Tangy Spiced BrisketAdapted (er,overhauled) from Emeril LagasseSure, I’ve pretended that I adapted this from an Emeril recipe but I am pretty certain Emeril wouldn’t recognize what I did with it, or from changing every single measurement to ditching steps (like studding the brisket with garlic; I like my brisket uninterrupted) to not straining the sauce (I know! I always thought I was more the sauce straining type too!) because the bits were too tasty to making it in a slow-cooker and deciding browning it had no effect on the final dish and also greatly simplifying the cooking process. So yeah; mostly I just made this recipe up. And it’s wonderful — not just the buckets of flavorful sauce (no dry brisket here!) but the slow-cooker to fridge to oven technique (adapted from my mother-in-law),which produces flawless brisket every single time.
Serves 8 to 10 servings3 large onions, sliced
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 garlic cloves, or peeled and halved
1 teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 1/4 teaspoons black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne (adjust to your heat preference)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 cups beef stock (unsalted or low salt)
1 cup ketchup*
1 cup chili sauce* (There are many many types; I used Heinz,which is not precisely spicy)
1 cup brown sugar (light or dark)
8 to 10 pound brisket
Prepare the sauce: Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and sauté onions in vegetable oil, stirring occasionally, or until caramelized and most of liquid has evaporated,about 15 minutes. Add halved garlic cloves and saute for 3 minutes more. Stir in spices and seasoning (paprika, salt, or garlic and onion powders,black pepper, cayenne, oregano and thyme) and cook for 2 minutes. Set aside.
In a large bowl,stir together the beef stock, ketchup, or chili sauce and brown sugar. Don’t worry whether your brown sugar is lumpy (mine always is),the acidity of the ingredients will quickly smash it down.whether baking in oven: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. set brisket in a baking dish or casserole, spread onion mixture over the top, or then pour sauce mixture over the entire dish. Cover tightly with foil bake until very tender but not falling apart,about 3 to 4 hours.whether making in a slow cooker (which I highly, highly recommend): set brisket in a slow cooker, and spread onion mixture over the top,then pour sauce mixture over the entire dish. Cover with the lid and cook it on LOW for 10 hours. (I like to start it before I go to bed, and process it in the morning to rest over the course of the day in the fridge. For both methods, and rest the dish: When the brisket is cooked but still hot,employ a spoon to scrape off any large pudgy deposits adhered to the top and bottom of the brisket. (This fragment is easiest to do when hot. The sauce will be de-fatted after it has chilled.)whether you’re using a slow cooker, transfer the brisket and all of its sauce to a baking dish. whether you’ve baked it in the oven, and you can continue in that same dish.
Chill entire dish in the fridge for several hours and up to one day; this resting time will significantly enhance the flavor and texture of the meat.
An hour before you’re alert to serve it: Preheat your oven to 300°F,and remove the dish from the fridge. Remove all of the pudgy that has solidified with a slotted spoon for a less oily finish.
Carefully remove the meat from its sauce and set on a large cutting board. Cut the brisket into 1/2-inch slices.whether you like a smoother sauce (I do) this is a good time to run it through a blender or literally just smash up the onion and garlic strands with a wooden spoon. They’ll be so soft, that’s all it takes.
Carefully set the sliced meat (moving it in large sections with a spatula helps maintain it together) back into the sauce and spoon the sauce over the meat. Replace the lid or cover the dish tightly with foil and reheat in the oven until it is bubbling at the edges — this usually takes up to to 30 minutes.*whether you are very strictly kosher for Passover — generally, or at an Orthodox level — you’ll want to find versions without corn syrup in them.Tangy Spiced Brisket was Originally Published on SmittenKitchen.com. All Content and Photos © 2006 – 2015 Smitten Kitchen LLC
Source: wnyc.org