The Rainy Day Baker

Today’s featured crock pot recipe was on and off my meal plan several times before I finally committed to making it with a few changes.

The original Brie and Brisket Quesadilla recipe calls for a mango barbecue sauce which entails making a batch of mango chutney, and then adding a 1/4 cup of it to the barbecue sauce.  I’m sure it’s delicious, but I don’t get excited over mangos, or chutney for that matter. Plus, it all sounded like a lot of work for a weeknight. So, I took the liberty of omitting the mango chutney and truly, with all the remaining flavor in these bad boys, I didn’t feel like I was missing anything.

To get things started you’re going to slow cook a 2-3 lb brisket in a bath of…wait for it…Dr. Pepper. 8 hours with the Dr. and you’ll hardly be able to run a knife through the meat with out it immediately shredding on contact. In fact, I ditched the knife and used a fork to pull the meat apart before returning it to the slow cooker to keep warm.

The barbecue sauce is the next necessary component of this recipe. With the use of chopped onions it stays thick in the sauce pan (almost like salsa) than traditional barbecue sauce, until you use a food processor to puree’ it. In the interest of full disclosure, and because you’re probably thinking her bbq sauce does not look pureed in that picture, I didn’t puree it.

 These quesadillas are really all about the flavor combination that goes on between the brisket, the brie and the barbecue sauce. Every once in a while I’d catch a hint of the monterey jack, but I think its primary purpose is to help keep the quesadilla sealed.

I made these as tacos and quesadillas. In both scenarios I browned each side of the tortilla before adding the rest of the ingredients and then putting it back in the pan to get melty.

What I love most about this recipe is that it introduces a new flavor; something that’s not usually on the weekly menu. Between the tang of the barbecue sauce and the brie and the tender, melt-in-your-mouth-brisket these quesadillas (or tacos) make for hugely satisfying dinner.

Take a look at the recipe below and promise to let me know if you end up making these and what you think about them! We’re half way through the week – see you back here tomorrow with Day 4′s Crock Pot Recipe!

Brie & Brisket Quesadillas/Tacos
Adapted from: Confections of a Foodie Bride 

3 lb brisket
Salt & fresh pepper
1 Tablespoon chili powder
3 cloves garlic, minced
16 oz Dr. Pepper
***
1 and a 1/2 Tablespoon olive oil
1 cup yellow onion, chopped
1/2 cup ketchup
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 and a 1/2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 and a 1/2 teaspoons Creole (spicy brown) mustard
Salt
Pepper
***
8 8-in flour tortillas (use smaller for tacos)
8 oz brie, thinly sliced
1 cup monterey jack, shredded
olive oil or cooking spray, to brush tortillas

Rub the brisket with salt, pepper, chili powder, and garlic.
Place brisket in the crock pot, fatty side down.
Pour the Dr. Pepper over the top and cook on low for 8 hours.

Remove the cooked brisket from the crock pot and let rest for 15 minutes.
Shred or slice thin and return to the slow cooker to keep warm.

Begin the barbecue sauce by heating the olive oil in a sauce pan.
Add the onions and  saute for 5 minutes.
Add garlic, stir, and cook for about 3 minutes.

Stir in the ketchup, lemon juice,  Worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt and pepper.
Simmer for 5 minutes more.
Transfer to food processor and pulse until smooth.

When ready to put the quesadillas together, heat a large pan over medium-high.
Place the meat, brie, and monterey jack cheese on half of each tortilla.
Top with a dollop of barbecue sauce and fold the top half of the tortilla over the meat.

Carefully brush the quesadilla with oil to prevent sticking.
One or two at a time, place each quesadilla in the heated pan and cook until the bottom is crisp and golden.
Flip over and cook the second side.
Remove from heat and slice into triangles.
Serve with extra barbecue sauce.