Cooking up a brisket for the moms on Sunday. What’s your favorite sides? I love making homemade Mac or potato salad, but looking for something on the lighter side.
Exactly - the only way to make something fatty feel lighter is acidity. You can always just serve less of it, but it will still taste fatty unless you have something acidic before/after it. When it’s just me though, I can devour brisket, ribeyes, bacon no problem. But if I’m trying to serve a balanced meal I need an acidic side. Even broccoli with some Parmesan and a bit of lemon juice on top as a side does the trick.
Making your own slaw is super easy too, and way way better than any other slaw I’ve had.
Are the beans plain, or is like, chili?
Either baked beans or green beans work, whatever mood you’re in
If you're okay with non-traditional, I like something acidic like a smashed cucumber salad, or something like an Italian pasta salad, or corn salad
Esquites. Also known in South Texas as Corn in a Cup.
Take some roasted corn off the cob, mix with mayo, crema, tajin seasoning, a few shakes of tapatio hot sauce, and top with cotija cheese. Also good with queso fresco.
AKA in Texas and South Texas as Elote.
Elote on the cobb, esquite in a cup
Interesting. We always just called it elote in the valley and San Antonio whether in the cup or ok the cob. TIL!
In Laredo, among the gringos, we called on the cob elote, and in the cup we just said corn in the cup. There was a food truck that sold esquite in Laredo and their trailer said “corn in the cup” so that’s what we called it.
I learned the term esquite when I moved to Florida and saw it at the restaurants.
Yeah never heard esquites in Texas nor Michoacán before. I’d probably confuse some motherfuckers asking for it like that 😂
That’s what these are called! Time to look up recipes - years ago I had Mexican corn in a cup that was outstanding. Haven’t been able to find it ever again so now I just need to make it. Thank you!
Love this recipe
Smoked corn with the husk on.
Roll husk bacj, Clip tips and strip the silver
Roll husk back and soak couple hours
Pull, till husk back, dry cob with paper towel.
Shove cob into a baggie with S&P/oil and twist a few times.
Roll husk back
1.5ish hours at 275.
Hands down my favorite smoked side. Albeit a bit of prep.
Beans and potato salad...maybe Cole slaw with banana pudding for dessert
Cole slaw is always good with bbq. You could make a light Mexican slaw with olive oil and lemon juice.
More brisket. Or jalapeño poppers
I have a side of flat with my point. And kings Hawaiian rolls
My wife recently paired a tzatziki cucumber salad with a chuck roast I smoked and holy shit was it good. Never would’ve chosen that myself but I was a big fan.
Damn that sounds awesome
Charro beans from the can are easy. Cut up and fry half a pack of bacon, once it’s nice and brown, throw in a large can of pinto beans. Set stove to low and throw in diced Roma tomatoes and a full bunch of finely chopped cilantro. Simmer for two hours. 30 minutes before service empty a bottle of beer into the beans.
Optional: Right before the bacon is done throw in a couple of raw jalapeños to fry with the bacon then throw the beans and everything else on top.
Those sound like Barracho beans to me! I think the only difference is they are charro until you pour the beer in then you get barracho or “drunk beans”! Used to make them from scratch very similar to your recipe. Used Rotel along with the cilantro. We cooked with some bacon for the last 30 minutes turned up the heat and put the rest of the bacon in with green onions diced. Delicious!
Yeah borachos once you add the optional beer in the end. Canned tomatoes give it a sour aftertaste, fresh Roma absorb the beans juice. I used to boil them fresh but I became a lazy Mexican and just use canned beans now to save time, especially with all the other shit I’m cooking.
I have done the same many times. Usually because I forget until the last minute. lol!
Ramen noodles, soft boiled egg, kimchi and cha choi (pickled mustard). Easy on the broth.
Mac and cheese always a big hit for us
Smoked Mac and cheese or smoked baked beans. What else is there 😁
Pork belly Burnt ends Ribs Bacon wrapped sausages
Would you also like to have the double bypass with that sir.
Fried okra is always a hit. Also, I made a pesto potato salad this weekend to go with mine and highly recommend it.
Cucumber dill salad
Broccoli salad
German potato salad (not the mayo thing we make) or warm french potato salad
Corn on the cob has been mentioned
Roasted root veggies
I agree with slaw and pickles, but also, pasta salad.
Pikliz is perfect for any rich, fatty smoked dish.
Pickles, jalapeños and taw onions
More brisket
Ribs
Scratch made baked beans (super easy if you remember to soak the dried beans overnight, or if you have a pressure cooker). But my favorites might be green beans just seasoned with bbq rub and sauteed or even sheetpan-oven-roasted, and then watermelon "salad" tossed with lemon juice+olive oil, salt, finely chopped fresh mint, and feta cheese.
Oh and of course cheddar jalapeno corn bread - muffins are my favorite because you get way more crispy edge.
Beer or bourbon
Bacon & Hatch Green Chile Hominy Cast Iron Casserole https://jesspryles.com/green-chile-hominy/
Pinto beans
Regular salad or cucumber salad, Bit of plain white rice, Collard greens, Broccoli, whatever way you like best, Corn on the cob, whatever way you like best, Smoked potatoes and make some gravy from the brisket drippings in the drip pan, Green peas go with any of the above other than the salad and broccoli, Roasted carrots, Any vegetable really ends up being a nice healthy side and you can add some lemon juice to up the acidity. More acidic sides help to make the meal taste/feel lighter
Potato salad
Pickles
Banana pudding
Who needs sides when you can have all you can eat smoked brisket?
Brisket/bacon/chopped green chili Mac and cheese
A big slab of tritip so that I can fill up on that and not have to eat any brisket.
Gotta have slaw, or at the very least some good pickles or pickled onions. Something acidic to cut the fatty brisket is a match made in heaven.
Other than that, I try to have beans of some kind and cornbread.