Mario Batalis Red Wine Braised Brisket Recipe 445

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high. Season brisket with salt and pepper; in batches, cook, turning occasionally, until dark brown on all sides, about 20 minutes total. Transfer brisket to a plate and discard fat from pot. Return pot to heat and add 2 teaspoons oil and shallots; cook, stirring, until shallots are browned, 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 minute.
• Add wine and simmer rapidly until reduced by three-fourths, about 15 minutes. Return beef to pot and add just enough water to cover meat (5 to 6 cups). Bring to a boil, cover, then place pot in oven. Cook until beef is tender, 3 1/2 to 4 hours.

Steps:

• Trim the pearl onions and cut a slit up the sides from root to tip. Transfer to a bowl and cover with hot water; let sit 30 minutes to soften, then drain and peel; set aside.
• Meanwhile, wrap the thyme, bay leaves and juniper berries in a square of cheesecloth and tie closed; set aside.
• Butterfly the brisket: With your knife parallel to the cutting board, slice the brisket in half horizontally almost all the way through, leaving one side attached; open like a book. (If the brisket is triangular, cut from the pointed side toward the wider side.) Pound with the flat side of a meat mallet until about 3/4 inch thick, if needed.
• Season the brisket with salt and pepper and arrange with the wider of the two short sides in front of you. Arrange the carrots and parsnips horizontally across the brisket, close to the side in front of you. Starting from this side, roll the brisket over the vegetables to make a tight log and set seam-side down. Tie in 2-inch intervals using kitchen twine, then tie across the length, tucking in the ends. Season with salt and pepper.
• Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large Dutch oven over high heat. Add the brisket and cook, turning, until browned all over, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove to a plate.
• Reduce the heat to medium. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil if the pot looks dry, then add the garlic, shallot and tomato paste and cook, stirring, until golden, about 1 minute. Sprinkle in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until golden, about 1 minute. Add the wine, brandy, pearl onions and cheesecloth bundle and bring to a boil. Whisk in the demi-glace and 1 cup water and return to a boil.
• Nestle the brisket in the liquid and return to a boil. Cover and transfer to the oven. Bake, turning halfway through, until the brisket is tender and a thermometer inserted into the center registers 190 degrees F to 200 degrees F, about 4 hours. Remove from the oven, uncover and turn the brisket. Let rest in the sauce at least 30 minutes.
• Transfer the brisket to a cutting board. Discard the cheesecloth bundle. Skim the fat off the top of the sauce and cook over high heat until thick and glossy, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter, then stir in the parsley.
• Remove the twine from the brisket and cut into 1-inch-thick slices. Transfer the sauce and brisket to a platter; top with more parsley.

Steps:

• Porcini: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Place the mushrooms in a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Let sit until rehydrated, 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile, line a strainer with cheesecloth and place over a bowl. Gently squeeze the liquid from the rehydrated mushrooms with your hands and set the mushrooms aside. Pour soaking liquid through the cloth-lined strainer into the bowl. (The cloth will filter out any dirt and sediment from the mushrooms.) Set the soaking liquid aside.
• Vegetables: Cut onions into a large dice. Smash garlic, releasing the peel, then roughly chop; roughly chop mushrooms. Set aside.
• Brisket: In a large skillet, heat 4 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat. Season brisket with salt and pepper on both sides. Sear brisket, fat side down, until golden brown, 5-10 minutes. Flip over and sear the other side, about 5 more minutes. Transfer to a roasting pan.
• Braising liquid: Add another tablespoon of oil to the skillet, lower heat to medium, and add onions, garlic, mushrooms, rosemary, and bay leaves. Stir in a pinch of salt and sauté until onions are translucent, 8-10 minutes. Add tomato paste, and stir constantly until caramelized, 2-3 minutes. Add red wine and bring to a simmer; cook until the liquid has nearly evaporated, 5-6 minutes. Add reserved porcini soaking liquid and chicken stock. Raise heat to medium-high and bring back to a simmer. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Pour hot liquid over brisket and cover with foil. Braise in oven for 2-2½ hours, flipping the brisket once halfway through cooking. After 2½ hours, raise heat to 350 degrees F, remove foil, and continue cooking to brown, 30 minutes. Brisket should be very tender when pierced with a skewer.
• Assembly: Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly in braising liquid. Remove to a cutting board and thinly slice across the grain. Pour braising liquid over the meat before serving.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Generously season brisket with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high. Sear brisket until browned, 4 to 5 minutes a side; transfer to a plate. Drain fat from pot and discard. Reduce heat to medium; add remaining 2 tablespoons oil, shallots, garlic, and potato starch and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Stir in wine, scraping up any browned bits from bottom of pot. Add broth, mustard, zest, and thyme; bring to a boil. Add meat and any accumulated juices. Cover and transfer to oven; cook 2 hours, 15 minutes.
• Flip meat over; add vegetables. Cover and continue to cook until everything is very tender, about 45 minutes. (If you're saving it for the next day, let cool, then cover and refrigerate overnight. Reheat, covered, in a 350 degrees oven until warmed through, about 40 minutes.)
• Transfer vegetables to a platter and meat to a cutting board; season with salt. Skim fat from liquid in pot. Stir in lemon juice; season with salt and pepper. Slice brisket against the grain and serve, with vegetables and sauce.

Steps:

• BRISKET: In a large Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over high heat until smoking. Season the meat liberally with salt and pepper. Sear in the pan for 4 to 5 minutes per side. Add the onions, carrot, celery and pancetta and cook until the vegetables are light brown and starting to soften, about 8 minutes. Add the wine and tomato sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer. Cook until the meat is very tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Transfer the meat to a festive platter. TOPPING: Make a gremolata by combining the lemon zest, chopped parsley and salt and pepper. Bring the cooking liquid from the brisket to a boil and reduce to 2 1/2 cups. Season with salt and pepper, pour over meat and serve immediately. Top with gremolata.