Beer Braised Brisket With Horseradish Gravy

4 slices of bacon, chopped

1 (2-pound) beef brisket

Favorite cajun seasoning

2 large onions, sliced thinly

4 cloves garlic, smashed

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 (12-ounce) bottle beer, I use Shock Top

1 cup beef broth

2 carrots, cut crosswise into 1 1/2-inch-thick pieces

1 boiling potato, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 turnip, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 Bay Leaf

1/2 cup minced fresh parsley leaves

In a Dutch oven, cook bacon in 1 tablespoon water over moderate heat until crisp. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Pat brisket dry and season with salt, pepper and Cajun seasoning. Brown in bacon fat. Transfer brisket to platter. Add the onions to the Dutch oven and cook until softened, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and tomato paste. Cook 1 minute more. Add beer, broth, Bay leaf and bacon bits. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to simmer. Braise the brisket, covered, in the oven for 2 to 3 hours. Add carrots, potatoes and turnips for the last 45 minutes.

Remove the vegetables and brisket from the dutch oven with a slotted spoon and set a side covered to keep warm. Discard bay leaf. Pour liquid into a bowl. Melt 1 Tbs butter on medium and add 1 Tbs flour. When flour is just about blond in color, add 1-2 Tbs horseradish and cook 1 minute. Add Liquid back to the dutch oven and bring to a boil a turn to low.

I like to take the veggies and lay on a baking sheet with a little olive oil and top with Parmesan chess and place under a broiler just long enough to lightly brown the cheese.

Slice the brisket across the grain and serve topped with gravy with the veggies and rice on the side. Of course you can gravy them up as well!

BREAD DUNKING GARLIC SHRIMP

2 dozen shrimp peeled and cleaned, tail on.

1/2 tsp. cayenne

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tbsp Italian seasoning

1 1/2 tsp. minced garlic shopping list

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper

1/4 cup cream

1/4 lb. unsalted butter

1 tsp. Worcesterhsire

1/2 c. shrimp stock (or vegetable stock)

1/4 c. Shock top or other citrus infused beer, room temperature

Rinse shrimp in cold water; drain. Combine stick of butter, Worcestershire, garlic, and seasonings in skillet. When butter is melted, add shrimp. Cook 2 minutes, shake pan instead of stirring. (Do not over cook.) Add cream and stock. Cook for 2 minutes, shake pan. Add beer, cook 1 minute. Serve in bowls with shrimp around the edge like a cocktail. Divide the cooking liquid evenly and serve with lots of Buttered and Toasted French bread for dunking. This recipe is a starter for 4 people.

New years Hangover shrimp

This is the way that I prepare shrimp for shrimp cocktails on New Year’s Eve. The cooking liquid is strained and reserved in a pitcher as a morning after kick. Two batches give you a lot of shrimp and a good spicy Bloody Mary mix.

 1 32oz. can of Spicy hot V-8 juice

1 can favorite beer

3 to 6 jalapeno peppers split in half (you can substitute habaneros)

1 large onion chopped

3 stalks celery chopped

1 tsp. salt 

2 cloves garlic, chopped

3 lbs. shrimp, peeled and deveined

Place all ingredients, except shrimp, in a large pot and bring to a boil. Add shrimp and remove from heat. Let stand about 20 minutes. Strain and reserve cooking liquid and chill shrimp. I do red and white shrimp cocktails. One with standard cocktail sauce and one with a dill sauce.

Seafood Dirty Rice

1/2 cup bacon, chopped

1/2 cup chicken livers

1/2 cup shrimp, chopped

3 1/2 cups fish stock

1 cup Shock Top beer

1/4 cup onions, minced

1 tablespoon garlic

3 cups rice

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup parsley, chopped

salt and black pepper, to taste ( some crushed red Pepper if you want to hot it up)

Cook off bacon. Add chicken livers and cook through. Remove, chop, and return to pan. Add shrimp and season with salt and pepper. Add onions and garlic and sauté. Stir in rice, butter, and fish stock. Then pour the beer into the fish stock. Bring to a simmer. Cover and finish in 400º oven for 20 minutes. Season with parsley, salt, and pepper.

Fried Gator

After you find some Gator in you local store. Set it out to defrost at room temp. Now it is time to get out your meat mallet or a even an empty food can filled half way with BB's. I keep one of these on hand as it make for a good dead blow. Just put a plastic lid on the open end. Take the gator meat and season with salt and pepper and pound it out. Give each side seasoning and at least 7 blows. this is a rule of thumb!!

2 pounds of gator tail cut into 1" cubes

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 can of Shock Top beer

Few shakes of hot sauce

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Dash of garlic salt

Dash of favorite Cajun or Creole seasoning

2 cups self-rising flour

Oil for deep frying

Marinate the cubed and pounded gator meat in a mixture of buttermilk, hot sauce and beer for at least one hour or even better overnight in the refrigerator, Drain well. Coat with seasoned flour,(mix the seasoning into the flour) and fry in deep fat fryer or Iron skillet over medium heat for 3-5 minutes on each side. Drain and serve with your favorite tarter or cocktail sauce.