Football season is here, why not add brisket to your tailgate party?

BALTIMORE - Football season is weeks away from kicking up for both college and the NFL so a local Baltimore chef shows you a great may to add slow grilled marinated brisket with white balsamic cucumber relish to the menu.

Chef Mark Laubner, of Silk's Restaurant in Havre de Grace, stopped by to cook up the brisket and explain how much attention you need to give to the meat before sharing it with friends and family.

Laubner says one of the big ways to make great brisket is to marinate it overnight. But before you do that, you need to poke as many holes in the meet to soften it up and allow for the marinade to seep into the crevices of the brisket.

Slow grilled marinated brisket with white balsamic cucumber relish:

Marinade:
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp Soy sauce
2 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp kosher salt
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp red pepper flakes
• Tenderize meat with needle type meat tenderizer or stab with a fork repeatedly.
• Place meat and marinade in a zipper type plastic bag and place in refrigerator.
* hint – make a double batch of marinade and use half for the cooked, sliced meat to sit in for service.

Balsamic cucumber relish:
½ cup cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
½ cup red bell pepper, seeded and diced
½ cup diced onion
¼ cup chopped scallions
1 cup white balsamic vinegar, cooked down and reduced to ~ ½ cup and cooled
• Combine all ingredients in a bowl
• Adjust seasoning with salt and white pepper

Place marinated meat on a hot grill and sear both sides. Approx. 2 minutes per side.
Move the meat to a cool side of the grill and slow grill the meat for an additional 15-20 minutes, depending on thickness of the meat or until you have reached an internal temperature of 135    degrees F.
Remove the meat from the grill, wrap in aluminum foil and allow resting for 5-10 minutes.
Slice the meat thinly across the grain of the meat.
Pile sliced meat on a roll, spoon on some relish and enjoy.