It's What's For Dinner--Part Two

I had to choose a special recipe to celebrate 10,000 hits on my blog.  (Can I say that again?  I've had 10,000 hits!)  This brisket recipe is so special, only a milestone like this would get me to share it.  After all, if someone else can make my signature brisket, my kids might never come home!

Traditional recipes are composed of half ingredients, half cultural narrative.  My brisket is a two-day affair that requires great patience.  For this reason, I have spread the story of my brisket across two days.  This blog will detail the procedure for making my brisket, but please do not attempt to prepare it without reading its background story in yesterday’s blog.

Now that I have frightened you into thinking this is an elaborate and difficult undertaking, I confess it is very easy to make.  But following the protocol for cooling the meat before slicing will ensure that you have an outcome that is as appealing visually as it is gustatorily.

Low-and-Slow, Oven-Roasted Beef Brisket

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
4 large cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
½ t kosher salt (plus more for seasoning)
4 sprigs rosemary, stems discarded, chopped

1 (approx. 4 lb.) “first cut” beef brisket (sometimes called “flat cut”), trimmed of excess fat, but leave a thin layer across the meat
4 large carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks
3 stalks celery, ends removed, cut into large chunks
4 red onions, peeled and halved
2 cups of a dry red wine
1 28 oz. can of whole San Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand
1 large handful of flat-leaf parsley
3 bay leaves

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

In a small bowl, add 2T of extra virgin olive oil.  On a cutting board, use a knife to mash garlic cloves and ½ teaspoon kosher salt into a paste.  Add chopped rosemary and continue to work the ingredients into a paste.  Place in the bowl with the olive oil and set aside to infuse the flavors.

Place a large roasting pan (or Dutch oven large enough to hold brisket in a single layer) on the stove on high, using 2 burners.  Season both sides of the brisket with salt and pepper and brush with remaining olive oil.  Sear brisket—first on one side and then on the other—to form a crust.  Place carrots, celery and onions around the brisket in the pan.  Pour the rosemary paste over the meat and vegetables.  Add red wine, crushed tomatoes, parsley and bay leaves.  Cover tightly with heavy aluminum foil and transfer the pan to the hot oven.  Roast 3-4 hours, basting occasionally with the pan juices, until the meat is fork tender.

Remove the brisket and rest at least an hour on a cutting board.  When cooled, slice the brisket across the grain into neat slices.  Return slices to the pan, submerging them in the juices.

[At this point, you may return the meat to the roasting pan, cover, and refrigerate overnight.  The next day, about 2 hours before serving, remove the pan from the refrigerator and let sit for 30 minutes to come to room temperature.  Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and return the pan to the oven for 45 minutes.]

Place whole chunks of carrots, celery, onions and tomatoes in a serving bowl and keep warm.  Carefully transfer the sliced meat to a serving plate and keep warm.  Place the roasting pan back on the stove and heat the remaining liquids to boiling, allowing to reduce or thicken slightly.   Remove pan from the heat and, using an immersion blender, puree the pan juices into a thick gravy.  Pour some of the hot juice over the sliced brisket on the serving plate.  Serve remaining juices on the side.

Serve sliced brisket, roasted pan vegetables, and pan gravy immediately.

To store leftovers (who are we kidding?) place sliced brisket in an oven-proof container and pour over pan juices.  Add vegetables.  Cover with oven-proof lid or aluminum foil.  To reheat, place directly  into oven at 325 degrees.