over-brining test

Tonight, I pulled my brisket out of its brine, worried that the meat might have over-brined because I didn't take it out Wednesday morning. So I cut a hunk of brisket off, sliced it thinly, and pan-fried it in a bit of oil—no extra salting or peppering!—just to see whether the meat was too salty.

I needn't have worried: the meat was fine. If anything, it tasted just salty enough without being over-brined. So when I do bake the brisket in the oven Thursday night, it's going to rock and roll. I'll give the meat a dry rub after patting it down, but only the most modest of rubs. I don't want to push my luck, and I also don't want the rub to dominate the gravy that I'm going to be making for the steak-and-kidney pie filling. That would suck.

Still to do:

1. dice up and boil carrots (for peas & carrots)
2. peel and boil potatoes, then make mashed potatoes
3. make pie crust
4. make chocolate panna cotta
5. prep and cook kidneys
6. make gravy
7. combine brisket and kidneys with gravy
8. prep egg wash for pie crust