This weekend is the perfect time to begin slow-roasting season. The weather here in Southern California is actually down right cold, and I couldn’t be more excited to get cooking and baking. There’s something magical about being able to take a cut of meat, sprinkle it with some dried seasonings, and pop it into a low oven to cook for several hours. The succulent aroma permeates gently around the kitchen, slow at first, but then picks up speed as the hours progress. Even if you’re not quite ready for dinnertime to happen, suddenly you’re starved with anticipation, and ready to dig into whatever is in that oven.
Pork Brisket, yes pork not beef, is a unique cut of meat that is available from good butchers across the United States. I joined a meat subscription, Porter Road to be exact, and I have been so pleased with the variety and quality of products. I noticed a pork brisket on their website, and thought I would add it to my normal shipment. Turns out, it cooks just like a beef brisket, but has fresh porky flavors that are rich and tasty.
Cooking a brisket low and slow is definitely the best way to prepare meat coming from the chest area of an animal because it tends to be firmer, but with a little bit of fat (not as fatty as a shoulder cut), yet lean at the same time. It’s also one of the tastiest cuts because of this superb slightly marbled balance, and one of the easiest pieces of meat to roast in an oven. A brisket cut of meat with an easy dry spice rub pressed gently into the meat, while being accompanied by a couple of sliced onions and apples is all you need to begin cooking. The pork tenderizes slowly just until it can be sliced, and the sweet and savory condiments melt with tender graces, and should be served alongside. Saturday or Sunday supper will now be a special affair with the family, especially with a brisket like this one.
Ingredients
1 1/4 pound pork brisket, beef can be substituted
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 apples, cored and sliced into quarters
2 small onions, peeled and quartered
1 cup apple juice, broth or water
(Serves 4)
To Prepare:
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Remove brisket from any packaging and pat dry with paper towels. In a small bowl, add paprika, onion powder, salt and pepper, stir. Rub spice mixture into brisket on both sides. Place in a oven-safe roasting pan.
- Place apples and onions around brisket and pour apple juice around meat. Cover with foil and roast in the oven for 2 – 2 1/4 hours, or until fork tender.
- Remove pan from oven and remove foil. Let brisket rest on cutting board covered with foil for 5 minutes before slicing.
- Serve sliced pork with roasted apples and onions, along with any juices from pan. Enjoy!
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