Week Five - Culinary Adventures
I made Beef Brisket! As someone who prefers cooking over baking and tends to shy away from recipes that require more than a couple of hours, this was quite the culinary adventure for me. Let me walk you through how it all unfolded.
Firstly, I should confess—I’m not particularly knowledgeable about different cuts of meat. To me, steak has always just been steak. But when I spotted a hefty slab of beef brisket on sale at my local grocery store, something in me sparked a curiosity to try something new.
Now, I’m also not a huge meat eater, and the idea of slow-cooking something for 10-12 hours initially sounded daunting. I mean, who has that kind of time? It so happens that I do right now ;)
So there I was, faced with a 5.5 kilogram slab of raw meat, feeling slightly intimidated and overwhelmed. After staring at it for a while, contemplating my next move, I decided to dive in. I rolled up my sleeves, grabbed my trusty carving knife, and got started—albeit cautiously.
I decided to cook a smaller portion of the brisket first and freeze the rest, just in case I messed it up. I followed a simple slow-cooker recipe and let it do its magic for about 6 hours. In the meantime, I whipped up some coleslaw and picked up some fresh buns because, let’s face it, what’s brisket without a good sandwich?
The brisket turned out beautifully. Tender, flavorful, and practically falling apart—it was a revelation. I put together my sandwich with a generous helping of brisket piled high on top of my yummy crunchy coleslaw, and took my first bite. It was nothing short of amazing.
Reflection: Yet another realization that sometimes the most intimidating challenges can turn out to be the most rewarding. Cooking something new, especially something as hearty and satisfying as beef brisket, not only expanded my culinary repertoire but also gave me a newfound sense of accomplishment. There was barely any cooking to do, just put together the ingredients and dump it in a slow cooker. I mean, I make sushi all the time so what was I so intimidated by all this time?
So, if you’re like me—hesitant to try dishes that seem time-consuming or complicated—take this as a gentle nudge to step out of your comfort zone. You might just surprise yourself with what you can create and how simple it really is. Whether it’s beef brisket or another dish that catches your eye, embrace the opportunity to explore and savor the flavors of cooking something new.
As for me, I’ve checked off one of my summer goals—to cook something new—and I can’t wait to see where my culinary adventures take me next. Until then, here’s to good food and even better experiences in the kitchen!
Happy cooking!
This Week's Tune: Mr. Bleu Sky - Electric Light Orchestra
Books i've read this week: (audio book) Crushing It! - Gary Vaynerchuk
Career Reflections: Still Nothing.
Deep breath in, deep breath out, Namaste 🧘♀️