Eva Longoria’s Beso BBQ Brisket
Eva Longoria can do more than just show stop on red carpets, the latina beauty can apparently throw down in the kitchen. Tony Parker’s ex released her ‘Eva’s Kitchen’ cookbook in 2011 and included a recipe for her “Beso BBQ Brisket” that features paprika, juniper berries and of course beef.
“Comfort food is about nostalgia,” said Longoria about the recipe. “When I eat barbecue, it takes me back to my childhood in Corpus Christi, Texas. We’d have barbecue for every special occasion — Easter, birthdays, baptisms. These days I make a brisket, which I slow-roast and cover with a more contemporary, Latin-influenced sauce. It’s a favorite dish at my restaurant, Beso, in Las Vegas.”
Beso BBQ Brisket
Work: 10 minutes
Total: 16 hours
2/3 cup dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons anise seed
2 teaspoons fennel seed
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
1 1/2 teaspoons juniper berries
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 6- to 7-pound brisket, excess fat trimmed
Beso BBQ Sauce (recipe follows)
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
Heat oven to 275 degrees F. Discard all marinating juices. Pour 4 cups Beso BBQ Sauce and chicken broth over brisket; cover pan tightly with foil. Roast until tender, 5 1/2 to 6 hours. Allow brisket to cool slightly before slicing thinly; serve with cooking juices and remaining BBQ sauce. Serves 6 to 8.
In a saucepan cover one 2-ounce package (4 to 5) dried mulatto or ancho chilies with water and simmer until soft, about 20 minutes. Drain, cool, discard stems, and roughly chop; set aside.
Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 1 diced onion, 1 clove chopped garlic, 1 seeded and chopped jalapeno, and 1 peeled and cored apple; cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in one 6-ounce can tomato paste, 1 1/4 cups apple cider vinegar, one 12-ounce jar unsulfured molasses, 1 tablespoon rosemary leaves, 2 teaspoons thyme leaves, 1 teaspoon salt, and reserved chilies. Bring to a boil, remove from heat, and stir in 3 cups of ice. In batches, puree sauce in a blender. Can be kept refrigerated, up to 3 weeks. Makes 7 cups.
