The beauties of Fall….From Foliage to Food and Football it’s that time of year when cooler temperatures, beautiful leaves, crisp apples, and football season brings a different feeling of rejuvenation. It’s also that time to think on tailgating foods, and what’s better than using the seasons best - butternut squash. When combined with a slow cooked brisket and trading places with healthy micro-greens they surely pack for healthy and delicious in these sliders. Swapping out traditional sliders ingredients makes these not only a crowd pleaser but a much healthier option. Brisket is cooked until tender then shredded and served on grilled butternut squash slices with creamy micro-greens slaw, and crunchy pickle.
Servings: 5-6
Ingredients
Brisket
· 5-pound beef brisket
· 2 cups beef broth
· 3/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
· ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
. 1 tablespoon honey
· 3 cloves garlic, minced
· 2 teaspoons dried rosemary, or 1 sprig fresh
· 2 teaspoons dried parsley, or 2 tablespoons fresh, chopped
· 1 teaspoon dried sage, or 1 sprig fresh
· 1 teaspoon dried thyme, or 3 sprigs fresh
· 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
· ½ teaspoon black pepper
· 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
· ½ tablespoon ground cumin
· ½ tablespoon coriander
· 2 teaspoons oregano
Coleslaw
· 1 cup micro greens, mixed purple and green
· 1 cup shredded carrots
· 4 tablespoons red onion finely diced
· 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
· Kosher or sea salt, to taste
· ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, more as needed
· 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
. ½ cup full fat Greek yogurt, unflavored
Sliders
· 1 Butternut Squash (3 pounds) peeled and sliced in ½- inch thick rounds
· 2 teaspoons olive oil
· ½ teaspoon ground cumin
· ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 300 ºF.
2. Prepare the brisket: In a bowl, combine the garlic, herbs, and spices.
3. Rub the herbs and spices in and around the brisket.
4. Place brisket in a large roasting pan.
5. To a large measuring cup or bowl, combine and whisk the broth, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce and honey. Pour the mixture around the brisket. Cover with aluminum foil.
6. Place on the middle rack of oven and roast for 4-6 hours, about 1 hour and 20 minutes per pound. During the last hour of cooking, remove the foil and allow to brown. When the brisket is done, it should shred easily. Using 2 forks, shred the brisket into pieces.
7. Prepare the slaw: Add the micro-greens, carrots, and red onion to a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the vinegar, salt, pepper, mustard, and Greek yogurt. Taste for flavor, adjust as needed. Pour the mixture over the slaw and toss right before serving.
8. Prepare the butternut squash rounds: In a small bowl combine the cumin and ginger. Lightly brush the rounds with the olive oil then sprinkle with cumin and ginger mix. Heat a grill to medium-high heat and grill the butternut squash rounds for 3-4 minutes per side, until grill marks appear, and the squash is slightly tender. Alternatively, you can grill the squash in the oven. Preheat oven to 375 ºF. Lay the slices on a baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes, turning them half-way through cooking to ensure both sides are nicely golden in color. Once cooked. Turn oven setting to Broil. Move the baking rack closer to broiler. Place the tray with the squash under the broiler and let crisp up for 2-3 minutes, keeping a close eye to make sure they do not burn.
9. Assemble the sliders: Place the grilled butternut squash rounds on a large platter. Top each round with the shredded brisket, microgreens slaw, and a slice of pickle. Enjoy!
Chef’s Note: With brisket taking a while in the oven, it can be made a day in advance. Plus, as a bonus of doing this, you not only make meal planning easier by just reheating the meat, but you also get a more flavorful and tender brisket as a result.
Store in an airtight container and refrigerate. You can also freeze the brisket if you’d like to prepare it much longer in advance. Bring to room temperature then reheat, shred, and serve.