Recipes

  Berghoff Beer-Braised Brisket

Ingredients:

--One 3.5 to 4 pound boneless beef brisket, trimmed of excess fat
--1 teaspoon kosher salt
--1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
--1/4-cup olive oil
--2 pounds sliced onions
--1 bay leaf
--One 12-ounce bottle of Berghoff Lager beer
--2 cups beef broth
--1 cub prepared barbecue sauce (Sweet Baby Ray's preferred)
--8 sliced kaiser rolls or onion rolls

Season the meat with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a 6- to 8-quart wide, heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Brown the meat well on all sides, about 10 minutes total. Remove from the pan and set aside, reserving the fat in the pot (do not clean the pot).

Saute the onions with the bay leaf in the fat remaining in the pot over moderate heat until golden. Remove from the heat and transfer half of the onions to a bowl. Arrange the brisket over the onions remaining in the pot, then top with the remaining onions. Add the beer and broth, (the liquid should come about halfway up the sides of the meat). Cover the pot and braise for 90 minutes to 2 hours, pour the barbecue sauce over the brisket and continue to brase for another hour. Remove the meat from the pan an dlet it rest for about 30 minutes. In a saucepan, reduce the braising liquid to a saucelike consistency.

Transfer the brisket to a clean cutting board. Slice the meat across the grain and distribute among the bottom halves of the buns topping with the upper halves. Top with additional barbecue sauce if desired.

Makes 8 sandwiches.

Black Forest Cake

(Serves 8)

Ingredients for yellow cake:

--2-1/4 cups cake flour
--1-1/2 cups sugar
--3/4 cup shortening
--3/4 cup milk
--2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
--1 teaspoon salt
--1 teaspoon vanilla extract
--3 large eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans. Using an electric mixer, on low speed with paddle attachment, mix all ingredients slowly until well-blended. Increase mixer speed to high, mix for two minutes more, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Pour batter into pans. Bake for 25 minutes until cake springs to the touch. Set aside to cool.

Ingredients for chocolate cake:

--3/4 cups unsweetened cocoa
--2 cups cake flour
--1-3/4 cups sugar
--1/1/4 cups milk
--3/4 cup shortening
--1-1/4 teaspoons baking soda
--1 teaspoon salt
--1 teaspoon vanilla extract
--1/2 teaspoon baking powder
--3 large eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans. Using an electric mixer, on low speed with paddle attachment, mix all ingredients slowly until well-blended. Increase mixer speed to high, mix for two minutes more, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Pour batter into pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes until cake springs to the touch. Set aside to cool.

Cherry Filling

--Two 16-ounce cans pitted tart cherries in water
--1/3 cup packed brown sugar
--1/4 cup corn starch
--1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
--1/3 cup sugar
--1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Drain liquid from canned cherries, reserving 1 cup liquid. In a 2-quart saucepan, combine brown sugar, corn starch, cinnamon, cherry liquid and sugar. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils and thickens, approximately 1 minute. Remove pan from heat, stir in butter and vanilla extract, fold in cherries. Set aside to cool.

Chocolate Whipped Cream

--1/2 quart heavy whipping cream
--3/4 cup confectioner's sugar
--3/4 cup cocoa powder

Using a small bowl, whip ingredients together until soft peak forms. Set aside.

Assembling the cake:

Using a serrated knife, cut each cake horizontally into three layers. Place one layer of chocolate cake on cake plate or cake board. Using a metal spatula, spread a thin layer of chocolate whipped cream on top of cake. Using a pastry bag, with an open tube, pipe two circles of chocolate whipped cream on the cake, one around the outer edge and one in the center of the cake. Using a pastry bag, pipe the cherry filling inside the chocolate circles.

On top of the first layer, place the yellow cake and spread a thin layer of raspberry preserves on the cake. Using an electric miser, at high speed with a paddle attachment, whip together one quart of heavy whipping cream and one cup confectioner's sugar. Apply a thin layer of the cream on top of the preserves. Set aside the remaining whipped cream.

On top of the cream, place a layer of chocolate cake. This is the last laer. With the remaining whiped cream, coat sides and top of cake. Press chocolate sprinkles into sides of cake. Spoon remaining whipped cream into a pastry bag, using a star-shaped tip. Pipe small rosettes around perimeter of cake. Decorate with a maraschino cherry on each rosette.