This is one recipe that everyone should have– cooked, sliced and in the freezer awaiting the arrival of surprise guests.  So easy to heat up at a moment’s notice.

One four or five pound beef brisket–rub generously all over with any good dry beef rub, or make your own:  2 T chili powder, 1 T garlic powder, 1 T onion powder,

1 T freshly ground pepper, 2 T salt, 1 T sugar, 2 tsp. dry mustard.  After rubbing, place the brisket in a zip lock bag and refrigerate for 24 hours.

Technique:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place the brisket in a roasting pan and roast, fat side up for one hour.  Add 1 1/2 to 2 Cups beef stock to the pan, cover tightly, reduce oven heat to 300 degrees, and cook until fork tendeer.  Approx. 3 hours.  Let sit for ten minutes, trim fat, and slice meat thinly across the grain.

If freezing, put the slices in a baking dish, cover with some of the liquid, or a mixture of brown sugar, dry mustard and catsup, cover tightly, then put in a zip lock bag and freeze.

Remove from the freezer about three hours before serving, to partially thaw the brisket, and heat, covered at 300 degrees until heated through. Serve with mashed potatoes and sauerkraut if desired.

My husband, Tom always said one of the reasons he married me was so he could continue to enjoy his mother-in-law’s chop suey.  Much better than he was able to get in the restaurant near the Akron University campus- when he was single.

Ingredients:

3 or 4 T Canola oil, or as needed

1/2 lb. pork, diced into bite-size pieces

3/4 lb. veal, diced the same

1/2 lb. beef, diced the same

1 large bunch celery, strings removed, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 onion, chopped

1 can sliced water chestnuts, drained

1 can bean sprouts, drained

1 can bamboo shoots, drained

1  C water or beef broth

6 T soy sauce

2 T corn starch

1/4 C water

Salt and pepper to taste

1 box mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

Technique:

Brown meats in hot oil, add soy sauce and beef broth and simmer for 15 minutes.

Add celery and onions and simmer, covered until meat is tender.

Combine cornstarch with the 1/4 cup water, and stir into the mixture.

Add the chestnuts, beansprouts, bamboo shoots and mushrooms.

Heat through and serve over white rice.

Sprinkle over top with canned La Choy rice noodles