Personal Recipe Hall of Fame

[cstout]

Do you have a particular recipe that you will always use, hand down to your kids (if you have any) or just could not do without?

Maybe it is an "oldie but goodie" or one you just discovered that you want to make again & again.

[LaureltQ]

Dutch Babies (German Pancakes)
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup flour
3 eggs
pinch salt

Heat cast iron pan at 450 degrees. 10 minutes after oven is preheated heavily butter pan and add recently whisked batter (with little foamy bits). Bake at 450 for 10-15 minutes, reduce oven to 350 and bake additional 10-15 minutes until desired doneness is achieved. Top with butter and either cinnamon&sugar or powdered sugar. Cut int wedges (like pizza) with a paring knife or kitchen shears.

This recipe is so easy as it can be scaled up or down without math (1 egg per quarter cup of milk and flour) and is super easy to do. I have a smallish cast iron and a regular (10"?) cast iron pan so I usually do 5 eggs worth of Dutch Babies.

[cstout]

Dutch Babies...I do remember my German relatives fixing this on real cold wintry mornings, but seems like they had a sort of fried apple mix in the batter...just can't remember so long ago. Thanks for sharing.

[soypower]

My taiwanese friend finally showed me her mom's recipe for wonton soup. It was incredibly time-consuming, but the results were well worth it. It actually contains more choy than it does meat. Simply amazing.
Kimchi Jigae
Korean Seafood Casserole (Hae Mool Jungol)
Soon Dubu Jigae
Bibim Naeng Myun
Steamed Pork Buns
Pozole Rojo

[INDIANRIVERFL]

Taught to my Wisconsin nieces and my Cracker daughter. Southern fried chicken. Soak on the counter for a day or two in sour or buttermilk. Dry on a rack. Dust in seasoned flour. Parsley, sage, thyme, salt pepper. Back in the now pink milk to which an egg or two has been added. Cover in fine bread crumbs. I prefer pretzels from the blender. Keep the oil to just less than half way up the chicken. Cast iron nice but not essential.

Thank you Joy of Cooking circa 1975. My adaptation was well received by Germans and Americans and became widely requested for pot lucks. This was before KFC arrived in Europe.

And yes, I know about all of the health violations. Nobody ever got sick. And in our small community, I would have definately heard about it.

Still a party pleaser.

[iL Divo]

To Die For
Beef Stroganoff
5 Fruit Pie
Tender Meat
Gram's Creamed Peas

[kubasd23]

this might be a stupid question, but is tender meat a recipe, or just how your family makes your meat tender?

[ChiliDude]

Yes, but it is a toss up! Either Chicken Paprikash or Risotto, the latter usually made with leftover store bought roasted chicken. These are 2 entrees that my wife will eat. My wife eschews any entree that is not in the Italian culinary category.

[Duppie]

Stir fried crabs with ground pork,ginger and fermented black bean.
Smoked tea duck cha gio.
"Armadillo" meatloaf.

[cstout]

Do you really mean "armadillo" or is that just a slang for a good recipe?

[Duppie]

We just call it that.

[alliegator]

I have seen meatloaf like that (none as attractive as that one). What a cute name!!

[Querencia]

CORNCAKES: 1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal, 2/3 cup flour, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon baking soda, mixed with 1 3/4 cups buttermilk or sour milk and 2 tablespoons bacon drippings. Fry on a griddle like pancakes. My great-grandmother (born 1864) used this recipe and she learned to cook from her grandmother (born 1824) whose folks were rolling around the countryside in the 1700's. There's no telling how old this recipe is.

[cstout]

CORNCAKES...wonderful that you know the history of that recipe...please pass it on to others in your family. I just finished making some cornbread to go with my chicken rice soup...wish I had seen this a little sooner, will make it tomorrow though.

[Perilagu Khan]

Last night my wife made Fritos cornbread from a 1939 Fritos cookbook. Sadly, it did not live up to expectations.

[cstout]

Fritos cornbread. please don't consider it a failure on her part. Here is what might have happened. Way back then the Fritos were probably made a lot different, not so many preservatives, additives & whatnot, maybe more cornmeal was added than the current day brand.

This is what happens when using those "old" cookbooks, it was fresh whole milk, fresh churned butter, fresh yard eggs & on & on....try the same recipe today & it is far inferior to what it was back then. Even the meat was much fresher.

To have all those fresh ingredients would make us all a better cook!!!

[hyde]

actually if you look at the bag, fritos contain: corn, oil, salt.

i eat them when bicycling precisely BECAUSE they dont contain a lot of preservatives. it could just be a bad recipe.

[cstout]

Bad recipe....yes, I forgot about the typo errors in the old cookbooks....really bad sometimes. I almost swore off the older books because so many recipes had wrong measurements, especially bread recipes....watch out for those for sure.

[Perilagu Khan]

Actually, this recipe had hardly any measurements and only the vaguest instructions on technique. Basically, my wife had to wing it. I think if she made it again, she would improve upon her initial foray into the world of Fritos cornbread. My chili, on the other hand, was dashed good, if slightly on the hot side. ;)

[iL Divo]

Queren

I love old old old memories like this

[jmcarthur8]

cstout, you ask the most interesting questions! It's like having a conversation with you at the kitchen table!

My hand-me-down recipes are from my mother:

Her Thanksgiving stuffing - I had my 21 year old son make it with me this year, so he'd know how I do it. He's like me, he doesn't want any other kind.
Her Mocha frosted Chocolate cookies at Christmas. She'd let us have the Russian Tea Cakes, the coffee butter balls, and whatever else we were baking, but she'd hide the batch of Mocha Frosted Chocolate cookies away in a tin, and only let us kids have one now and then. The rest were for her. She gave me the recipe when I moved away and got married, and it took me years to realize that I could make those cookies for myself, and eat them and not get in trouble!
Her Marinated 4 Bean Salad. It's sweet and crunchy and peppery and delicious. This is another one I had a brain block with. She only made this when we went to potlucks, even though the whole family loved it. After growing up and moving away, I only made it for potlucks, too, until I finally realized that I can have bean salad any time I darn well please!
Her corned beef....oh, my goodness. I never knew until I was an adult that people bought corned beef in a bag at the grocery store. She always corned it in a big stoneware bowl on the kitchen counter. I've had the bagged stuff now and then, but if I have my druthers, I'druther make my own, thank you.

I think my list is too long to go on...but I have two adult sons who love to cook, and are good at it, too. All the recipes will be passed on to them. As a matter of fact, that would be a good project for me. One joined the Navy this year, and the younger one graduates college this spring. They will both be overseas for the foreseeable future, and I think a compendium of the family favorites would be a nice gift for both of them.

[rstuart]

Hmmm.. the mocha frosted chocolate cookie look great. Any chance of sharing your mother's recipe?

[jmcarthur8]

rstuart: here you go (thanks for asking!):

Victoria's Mocha Frosted Chocolate Cookies makes 4 1/2 dozen

Cream together:
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup brown sugar
Beat in:
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
Stir in:
2 oz unsweetened chocolate, melted

Sift together dry ingredients:
2 cups sifted flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
Add dry ingredients to chocolate mixture alternately with:
3/4 cup sour cream
Mix well, and add;
1 cup chopped walnuts

Drop from teaspoon, 2 inches apart on greased cookie sheet or silicone mat. Bake in moderate oven (350') for 10 minutes or till done. Remove from pan: cool. Frost with Mocha Frosting.

Mocha Frosting:
Cream:
1/4 cup soft butter
2 Tbsp cocoa
2 tsp instant coffee (I use Pilon instant espresso, crushed with my mortar & pestle)
dash of salt
Slowly cream in:
1 cup confectioner's sugar
Add:
2 cups confectioner's sugar
3 Tbsp milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
Beat till smooth and fluffy.

cstout, you will be happy to know I only make these at Christmas!

rstuart, you are welcome to make them any time you like!

[rstuart]

Thanks JM... so there's a total of 3 Cups of confectioners sugar in the frosting?
Look forward to trying these!

[jmcarthur8]

Yes, it's a total of 3 cups. Keep them in a tin after the first day, to stay fresh.

[rstuart]

Thanks for the tip!

[cstout]

jmcarthur8, please refer to my reply to Uncle Bob...those thoughts will apply to you too, they will love you for thinking of them....go start the project NOW.

You did not realize it at the time, but those special recipes that were only done for special occasions was done that way to pass along the tradition to others in the family, so don't you dare be eating those things any time you feel like it...save them for a special occasion, like I just told you to do. Your Mama would want you to do it that way.

[jmcarthur8]

""so don't you dare be eating those things any time you feel like it...""

yes, Mother. ;-)

[roxlet]

Casadetti, which my father used to make every Christmas. Pizza Rustica, which my mom made every Easter.

[mamachef]

I know and love Pizza Rustica. But I don't know, and would like to, about those Casadetti. They look wonderful!!

[roxlet]

It's a short pastry filled with cannoli cream, fried, and then sprinkled with cinnamon sugar. Cannoli ravioli, if you will.

[mamachef]

OOOOOOOOoooooooh.

[BigSal]

Wow, the casadetti sound so amazing. .And a great memory of your father making these lovely bundles every Christmas. I'd love to see the recipe if you are willing to share.

[roxlet]

I'm happy to share it, BigSal. The following is the actual recipe, but here's what I did for the casadetti that you see above. Since I didn't have lard, I made an all-Crisco substitution. I also didn't weigh the ricotta, and just used the small tin of fresh ricotta and drained it overnight. It was the perfect amount for the dough I used. Also, you should go easy on the amount of chocolate chips since you want them to be an accent and not the main taste of the cannoli cream.

Dough
2 lbs of flour
10 oz. leaf lard
1 tablespoon sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup of water

Filling
2 lbs fine, fresh ricotta, drained overnight in cheesecloth
11/2 cups of sugar
mini chocolate chips
glaced fruits (very optional -- I never use them)
Mix these together for the filling

Cut lard (or butter/crisco combo when I can't get good lard) into flour and sugar. Lightly beat the egg with the water, and mix into the flour (start with 1/2 cup of water mixed with the egg. Add additional water to make the dough pliable but not wet). Mix throughly, and let rest for 2 hours.
Roll the dough out, and form into any ravioli shape you like. (Usually half moons, but I once made these in a small ravioli pan and served three on a plate with an additional dollop of the ricotta mixture sprinkled with a small amount of cocoa). Make sure that the casadetti are completely sealed, and don't over-fill. Use a little water and the tines of a fork to assure that they are sealed. Fry until golden brown, and drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. It's hard to resist these warm (I had some almost hot from a bakery in Sicily), but I think they taste best room temperature. If not serving the same day, forgo the cinnamon sugar, refrigerate, and when ready to serve, put them in a warm oven to crisp up a bit. Sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar and serve. These actually keep very well.

[BigSal]

roxlet- Thank you so much for sharing the recipe! I'm excited to read that they keep well too.

[iL Divo]

rox, that sounds like a real winner

[roxlet]

Thanks :)

[Uncle Bob]

A Few from the Sweet Section of the Hall......

Peach Cobbler...
Ida's White Fruit Cake......
Banana Pudding......
Frozen Strawberry Pie...
Pear Preserves.....
Sarah's Buttermilk Pie.....
Pecan Pie......
Bertha's Fill Up.....
Dorothy's Lemon Pie....
Rosalie's Chocolate Pie.....
Juanita's Strawberry Cake....

[cstout]

Uncle Bob, I want to know who all these people are....Ida, Sarah, Bertha & the others...just think whoever they are, their recipes live on in our hearts. What a wonderful tribute. And this goes for all you other folks mentioning your precious recipes. Too bad we can't sit down & have a wonderful chat about those who have left a legacy of good food for us to enjoy!!

I wish I could have every one of their recipes...those are the kinds of recipes that should be in a cookbook somewhere.

I did not know there was a Sweet Hall of Fame..I need to get proficient at searching these things out.

Thanks for sharing.

[Uncle Bob]

Thank you....These were just a few from my personal Hall of Fame "Sweet Section"....And how could I forget Miss Maggie's Brownies???....Nothin has ever compared ~~~ Some were family, Some were friends...One a family Cook from Louisiana....All long gone sweet Southern women.

A few from the Non sweet Section...

Cornbread Dressing....
Dumplings....
Blackberry Wine..........
Smoked Duck & Andouille Gumbo......
Blackberry Acid......
Catfish Etouffee.....
Crawfish Pie.....
Chicken Fricassee
Hush Puppies...
Juanita's Greens & Roots.....
Bertha's Corn Bread....("You must let the batter fry on the stove top while you walk to the sink and rinse out the bowl")
...And of course... The little brown-eyed girl's butter milk biscuits....
Oh and Virgil "Sugarman" White's, Eugene "Cap" Coleman's and John "Peter Rabbit" Bracey's BBQ....Three of the best pit men to ever make a track on this earth....

[cstout]

Uncle Bob, please please sit down & get all those recipes together, tell a little story about those people & make up your very own cookbook. Perhaps there is a young person who is good at doing things on the computer & could come up all kinds of ways to illustrate the recipes based on your story / recipe.

My friend & I made a cookbook up of recipes we collected through the years. She was very good at doing the artwork on the computer. It was a Retro Style layout & made excellent gifts.

We made titles like.... (just to give you some ideas)

Rise & Shine (breakfast)

Care for some Pie?? (dessert)

Company's Coming (special dishes)

Supper's on the Stove (good 'ol pot roast etc)

Eat Your Veggies (sides)

This project could become a lot of fun if there are others in your family who would be willing to help.

Loved that "Brown Eyed Girl's biscuits...you have a talent with words & should put it to good use.

The Chow people are the ones to make a post...they just jump in there & take off with it..just boggles my mind to encounter so many wonderful cooks.

PS...those ladies are counting on you to get that cookbook started. Besides, where in the world would you find a recipe for Blackberry Acid....talk about a good read & good recipe. Sign me up for an advance copy!!!!!

Also, chow people, it is a wonderful idea to start getting those recipes together now for a possible new bride for your son, or a daughter getting married. Put your thinking caps on & start the project now...you will be glad you did!!

[Uncle Bob]

It's in the works!!! Hopefully completed within the year.......

[Perilagu Khan]

There are several recipes my late mom passed down to me, which I have eaten as long as I can remember and will continue to do so as long as I am able to cook. They are--

chicken and dumplings
chicken breasts and wine sauce
enchiladas Suizas
Mexican rice
fried pork chops
pork chops cooked with rice and cream o' mushroom soup
Scout dinners
lasagne

[cstout]

Perilagu Khan..I am familiar with all the recipes except the enchiladas Suizas...what is that?

Yes, our Moms are so special...their recipes make us so close to them...we can visualize them cooking for us, their hands making magic & memories.

Go fix one of these dishes right now & be happy.

[Perilagu Khan]

True. Whenever I make these dishes it is partially in homage to and remembrance of my mom.

Enchiladas Suizas, in this particular incarnation, are chicken enchiladas baked in a cream sauce and topped with grated Swiss cheese. They are spectacularly delicious.

[cstout]

Enchiladas Suizas....I have never had Swiss cheese on an enchilada...must look up that recipe. Wish I had some to eat right now. Thank you.

[laliz]

there is no swiss cheese in my enchiladas suizas; they are dipped in whipping cream after sauteeing and before filling. It was my understanding they were "suizas" because of the connection between Switzerland and dairy.

[Perilagu Khan]

Note, I said "in this particular incarnation."

In Mexico anything cooked in cream is termed Suizas. The addition of Swiss cheese changes nothing.

[mamachef]

How nice it is to see you, Perilagu!!
-me-

[Perilagu Khan]

I was afraid you'd forgotten me, mc. ;) Great to "see" you too!

[mcel215]

PK, could I please have your recipe for Mexican Rice? Thanks.

[Perilagu Khan]

Certainly!

1 T. vegetable oil
1 cup long-grain rice
1/2 medium white onion, chopped
chili powder to taste
cumin powder to taste
cayenne to taste
dried oregano to taste
salt to taste
2 cloves garlic, crushed
black pepper to taste
1/2 green Bell pepper chopped
4 oz. tomato sauce
2 1/2 cups water
1 cup chicken stock

1. Heat oil in large skillet over high heat.
2. Add rice and brown slightly, stirring constantly.
3. Reduce heat to medium-low, add remaining ingredients, cover and cook until liquid is completely absorbed.

I hope you enjoy this as much as I have over the last ca. 40 years.

[mcel215]

Thanks, I'll give this dish a go over the weekend. BTW, do you think a good place to start with cumin, cayeene, chili powder is 1 tsp of each? Medium heat?

www.saffron215.blogspot.com

[Perilagu Khan]

Probably 2/3 T. for the chili powder, 1/2 t. cumin, 1/4 t. cayenne. That's a very rough estimate though.

[cstout]

Mexican Rice recipe...yessiree, this is the real deal. I had a dear Mexican friend who made this for me & I fell in love with it, but as time went on, she moved far away & I did not make the recipe very often. Long story short, it was not tasting as good as hers. I "thought" I remembered the recipe just as she wrote it down, but now looking at yours I see the 2 ingredients I forgot to put in each time. The only thing she did was throw in a hand full of frozen green peas right before serving & stirred them into the rice...I never did, if I would have had them on hand I certainly would add them.

Your recipe brings back a lot of wonderful memories of that dear lady. And of course I now have a computer to store the recipe on...no lost pages. Thank you,

[Perilagu Khan]

Peas in rice are pretty common, especially south of the border. My recipe is probably more Tex-Mexican than Mexican, though. And besides, I've got a thing about peas. :)

[Hank Hanover]

Pot Roast
Chicken Marsala
Swiss Steak
Cabbage Rolls (don't cook em very often but everybody looks forward to em)
Breaded Pork chops with mashed potatoes and white gravy
Lasagne
Chocolate Truffles
Key Lime Pie (yep the one with the sweetened condensed milk)
Ham Hocks and Beans with corn bread (I use great northerns)
Roast Turkey in the Weber Kettle
Pulled pork in the crockpot

[cstout]

Hank, you have just provided a menu list for me...well almost...those Chocolate Truffles are haunting me...were you the one who said to email you for directions & additional recipes? One of my bosses used to make pounds of truffles & give for gifts...was absolutely wonderful...gave us the recipe, but it sounded so time consuming & complicated, no one would tackle it...we just waited until the next Christmas

I don't have a Weber so the turkey is out. I do have a couple of turkey thighs in the freezer...need to get them out & make some dressing. Yep, I make my Mother's ol timey dressing...no one to pass the recipe on to, but that's OK.

Ham Hocks...I use Navy beans...will need to try the Great Northern ones.

Never tried the pulled pork in a crock pot...must check that out.

Lasagne....if you feel like typing...please share that recipe. I have not found one that I can say is a keeper.

[Hank Hanover]

Cstout;

Chocolate truffles are the easiest of the easy desserts to make. That is how I got started cooking. Yeah, I started pretty late. They are made of chocolate cream, butter and flavorings which can be jams, liqueurs, nuts or even artificial flavors. It takes 15 minutes to make a ganache and 2 hours for it to set in the fridge. You can roll the truffles, which is what I do, or you could put a parchment paper sling in the rectangular pan and once the ganache is set can be cut into pieces. You can dip them in cocoa, chopped nuts, coconut or you can dip them in more chocolate. Dipping them in chocolate is a bit of a hassle because of the tempering.

Here is a basic ganache recipe. If you want email me, I will send them to you.

16 ounces of dark chocolate, chopped
7 ounces of heavy cream
3 1/2 tablespoons of butter.
For tablespoons of liqueur ( I use half Ameretto and half Grand Marnier)
4 drops of Loran flavor oils (I use ameretto and orange brandy)
1 tablespoon corn syrup

1. Melt chocolate in microwave with 30 second bursts on level 8.
2. Heat cream in pot to about 180.
3. Combine cream, corn syrup, and chocolate and stir together until blended.
4. Add liqueur and flavor drops. Stir.
5. Let set until about 80 degrees.
6. Add butter 1 pat at a time
7. Whip
8. allow to set up in refrigerator at least 2 hours.

[Hank Hanover]

Skillet Lasagna
This is one of my very quick go to stand bys... Skillet Lasagne. It's very good but very few people at chowhound will endorse such a bastardized lasagne. There is no becamel, no ricotta and no cottage cheese. You don't even have to make your own pasta sauce.
But trust me this is very good. It's quick too!
½ lb. ground beef
½ lb. mild Italian sausage
1 small onion chopped
1 ½ cups uncooked mafalda (mini-lasagna noodle) pasta (3 ounces)
1 ¼ cups water
1 jar(28 oz) marinara sauce
1 jar (4.5 oz) sliced mushrooms drained or 8oz fresh sliced
1/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 hard boiled eggs (sliced)
Cook beef, onion, mushrooms and sausage in dutch oven over medium heat about 6 minutes stirring occasionally, until beef browns; drain excess moisture and fat.
Stir in remaining ingredients except cheese and eggs. Heat to boiling then reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered for 10 – 12 minutes until pasta is tender.
Mix in cheese and stir. Put egg slices on top and sprinkle more cheese. Serve.

You can do this same recipe layering the noodles and the other components but I usually just do it this way. It's quicker. My apologies to the ricotta lovers out there but my broker, E.F Mama (You have heard of my broker... when she talks you listen, yes dear), doesn't eat strong cheese. She will eat mozzarella but certainly not ricotta and I just can't bring myself to heat up cottage cheese. I have found that the sliced hardboiled eggs give it a better texture, more reminiscent of ricotta.

[cstout]

Lasagna...I think I know what is on the menu for next week. Thanks. I will leave off the hardboiled eggs though.

As for Mama, remember one thing, "If mama ain"t happy, ain"t NOBODY happy!!!"

Be sure & make her some of those truffles for Valentine's Day so she will know how sweet you think she is.

If I can get past your "basic ganache" recipe, I will let you know. Will try it soon.

[brooklynkoshereater]

Hanukkah potato latkes. i learned how to make it from my grandmother, and my children now know how to make it as well.

[cstout]

Sure hope we could have the recipe....that is great you have passed a wonderful recipe down to your children...could you also pass it down to us? Please?

[mamachef]

Brisket. Absolutely, onion/mushroom brisket; the source of so many wonderful meals, is the one thing the kids didn't leave home without. I do make it again and again, and so do they!

[cstout]

mamachef....come over here dear with that brisket recipe...I was just thinking about brisket today & wondering if I could find a different recipe besides those posted everywhere.

[mamachef]

Of course! That's pretty much what we do here, right? Preheat the oven to 350.
You'll need the heaviest foil, a good heavy-bottomed dutch oven w/ tightfitting lid, and a 4-5 lb. flat-cut brisket, grade Choice if available. Take a double thickness of foil that will serve to hold the brisket and the 6 sliced onions you'll be putting in there and needing to seal. Salt and pepper the brisket; lay sliced onions on top of foil; lay brisket on after that. Pour over it all a cup of strong stock or any wine whatsoever. Even water will work. Crimp the foil tightly and seal well. Put brisket into roaster and let it roast merrily unattended for 4 hours. Carefully open, and add a pound of any sliced mushrooms you like - I like Portabellinis - and re-crimp. Let it go another 45 minutes or so; remove from oven and "rest" a half hour before removing vegies to to serve alongside. Thicken pan juices for gravy, if you like, and taste again for salt and pepper. The onions are also wonderful pureed and used as a gravy base. Oh, you can use beer for the liquid if you want to, too. And this is soooooo gooood with latkes, or mashed, or any starch at all, really, and some garlic-braised greens.

[cstout]

Oh mamachef....that sounds absolutely wonderful. Another recipe to try. Hope brooklynkoshereater sees this recipe...will go good with grannie's potato latkes.
Thank you so much.

[mcel215]

I always wanted to try brisket, but am "lost" at what kind in the grocery store. It doesn't always say it's flat-cut. Some look fresh, while other's look brined almost.

Could you be more specific, so I can get a good brisket to try this recipe?
thnx.

www.saffron215.blogspot.com

[mamachef]

Chances are excellent that if brined, it's sold cryovac-ed and sold as corned brisket of beef, not just brisket. Do you have a store with a butcher counter? You can ask them to order it for you. Really, there are also butchers at every chain store; they're just in the back. But they should be fully able to point you to the right cut, or to order it for you. You're in for a treat!!

[mcel215]

Thanks. So I just ask the butcher at my local grocery store for a 4-5lb, flat-cut brisket, grade choice if available? And he won't get me that thing that looks like a grey slab? Thanks again, mc

www.saffron215.blogspot.com

[mamachef]

It will be a slab. The gray can come from oxidization, from exposure to air. But rightfully it should be a nice bright pink. Just make sure that it hasn't been brined. And since it's not in super-common useage, you might want to call ahead, to make sure they have it or can order it for you that way. A lot of markets won't carry it 'til early March, and then it's generally ALWAYS brined, for St. Patrick's day, but it's sold then as corned beef, not plain brisket.

[mcel215]

Thanks, mc. :)