[color:"blue"]Beef Brisket Braised in Beer[/color]

3 thinly sliced onions
6 boiling potatoes - cut into 1-inch pieces
4 slices chopped bacon
4 12 oz. bottles beer (not dark)
2 tbsp. unsalted butter - softened (but not melted)
6 carrots - cut crosswise into 1 1/2-inch pieces
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 1/2 lb. brisket
1 large peeled rutabaga - cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 c. minced fresh parsley

1) preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2) Cook bacon in an ovenproof kettle over moderate heat, stirring, until crisp. Transfer to paper towels and drain.
3) Pour off all but 2 tbsp. fat from bacon.
4) Pat brisket dry and season with salt and pepper.
5) Heat the bacon fat over medium-high heat until it is hot but not smoking.
6) Add the brisket to the kettle and brown. Transfer to a platter.
7) Add onions to kettle and sauté until golden.
8) Add bacon, brisket and beer. Bring beer to a boil.
9) Cover kettle and braise in oven for two hours.
10)Stir in rutabaga chunks, carrots and potatoes and braise 45 minutes longer, or until vegetables are tender.
11) Transfer the brisket and vegetables with a slotted spoon to a plate. Cover and keep warm.
12) Blend 2 tbsp. butter and 2 tbsp. flour and set aside.
13) Bring braising liquid to a boil and reduce to about 3 c.
14) Gradually whisk in flour-butter mixture. Simmer for 3 minutes.
15) Slice the brisket and arrange on a plate with vegetables. Pour some sauce over dish, sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Brian--rutabaga????? I can safely say I have never eaten rutabaga. What does it taste like?

It's a large turnip... slightly sweet... cooked it has the constiancy sort of like a potato...
It's a staple in our house... we're having it tonight! with potatos & club steaks...

see this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rutabaga

we usually just boil it until tender, mash in a collander to drain the excess water... then add a little honey & cinnamon...
it's even better if you also add one mashed sweet potato to it...

Rutabaga is delicious!! Parsnips and rutabaga cooked together and mashed with a little butter are delicious! It's also very good roasted with some fresh rosemary.

Cooking with beer is very common around my house. I learned early when my Dad made his pancakes with beer. Use it to steam corned beef, as the liquid in slow cooking beef or chicken, as a marinade with garlic for pork chops and of course shoved up a chickens behind on the grill.

I really do need to get out more!!! Parsnips???? <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/jester.gif" alt="" />

Parsnips are also a root, and look like white carrots. They have a very unique flavor..sweeter than carrots.

Rutabagas are also known as wax turnips because they are dipped in parafin so they last forever. They are the size of a softball and have a pale yellow flesh and are slightly sweet. I use them, parsnips and regular turnips in addition to the "normal" root vegies in stews, incredibly tasty and healthy. They can also be prepared like mashed potatoes or fried like ff's much like sweet potato fries. Good stuff.