Cornbread Brisket Benedict
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I guess Eggs Benedict aficionados can argue a little bit as to whether or not this is, by definition, actually Eggs Benedict in the traditional sense. But, I don’t care. It was super yummy and has already jumped to the top of my favorite recipes. It turned out so stick to your ribs rich that I had to sit really, really still for a good half hour after eating.
I’m gonna start out talking about the eggs I used. Duck eggs, I think, are far superior to the chicken eggs we all know and love for a lot of things, especially Benedicts. Their flavor can’t be beat. But most of all because the yolk is much bigger. And that of course means more yolk to spill all over the rest of your dish. But if you can’t grab any duck eggs in your neck of the woods, regular old chicken eggs will be fine.
I decided to do a braised brisket for the protein. Why? Because I found one on sale would be the best answer. And I should mention that I used just the flat of the brisket. I would not recommend this for the smoker because it has very little fat and would dry out on you. But I’m glad I did because it worked really well for this dish. I wanted the brisket to have some sweet undertones so I thought about Cherry Coke for a braising liquid with a little help from our good friend, bourbon.
As far as the Benedict base, I went pretty far away from the traditional English muffin and decided on cornbread. I guess simply because I have never tried it before. I will tell you this, cornbread soaked in hollandaise sauce is one of the best things I have tasted. I can’t believe I’ve never thought to combine the two before. That is probably for the best from a health perspective. And I’ll probably get yelled at from a few people for this, but I have yet to make from scratch any cornbread that can beat the box Jiffy mix. I know, I know. But I can’t lie to you. It’s super easy and super delicious. It is one of the only box mixes, or anything premixed that I use. So hate if you must.
My hollandaise is a very basic blender hollandaise. If you have a hollandaise recipe you like better substitute away. I feel I’ve mentioned before but I’ll say it again, I FRIGGIN love hollandaise. I would drink it by the gallon if I could.
Like I mentioned above, this dish is very rich. So if you make it, plan accordingly. Give yourself some time to sit and not move after.
Ingredients and Instructions
Braising Liquid
- 1 cup cherry coke
- 1/2 cup beef stock
- 1/4 cup bourbon
- Dash of Worcestershire sauce
- Dash of liquid smoke
Bring all ingredients to a simmer in saucepan. Allow to simmer while you sear your brisky.
Brisket
- 1 brisket flat (about 2-3 pounds)
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or bacon grease
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. For your dry rub, mix salt, pepper, cayenne, and garlic powder together in a bowl. Rub brisket well on all sides with dry rub. Allow brisket to sit at room temperature for about half an hour.
Heat oil in large Dutch oven on medium heat. Sear brisket well on all sides. Add braising liquid. Cover and put in oven. Allow to cook about 3-4 hours or until brisket is pull apart tender.
When the brisket is done, carefully remove from Dutch oven and put on a plate. Let cool slightly. Keep the braising liquid in the Dutch oven on the stove on medium heat and let reduce slightly. When the brisket is cool, shred it and add back to the Dutch oven. Let brisket cook a little with the liquid and when it’s all good and absorbed, kill the heat and let it sit.
*While brisket is cooking, work on cornbread and hollandaise.
Cheddar and Chive Cornbread
1 box Jiffy cornbread mix (egg and milk required)
1 cup white cheddar cheese shredded
1 tablespoon chives chopped
Mix cornbread according to directions. When cornbread is mixed well, add cheese and chives. Bake according to directions.
Hollandaise
4 egg yolks
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Dash of salt
Dash of cayenne pepper
1 stick butter (melted)
Add yolks, lemon juice, salt, and cayenne to blender. Blend well. While the motor is running, add melted butter in a slow stream until sauce is emulsified. Set aside until ready to use.
A quick word of warning: Hollandaise sauce does contain (obviously) raw eggs. So if you have any health issues, be very wary.
Fried Duck Eggs
- Duck eggs (1 for each Benedict you’re making)
- 1 teaspoon butter
- Salt
- Pepper
In a nonstick skillet, melt a teaspoon of butter. Crack eggs gently in skillet. Add a little dash of salt and pepper. (I do this step very last so the eggs can go from the skillet to my plate.)
Benny Building
Take a hunk of the cornbread and put on a plate. Top with a generous scoop of brisket and then drop that fried egg on top of the brisky. After that is all in place, drizzle the Hollandaise on top and finish with some chopped chives.
