This is a great winter dish, as it cooks for several hours in the oven, warming the kitchen. It also provides a wonderful fragrance throughout your home as it's slowly braising in the juices.
Ingredients
1 3-pound beef brisket, flat cut, fat trimmed
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large Spanish/yellow onions, chopped
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
6 garlic cloves, minced
4 anchovy fillets, rinsed, patted dry, and minced to paste
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup red wine
2 cups chicken broth
6 sprigs fresh thyme
3 bay leaves
1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin
Instructions
Note: A small brisket (3 pounds) as I'm cooking here, is ideal for 4 adult servings. It may sound like a lot but it does cook down during the long time in the oven. If you have a large 4-6 pound brisket which is more than 1 1/2 inches thick, cut it in half lengthwise with grain., so you have two wide but short pieces brisket. This permits better salt penetration during the dry brine.
Using paring knife or metal skewer, poke the brisket 20 times, pushing all the way through roast. Flip roast)s) and repeat on second side. Sprinkle roast evenly on all sides with 2 1/2 teaspoons salt on each side. Wrap each roast in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 24 hours or up to 48 hours.
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325F degrees. In a Dutch Oven or large roasting pan with lid, heat oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add onions and baking soda and cook, stirring frequently, until onions have started to soften and break down, 4 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in anchovies, tomato paste, cayenne, and 6 grinds freshly ground pepper. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, until onions are evenly coated and flour begins to stick to pan, about 2 minutes. Stir in wine, broth, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in gelatin. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to boil.
Unwrap roasts and place in Dutch Oven or roasting pan. Cover with lid, transfer to oven, and cook until meat registers 180 to 185 degrees at center, about 1 1/2 hours. Reduce oven temperature to 250F degrees and continue to cook until fork slips easily in and out of meat, 2 to 2 1/2 hours longer. Transfer roast(s) to a cutting board and wrap with foil.
Strain braising liquid through fine-mesh strainer set over large bowl, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible; discard solids. Let liquid settle for 10 minutes. If fat accumulates use a wide flat spoon to remove it. (If you trimmed the meat well, there should not be much fat.)
Transfer sauce to a small pan. If the sauce is not gravy consistency (i.e., it is too thin) heat and cook until reduced to proper consistency. Taste and add salt/pepper if necessary. Otherwise keep warm until you are ready to serve.
When ready to serve, slice roast against grain 1/4 inch thick; transfer to wide serving platter or plates and spoon sauce over roast.
Perhaps the most amazing part of the meal is the sauce that is produced. It's very flavorful with a sweet yet salted flavor. While it's great over the meat it also makes a perfect gravy for mashed potatoes.
The recipe does have a few steps and takes quite a while to prepare, especially if you count the time it takes to tenderize in the refrigerator (24-48 hours in advance of cooking day.) But it's worth the wait and a great way to make this tough, inexpensive cut of meat into a flavorful dinner the who family will enjoy. I got this originally from Cooks Illustrated but have modified it over time.
1 3-pound beef brisket, flat cut, fat trimmed
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large Spanish/yellow onions, chopped
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
6 garlic cloves, minced
4 anchovy fillets, rinsed, patted dry, and minced to paste
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup red wine
2 cups chicken broth
6 sprigs fresh thyme
3 bay leaves
1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin
Instructions
Note: A small brisket (3 pounds) as I'm cooking here, is ideal for 4 adult servings. It may sound like a lot but it does cook down during the long time in the oven. If you have a large 4-6 pound brisket which is more than 1 1/2 inches thick, cut it in half lengthwise with grain., so you have two wide but short pieces brisket. This permits better salt penetration during the dry brine.
Using paring knife or metal skewer, poke the brisket 20 times, pushing all the way through roast. Flip roast)s) and repeat on second side. Sprinkle roast evenly on all sides with 2 1/2 teaspoons salt on each side. Wrap each roast in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 24 hours or up to 48 hours.
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325F degrees. In a Dutch Oven or large roasting pan with lid, heat oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add onions and baking soda and cook, stirring frequently, until onions have started to soften and break down, 4 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in anchovies, tomato paste, cayenne, and 6 grinds freshly ground pepper. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, until onions are evenly coated and flour begins to stick to pan, about 2 minutes. Stir in wine, broth, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in gelatin. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to boil.
Unwrap roasts and place in Dutch Oven or roasting pan. Cover with lid, transfer to oven, and cook until meat registers 180 to 185 degrees at center, about 1 1/2 hours. Reduce oven temperature to 250F degrees and continue to cook until fork slips easily in and out of meat, 2 to 2 1/2 hours longer. Transfer roast(s) to a cutting board and wrap with foil.
Strain braising liquid through fine-mesh strainer set over large bowl, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible; discard solids. Let liquid settle for 10 minutes. If fat accumulates use a wide flat spoon to remove it. (If you trimmed the meat well, there should not be much fat.)
Transfer sauce to a small pan. If the sauce is not gravy consistency (i.e., it is too thin) heat and cook until reduced to proper consistency. Taste and add salt/pepper if necessary. Otherwise keep warm until you are ready to serve.
When ready to serve, slice roast against grain 1/4 inch thick; transfer to wide serving platter or plates and spoon sauce over roast.
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