So this week every state in the US hit freezing level temperatures. Even Hawaii! Brrrrrr!

In southern states we are ill-equipped to deal with frigid weather, so people are pretty miserable.  Not Buffalo, New York, 7 feet of snow miserable, but still cold enough to complain loudly about it to whomever will listen.  To help us all get through what promises to be a chilly winter here is a recipe for a delicious and more importantly warm sandwich: the Porter Braised Brisket Sandwich.  It is made with craft beer, so you can sip on the leftovers and get toasty.

This recipe was created by the super-talented Lily Plauché.  The recipe was originally posted in a craft beer article in NoAla magazine.

The recipe features beer from Florence, Alabama brewery: Singin River Brewing.  The brewery was super fun, with excellent beer and super stylish decor.  It is an hour and a half drive for me, but well worth the trip.

Porter Braised Brisket Sandwiches

Recipe by Lily Plauché

Serves: 8

The main purpose of the beer in this recipe is to tenderize the meat while providing another layer of flavor. Use the meat for these sandwiches, in quesadillas, or serve as a stew over potatoes or rice.

4 pounds beef brisket, trimmed, cut into 3-inch pieces

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 large carrots, peeled and chopped

2 celery ribs, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, smashed

1 cup Singin’ River Porter

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 cups beef broth

8 sandwich buns

Slaw

1. Preheat oven to 300°F. Sprinkle brisket with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large ovenproof Dutch oven over medium-high heat; add half of brisket, browning on all sides. Remove brisket and set aside. Brown remaining half of brisket in Dutch oven; remove and set aside.

2. Add carrots, celery, onion, and garlic to the pot; cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Add beer, stirring to remove any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Stir in tomato paste and broth. Return brisket to the pot, nestling it nicely into the liquid. Cover and bake until brisket is very tender and can easily be shredded with a fork, about 3 hours.

3. Shred brisket with 2 forks; serve the meat on buns topped with slaw.

Stay Warm!