Q: I work at a caterer's for extra cash on weekends, and I always end up with a few leftovers by the end of Sunday. This week, after trimming who knows how many pounds of brisket, they gave me a gallon sized bag of brisket trimmings.
I believe the idea was to give it to my pup, but before I go that far, I wanted to see if anyone has any brilliant ideas for what to do with it. Can I cook something else in it?
Sent by Priscilla
Editor: Priscilla, depending on fatty the trimmings are (i.e. are they all fat? Or scraps of meat?) we could imagine slowly rendering them in a big Dutch oven, then cooking some chopped root vegetables like sweet potatoes and squash with them. The meat would provide great flavor.
Readers, what would you do with a bunch of leftover brisket trimmings?
Related: Recipe: Friday Night Slow-Cooked Brisket and Onions
(Image: Faith Durand)
10 Picnic-Ready Salads to Eat Outside
Recipe: Thai Ginger Chicken Stir-Fry
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Red-and-Pink-Stripe...
Ellen's Thirties Style Small Space
Juan's Garage Turned Modern Guest House
If they are meaty, you could marinate/season them and turn them into fajitas. Fajitas are traditionally made from flank steak, so it would be a good use for them.
If they're a little less meaty and not so good for eating on their own, you could brown them all thouroughly and build up a nice fond on the bottom of your pan, before adding water, onion, carrot, celery, a bay leaf, and probably a marrow bone and simmering them for hours to make a yummy beef stock for beef and barley soup.
Cabbage soup
Yep, some kind of hefty soup would be my choice too - long and slow cooked with some onion, a can of toms, any other veg you have in the house, and either some barley or some herby dumplings (or both!) to give it some bulk.
Or you could cook/braise it slowly, then put it through a mincer - and make a shepherds pie or similar with it.
No need for the dog to get the cook's treats!
Depending on the fat content I'd be all over making hash and eggs.
My family has always used them to flavor beans. The pieces are added to the soaked beans and cooked low and slow.
My first thought is a recipe for the Kitchn's braise contest a couple of years back. It's a classic Chinese recipe.
http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/braising-2007-entries/braising-contest-honorable-mentions-2007-michelles-braised-beef-brisket-021176
Awesome! Wow, you guys rock. I knew someone would have good ideas, I just couldn't think of what to do with all that. Thank you! Keep 'em coming!
KREPLACH! That's exactly what my grandmother made with leftover trimmings from brisket.
One of my favorite organic delis makes a fabulous BBQ brisket with ginger cole slaw panini on focaccia bread. The meat resembles pulled pork style BBQ, and the sauce is tangy and sweet, I bet you could do the same with the trimmings depending on how meaty they are.
I use my waffle iron as a panini press if I don't want to wait for them to press it, works great.
There's a BBQ place called Redbones in Somerville, MA, that makes something called a Somerville Cheesesteak. It's a sandwich made with brisket ends, cheddar & mozzarella, and caramelized onions. Not healthy or refined, but damn tasty and easy to replicate at home.