The Pork Boys Do Brisket

This post may not mean much to all y'all furriners up Nawth, but down here in Texas, brisket is a word that brings people running to the table from near and far:  it's the culinary equivalent of striking oil.

M.P. made a brisket dinner for us the other night and boy howdy, it was some kind of good.  I tell you what.  After marinating and seasoning, M.P. paints it with mayonnaise - I'm not making this up - on all sides, and roasts it low and slow all day long.  Then it comes out so juicy, sweet, and tender that it just melts in your mouth.  Mmm-mmm!

Brisket is the chest muscle of the cow, thick and tough; it takes a cook who really knows his stuff to make it tender.  It's only sold in large hunks, about two feet long or more, so usually Texas cooks save brisket for holiday dinners and cook-outs for a crowd.  We were in such a hurry to eat this time that we didn't get many pics of our dinner, but these will give you an idea of our tasty little feast.

First, though, here's a shot of the side porch with our gay pink petunias and assorted friends in various stages of growth or healing.  And take a look at M.P.'s lemon tree - he has grown it from an ordinary lemon seed he stuck in a pot a few years ago.  Believe it or not.

Our theme was red for this dinner, as if you couldn't guess.  

From the 6 o'clock position: Brisket and M.P.'s famous barbecue-flavored Cajun gravy to go with it; creamed sweet corn, cut fresh off the cob; spinach and cream cheese casserole with a cornbread topping; ranch beans (you ain't a Texan if you don't love ranch beans); a crescent roll and butter; and scrumptious Lyonnaise potatoes, just like M.P.'s mama used to make - also very good with gravy.

To top off a fabulous dinner, a delightful dessert:  homemade brownies topped with ice cream, caramel sauce, and a cherry.  Just right.

I hope you fellas are eating as well as we are, or at least enjoying what you do eat.  Bon appetit to you all.