s that for a segue?!)

I have been eyeing this recipe for quite some time and decided that this week was the week I was going to give it a try. Jason and I are big brisket fans (I much prefer barbequed brisket to pulled pork when given the choice) and this seemed so easy, I knew I had to give it a try. And easy it was. You start by searing the brisket in a pan and then sautéing sliced onion, smashed garlic, and a variety of smoky spices until soft and fragrant. Add some apple cider vinegar, a couple of chipotles, canned tomatoes, and molasses and you got an incredibly flavorful liquid in which to cook your meat. Set the Crockpot on low and let it sit for 8-10 hours and you end up with brisket so tender it literally falls apart. I decided to follow SK’s lead and strain and reduce the sauce until it had thickened slightly and the flavors had concentrated. But you could just as easily leave it as is, making dinner all the more simple. I served the brisket with cole slaw which was a nice cool foil to the smoky-spiciness of the meat. This makes quite a bit—enough for us to have sandwiches for dinner tomorrow night too.

With dinners like this, I don’t think Jason has too much to worry about!

The brisket as it embarks on its journey to deliciousness

 

 A little over 9 hours later, it has arrived!

 

 

Southwestern Pulled Brisket
Adapted (Just barely) from Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients:
1 3lb beef brisket
2 TBL vegetable oil
5 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 TBL chili powder
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
1 ½ cups water
1 (14.5 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, with their juices
1-2 chipotles en adobo (I used two and ended up with a pretty spicy brisket—if you are not a big spice fan, you may want to cut back to one)
2 bay leaves
¼ cup molasses

1.Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Season brisket generously with salt and pepper. Add the meat and cook until browned on both sides (about 5 minutes per side). Transfer meat to a slow cooker. Return skillet to heat.
2.Add garlic, onion, chili powder, cumin, and coriander to drippings in the skillet and stir until beginning to soften and fragrant about 1 minute. Add vinegar and boil until it’s almost gone, scrapping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Stir in water and pour mixture over brisket.
3.Crush the tomatoes (either breaking them apart with a fork or your fingers) and add to the slow cooker along with their juices. Add chipotles, bay leaves, and molasses. Cover the cooker and set on low. Cook until it pulls apart easily with a fork, 8-10 hours (I did about 9-9.5 hours).
4.Remove the brisket to a dish, pulled it with two forks and cover with aluminum foil.  Strain the cooking liquid into a saucepan (discard the leftover vegetables) and simmer until reduced by half. Check for seasonings and pour over pulled brisket. (You could also skip this step and pull the brisket it original cooking liquid—just make sure to remove the two bay leaves.)