Mothership Meals and Satellite Saucers: Brisket on the Grill

Saturday, August 2, 2008

Brisket on the Grill

I am really fond of cheap cuts of meat -- because of the price, the flavor, and also because traditional styles of cooking usually come up with up with kickass ways to get around the shortcomings of the cut, while still getting all the flavor.

Brisket's a perfect example of this, except... I've almost never had a brisket I liked. Too stewy and soft, with some kind of bland tomato sauce, at least one time I had it, and it scarred me for years to come. But this year my friend Nick served barbecued brisket at his summer birthday party and it was delicious. I got to thinking I'd serve it at my daughter's late August birthday party, which is usually a family/friend affair more than a kid's party. Because... why settle for dogs and burgers?

First I had to test it. I can't be cooking a brand new dish while making sure the table's set, the kids didn't break into the marshmallows and my mom's not putting too much tequila into the margaritas. While I was musing on all this, Cook's Illustrated sent out a recipe for brisket cooked on a charcoal grill. Yes, because who wants to keep the oven on for hours in the summer?

I followed their instructions to a t.

You have to use a combination of wood chunks and charcoal, and set up a bowl of water to steam the meat. I made a bowl out of tin foil.

Then the meat cooks slowly for hours. After three hours you swiftly add a few more chunks of charcoal.

For the first few hours you shield the meat with a piece of foil. I made this on a HOT day, and it was really nice sitting in the backyard under the fig tree, drinking iced tea and playing cards with my daughter, while I kept an eye on the grill.

It was truly delicious. My kids loved it, too. "It's kind of like bacon," one of them said, bestowing the most powerful compliment possible.
We are definitely having this for my daughter's bday. Following my friend Nick's lead (who is following Southern America's lead) we'll serve it with barbecue sauce, cole slaw and burger buns. YUM!

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The Mothership Method

(Or, how to sit down for dinner with your family without completely losing your mind)

It would be great if kids AND parents wanted boiled chicken and baby carrots every night for dinner. But, too bad, we picky parents want spicy, exotic, fun foods, and our kids want, well, sorta lame foods.
Here's the solution: break it down. Serve the dish deconstructed, and let everyone put their own dish together at the table. Sort of like tapas, or smorgasbord, or tacos. Or how in some parts of China you get a bowl of rice, and everything else is in the middle of the table and you take what you want for your own little bowl of rice. That way everyone gets to eat what they want, parents don't have to nag their kids, and kids get to feels some ownership over their meals. Plus, kids get exposed to the look and taste of the foods you hope they will one day love. But it's not just tacos. You'll be amazed at what can be served with the Mothership Method.

Ten Tips to Get Through Dinner Without Having A Nervous Breakdown

1. Accept That Kids Are Picky. No need to freak out on your cooking ability, or look at your kids like there is something wrong with them. It's called "neo-phobia", and it's just how they are, especially from ages 3-6.

2. Serve Meals Broken Down. Even grown-up meals like coconut curry or linguine with clams can be served in their elements, making them more appealing to kids. Grown ups can assemble their own jumble of deliciousness at their own plate while kids take on the pared-down elements.

3. Push if it Works, But Don't Nag If It Doesn't. Some kids are okay with being expected to taste everything on their plate. Others aren't. I think it's okay to push kids -- but not if you're turning dinner into a battlefield.

4. Suggest a Smell. Smelling a new food is easier than tasting it, and can sometimes provide a kid with the information needed to take that scary first bite. But don't confine smelling to new foods. Smell favorites, too, and help them develop their sense of smell by making a game out of it.

5. Don't Ask "Do You Like It?" Instead, try, "What does this remind you of?" or, "Would your cousins like this?" or, "Does this taste salty or sweet?". Asking if they like it or not gives kids too much power and ends the conversation. Besides, we don't care if they like it! We just want them to keep tasting it until it is familiar.

6. Don't Get Frustrated. Imagine being in Taiwan, or Nairobi, or Rome for the first time. Would you eat everything on the local menu? New foods are scary and gross. Our kids need time to learn about the foods that we eat.

7. No SubstitutionsThis is family dinner, not a diner. You, in all your wisdom, have provided foods that are healthy and delicious and appropriate for your children. There is something on the table for them to eat. Period.

8. No Snacks Before Dinner. This can be the hardest with our hectic schedules and hungry kids. But children who come to the table hungry are more likely to eat than cause trouble.

9. Put Peer Pressure To Your Advantage. School children are more likely to accept new foods if the alpha girls in their group accept them. Swap healthy food ideas on playdates.

10. Involve Your Kids In Cooking, Shopping, and Gardening. The more experience kids have handling and preparing a variety of foods, the more likely they are to eventually accept the foods. (But don't get upset if they help you make a complicated wonderful meal, and then refuse to eat it.)