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We usually have something fancy for New Years, and this year I purchased some lovely scotch fillet from a legendary Melbourne butcher who is about to retire- had him slice them nice and thick for a reverse sear. It was also a chance to debut the RFX probes I received for Christmas, and to make a first stab at a Bernaise sauce. All in all a great success. Happy New Year!

As is an annual tradition, I planned a brisket for a dear friend's birthday party. After I'd sourced the meat, she canceled. No party, everyone had the flu.

 Marin Sun Farms at Rockridge Market Hall confidently told me this would be a great brisket. The cautionary tale I had in mind: In Think Like a Chef, Tom Colicchio has a stellar recipe for braised beef cheek. I tried this with a California beef cheek, and it was like Charlie Chaplin’s stewed boot. We figured organic cattle smile too much. The cautionary tale I should have had in mind: Berkeley Bowl once tried to sell me a cyrovac pork shoulder. The symmetry was unsettling. I realized still in the store that it was a pair of pork butts. I was being a clod, thinking more of the first story than the second, and didn’t react to the unusual shape. I’ve never seen a brisket this tall and squat. I got one thing right: Rather than going to Las Montañas for generic chiles, I just used up my hoard of chiles from Boonville Barn Collective, and ordered more. Best rub I’ve ever made. I never would have made the party; after eleven hours at 275 F this meat was nowhere near done. An Akaushi Wagyu brisket this size would have needed 8 to 10 hours. Slicing a hunk off the end for dinner, the flavor was great, but no collagen or marbling to suggest further cooking would help. And it didn’t look at all like brisket. No deckle. So I parsed the rest into pieces to use as an ingredient various ways. Chinese noodles? Hash? I’m thinking Borscht. I’m guessing this was a legendary cut that I’ve never been able to find before, that was sold to me by accident. I’ll hold back my guess in hopes others will weigh in.

Here's an incense burner that'll make you look twice. I enjoy the odor/scent incense imparts to a room, so over the years I've collected a few incense holders of unique design to pleasantly aid the eye with a sense of calmness smoke offers. My niece seeing my collection thought I needed a piece to match the smoking elements in house and yard, but with a twist. The piece incorporates a downdraft design allowing the smoke to escape from different areas mimicing a realistic interpretation. Although I found it unusually distant as compared to my traditional Japanese holders, I do believe it has a place. However, with as much enjoyment incense smoke contributes to your well being, still nothing beats the smell of a brisket slow cooking in the back yard.

AI (our new family dog) says its a beef clod heart.

🤣

You know Syzygies deja vous, I recently popped a roast out of the freezer unlabeled and was wondering the same. My curious eye seems to think that it's a Chuck roast, has the cut & shape, grain and color, similar and in the same neighborhood. You can eliminate the flat, it has the markings and some orentation of being the point in the raw, but I'm leaning towards a tender chuck roast having seen something similar recently at the market and just purchased. Well, if your disappointed in the texture hold your head up high on appearance and a fabulous bark. I'm thinking a packaging mishandle, label or the new butcher on the block, happens to us all, don't despair and be thankful it wasn't bear. It might yet remain a mystery, however we can definitely rule out rib eye and tenderloin. When in doubt, ask the family dog...they gotta nose for these things.

Definitely a great marble going on there and a nice finish. Finding a new butcher...too bad, someone that's done you right so many times. There's always mail order, but that can get expensive, best of luck Remi and a safe and Happy New Year to all.

Well i'm thinking i need to go find a steak now lol