About the Recipe
In this episode, singer/songwriter/producer/former record exec Billy Mann talks about his educated mother's moderate quality but volume heavy cooking, formal meals with grandma (and her giant meat pies), his after-college road busking tour living in his car with Mom's gift of many cans of Chef Boyardee spaghetti while he discovered America and it's food...and his world travels as a record executive and those many culinary awakenings. These stories and more from this fabulously accomplished musician and former music mogul.
Ingredients
Brisket (nice cut from butcher)
Salt / Pepper
8-10 Garlic Cloves
Butter
Olive Oil
Sliced Onions
1 can whole tomatoes (smash in hands)
Ketchup
Potatoes & Carrots if wanted
Preparation
There is no official recipe for my family’s brisket. My Mom created a hybrid version that was a blend of of both sides of the family.
Basically you salt and pepper the brisket (get a nice cut from the butcher if you can), then poke holes with a knife and stuff garlic cloves into the meat. (as much or as little garlic as you like-I typically use about 8-10 cloves)
Brown it on all sides (use butter, olive oil), then put it in the baking pan, fat side up. Cover with sliced onions and canned whole tomatoes that you’ve smashed in your hands. Then cover that with ketchup. Yes, ketchup. Be generous.
Add some water to the pan if necessary. Then cover it with tin foil tent style and cook it at 225 degrees for 8 hours. (I usually make it before I go to sleep and cook it all night).
Cool and refrigerate for at least 8 hours. Take it out, scrape off the topping and set aside in a bowl. Slice the meat (against the grain) while cold.
Put topping back on, tent it with tin foil again. Bake again for 8-10 hours at 225. Then check to see if the meat is really tender. (i.e. it should fall apart). You can cook it for a few more hours if it’s not done. Sometimes I add carrot and potato chunks around the baking pan during the second cooking.