brisket 4 ways

howdy

Jun 14, 2025

Good Morning!

So, to be frank, I haven’t been having fun with Substack lately. I’m not sure if I feel burned out from balancing work, life, and this little hobby of mine,or what, but it has just become more of a chore than a hobby. So I took a week off, which in hindsight I should have communicated that with everyone. I’m sorry.(◞‸ ◟) Nonetheless, the break was needed because this week I loved working on Substack again!

Right now, I’m playing around with some new design ideas, seeing what sticks, and figuring out what you all might like until I finally land on a look we’re all happy with. So stay tuned.

This week’s theme came together because of a giant Costco brisket, about 4 1/2lbs of it. We had so much brisket that I had to figure out how to use it all week long. So I decided to make a fun little series: Brisket 4 ways. I kind of imagined that I owned a restaurant and had to reuse my ingredients to make multiple dinners. Since I always wanted to open up a little shop anyway, I thought this might be good practice. With that in mind, let’s take a look at our menu this week and what I prepped for the whole week to make life a little bit easier.

Ingredient Prep

I ingredients prepped four things this week! I also got some cute little stamps to make me happier and feel more motivated to do Substack (it worked).

Daikon & Carrot Pickles
1. Used in:
  1. Brisket Rice bowl
  2. Brisket pho (as side dish)
  3. Snack box, coming Sunday
Kimchi Coleslaw
1. Used in:
  1. Brisket & Baked Potato bento
  2. Brisket Rice Bowl
Soy-ginger cucumbers
1. Used in
  1. Brisket rice bowl
  2. Brisket & Baked Potato bento
Banana Cheung (fermenting)
1. Used in:
  1. Haven’t used this yet—it takes a few months to finish fermenting.
  2. But I did use the leftover bananas for the Choco Banana Cream Pie (see below).

(click to expand)

Oyuu-hanoy (little dinner)

Dinner #1: Brisket & Baked Potato Bento

Find the recipe here.

The first dinner of the week, so the brisket was fresh! I wanted this week to feel a little like Texas/Asian intertwined. Important disclaimer: it’s only "Texas" in that I used Dr. Pepper, and because anytime I make brisket I think of Texas. (Also, my parents went to the University of Texas. So did I, well, for a year before I had the classic freshman crashout and transferred. Does that make me at least part Texan?)

Since I prepped everything and made the brisket on Monday, I wanted an easy meal that night. This bento had buttery baked potatoes paired with tender brisket, plus kimchi coleslaw and soy-ginger cucumber pickles to balance out the richness.

Dinner #2: Brisket Lemongrass Pho

Find the recipe here.

My favorite dinner this week! I wasn’t sure if smoky brisket would work in pho, but the smokiness ended up balancing the bright, tangy lemongrass broth so well.

This is not a "real" pho, if you want the traditional kind, there are so many amazing Vietnamese recipe creators who make the real deal. But when I want pho and don’t have five hours to simmer broth, this quick version hits the spot.

Dinner #3: Beurre Blanc Pasta with Brisket

Find the recipe here.

Okay, I am obsessed with making beurre blanc right now. It's so easy, and it instantly makes any dish feel fancy. That light, creamy sharpness paired perfectly with the smoky brisket; it was probably the best flavor pairing of the week.

For the longest time, I couldn’t figure out why restaurant pasta tasted creamy but not heavy like Alfredo, turns out it was beurre blanc all along. It’s like butter noodles but elevated.

Dinner #4: Brisket Rice Bowl

Find the recipe here.

Thursdays are for leftovers. I love making rice bowls on these nights because they’re simple, tasty, and help me clean out the fridge. This dinner used up everything I prepped: soy-ginger cucumber pickles, daikon & carrot pickles, kimchi coleslaw, and some edamame I had set aside for snack boxes. Easy, delicious, and no food waste.