Grub It Up: Slow-Cooker Brisket and Onions

So between the polar vortex madness and spring race training, mom's been having a real hard time staying strictly paleo. She ended up stopping her Whole30 about 1/2 way through and trying a more modified paleo diet, but it hasn't been doing the trick. It's just not enough calories and carbohydrates to support running for hours and, likely more importantly, it quickly became clear that day after day of canceled school due to anticipated snow was not going to happen sans evening cocktails. SO, what that means is that we are in an extremely modified paleo mode for a while. Mom plans to do another Whole30 after her 1/2 marathon in March, which hopefully will also be the end of this insane winter weather.

But paleo or not, and it happens to be, this classic beef brisket went over like gangbusters in our house. Kane even asked if she could make it again for our family Superbowl party yesterday, for which he had already planned a very serious menu. And it takes about 10 minutes of actual working time to make -- the real work is done by the slowcooker over 6 hours. Mom served it up with carmelized brussels sprouts with bacon, balsamic vinegar and goat cheese. We had ours with carrots and some butter noodles. YUM.

Slow-Cooker Brisket and Onions 

(from Martha Stewart) 

Ingredients

- 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced

- 2 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled

- 1 first cut* of beef brisket (4 pounds), trimmed of excess fat

- coarse salt and ground pepper

- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves, for serving 

Directions

In a 5- to 6- quart slow cooker, combine onion and garlic. Season brisket with salt and pepper and place, fat side up, in slow cooker. Add broth. Cover and cook on high until brisket is fork-tender, about 6 hours. Remove brisket and thinly slice against the grain. Serve with onion and some cooking liquid; sprinkle with parsley.

* according to Martha, a "whole brisket is made up of a first cut and a second cut." She used the leaner first cut for hers. I used what Trader Joe's had, which I'm pretty sure was a whole brisket, and it was still delicious.