Beef Brisket, Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Snow Peas with Mushrooms

From Fusion Meals

From Fusion Meals

From Fusion Meals

Beef brisket?  For a person who grew up eating a mix of Chinese and "American" cuisines, I've never actually had beef brisket.  For those of you who've never had it either, I guess the closest description is "slow cooked beef shank" (though without the bone part of the shank).  The cooking process couldn't be simpler, and I was surprised by how tasty it was.

Ingredients/Prep:

• 3-4 lb beef brisket
• Salt/pepper to taste
• 1 medium onion
• 1 carrot
• 3-4 cloves garlic
• 2 bay leaves
• Chili peppers (optional)
• 1/3 cup of good tomato puree (buy the Italian labels - not Hunt)
• 1/3 cup water

Cooking:

• Season brisket liberally with salt/pepper
• Heat ~ 1 TB oil in a deep pan or pot
• Sear brisket on both sides
• Add chopped onions, minced garlic, chopped carrots and sautee until translucent
• Add tomato sauce and water
• Bring up to a boil and reduce heat to simmer
• Cook for 2-3 hours on a low simmer or until brisket is tender and just falls apart when pierced by a fork