Our First Meeting!

The idea for this group came from a group of us talking about how we needed new ideas of what to make for dinner.  We all seemed to be stuck in the same rut and always seem to make the same things over and over.  We thought it would be nice to have a way to try new recipes and at the same time try it risk-free.  I hate nothing more than buying ingredients for a new recipe that "looks" good in a magazine or on the internet only to find that I made it wrong or nobody likes it--not even my husband who is so kind-hearted not to say it's gross (I can just tell by the look on his face).  So, if we have a group where everyone brings their own recipes along with a sample to try we can know for sure if it's going to be a keeper or maybe even inspire us to add to it and make it better. 

We decided our first meeting will be recipes with slow-cookers.  I am a bit worried with the recipe I've chosen because this is something I've learned to love living in El Paso.  Brisket is the popular choice of meat (or at least in my family) for most get-togethers in El Paso.  My mom would marinate the brisket for a couple of days with this marinade sauce and then slowly cook it at 275 degrees overnight.  We would wake up to a house smelled of yummy brisket.  So, the secret and the reason as to why I'm so worried is the marinade that we use.  You either like it or hate it.  I use Claude's Barbeque Brisket Marinade Sauce.  For the longest time, you couldn't find this stuff outside of El Paso.  I would stock up on this when I'd come home from college.  Once I moved here to Austin, I was surprised to see it at HEB.  In fact, I was surprised to see the variety of products Claude's has come up with: Fajita Sauce, Variety Sauce, Hot & Spicy Sauce, Western Sauce, Chicken Rub, Steak Sauce, Mesquite, Hickory, plus a whole variety of seasonings and other products all made in good ol' El Paso, TX.  Sadly, I've only tried Brisket Sauce.

Anyway, sorry to those who are vegetarian, but when you put a cut of brisket in the crockpot with Claude's Brisket Marinade Sauce and turn it on low for a good 6-8 hours the results are delicioso!  Takes me back to my hometown and great memories.  I serve this with baked potatoes, salad and vegetables or the El Paso style with rice, beans, tortillas and salsa.  Enjoy!

Slow-Cooker Brisket with Claude's Barbeque Brisket Marinade
 
Cut of Brisket (with a good marble)
Claude's Brisket Sauce (follow amount on bottle)
Turn on Slow Cooker on low for 6-8 hours
Meat will shred really well