by Chef Shaya Klechevsky, At Your Palate
Infusing French influences on a brisket recipe leads to a rich, moist and soft brisket. It includes multiple dimensions with wine and delicious aromatics like carrots, potatoes and turnip. A divine dish!
Ingredients:
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves, whole
4 1/2 pounds beef brisket, flat cut*
2 cups beef stock
2 large carrots, diced
2 large leek, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 medium turnips, quartered
1 package white button/cremini mushrooms, trimmed
2 garlic clove, mashed
Black peppercorns
4 bay leaves
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 cups red wine, dry
Vegetable oil
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350° F.
Heat a wide and shallow skillet over medium-high heat. Add some vegetable or canola oil.
Lightly season the brisket with salt and pepper. When the oil begins to shimmer, place the meat in the skillet and brown evenly on all sides, about 6-8 minutes per side.
Place the seared meat and bones (if you have any) in the stockpot.
Deglaze the pan with the red wine and scrape off any brown bits that stuck to the bottom. Slowly simmer the wine and reduce to about 1 cup.
Add the beef stock to the pan containing the beef, and bring to boil, then lower to a simmer. Allow to simmer for about 5-7 minutes.
At this point, add the onion, carrots, leek, turnip, celery and mushrooms along with the bay leaves, thyme, peppercorns, cloves and garlic to the stock pot on top of the meat.
Add the hot wine and beef stock to the stockpot, cover, and place in the oven for 2 hours.
After 2 hours of steady cooking, remove the pot from the oven and allow to rest for an additional hour on the stove top.
When ready to serve, remove the meat from the pot and allow to rest for about 15-20 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute into the meat.
Cut thin slices against the grain, and serve with some of the natural juices and cooked vegetables.
Notes:
Yield: about 4 – 6 servings
*Brisket is a cut of meat that's relatively lean - it is from the breast that's by the first through fifth rib. The whole brisket has two parts and is roughly shaped like a triangle. The brisket is usually cut in half, with the leaner cut called flat-cut and the remaining cut is called a point cut since it shapes into a point and has a little more fat on it. You want a leaner, collagen-rich piece for this cooking method as the long cooking time really tenderizes the tissue.