Culinary Confidence with Chef Melissa
Season 3, Episode 4: I took notes so you didn’t have to…. So grab your apron and let's get into it! *this is not a sponsored podcast
OMG it’s March?!?! When did that happen?? It’s been a month here in our little nook of the world. Beyond being busy with many client shoots (which is AWESOME) but we found out at the beginning of February our sweet pup needed to have a tumor removed on his leg which just happened a few days ago. Needless to say it’s been emotionally and physically exhausting to see our little furry baby in so much pain and discomfort. Lots of sleepless nights! But we are not here to talk about that. We are here to talk about this week’s guest!
Melissa is an Executive Chef living in Dallas, TX. She's a 20-year veteran of the food service industry. She has worked in many different types of kitchens and has such a wealth of knowledge about the industry and took some time to share it with all of us! Melissa has a new podcast called The Food For Thought Cast which you can listen to on wherever you get your podcasts and don’t forget to follow her on Instagram too!
During our conversation Melissa mentioned ways she loves to cook Brisket and was kind enough to share her recipe below,
Smoked Brisket Tacos with Peach Salsa and Queso Fresco
The brisket: I buy a full packer brisket, this is the brisket with both the point and the flat (both layers of meat) and the fat cap. These are typically 12-16 lbs which would feed 24-30 people for a full meal.
I rub my brisket with dijon mustard and then coat with equal parts brown sugar, kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. I wrap the brisket in butcher paper, end over end just like a gift. Smoke at 200-225 degrees until 210 degrees is read on a meat thermometer placed into the thickest part of the meat.
Hickory , oak, pecan, or cherry wood piece or chips work really well.
When you have those amazing chopped brisket leftovers from your last barbecue or dinner, turn them into these tacos:
2 lbs chopped brisket
The sauce:
1 medium onion, diced
1 Tbsp butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1-1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
14-ounce can beef broth
15-ounce can tomato sauce
3 tablespoons adobo sauce from canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1 teaspoon honey
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1. Saute the onion in the butter over medium high heat until slightly caramelized, then add the spices, garlic, broth, tomato sauce, adobo, honey, and balsamic vinegar. Simmer over medium heat until well combined and bubbly.
2. Turn this mixture off and set aside while you prepare the salsa.
The salsa:
1 cup cubed fresh peaches (frozen and thawed is also fine)
⅓ cup finely chopped red onion
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 jalapeno, de-seeded and finely chopped
⅓ cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
2 tablespoon fresh lime juice
salt and pepper to taste
1. Place all salsa ingredients into a mixing bowl and stir until combined.
Carefully fold the warmed, chopped brisket into the tomato sauce, and serve 1/4 cup each of the mixture onto hot corn or flour tortillas. Dot the top with the peach salsa and some crumbled queso fresco. Enjoy!
Beth Fuller is a Boston based Food, Product and Lifestyle Photographer. One of the best ways to support the podcast and Beth is to write a review wherever you listen, like the podcast on your favorite platform and please keep Beth in mind for any photography projects as a gal has got to pay her bills!
If you have a question and want it to be featured on the podcast please email either the question or a voice memo to letsgoonafoodadventure@gmail.com. Are you on instagram? Tag me in your food adventures, @letsgoonafoodadventure. Do you want to work together with food and product photography, drop me a line here!
xoxo
Beth
