ATLANTA BRISKET

In “The Southern Foodways Alliance Community Cookbook,” Eli Evans confirms that the “secret” to this brisket is in an old advertising jingle: “Coke is it.” While many recipes call for putting Coca-Cola in the cooking liquid, the Evans family’s cooks apparently marinated the beef in the syrupy soft drink. We added a little to the cooking pan as well. Although you can skip the Coke, and the ketchup, if you like, this method yields a rich, deeply burnished gravy. The four-hour cook time results in meat that shreds upon slicing. Shorten the roasting time to about 2 to 2½ hours if you want sliced meat. 1 3-pound brisket

5 cups Coca-Cola, divided (four cups for marinade, plus one cup for cooking liquid, if desired) kosher salt ground black pepper

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 packet Lipton’s French onion soup mix

1 cup ketchup (optional)

2 onions, peeled and sliced

2 bay leaves

Place brisket in a dish, cover with four cups of the Coca-Cola and marinate, covered, in the refrigerator overnight.

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Drain brisket. Rub the meat all over with kosher salt and black pepper. Heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a heavy skillet or Dutch oven, and brown brisket on both sides, about 5 minutes per side.

In a small bowl, place the French onion soup mix, the remaining cup of Coca-Cola (if using), 1 cup of ketchup (if using) and 1 cup of water. (If omitting Coca-Cola and ketchup, use 3 cups of water.) Stir until mixed well. Pour over brisket. Place onions around the brisket and toss in the two bay leaves. Cover with a lid or tinfoil, and cook in the oven for four hours, basting every hour and checking to make sure the meat is not sticking on the bottom. Flip the meat once to make sure it cooks evenly. (As the sauce cooks down, you may need to add water, a half-cup at a time, to keep the meat wet and make the gravy.)

After four hours, the brisket should be fork tender. Remove from the oven, allow the meat to rest until cooled, and slice against the grain. Arrange on a platter and cover with sauce.

Serves: 8

Per serving: 382 calories (percent of calories from fat, 39), 37 grams protein, 21 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 16 grams fat (5 grams saturated), 106 milligrams cholesterol, 931 milligrams sodium.

Adapted from “The Southern Foodways Alliance Community Cookbook,” edited by Sara Roahen and John T. Edge (University of Georgia Press, $24.95).

CONTRIBUTED BY RENEE BROCK, FOOD STYLING BY WENDELL BROCK Southerners long have used Coca-Cola to make a sauce for braising brisket.