Braised Brisket With Parsley Anchovy Sauce Recipes

BRAISED BRISKET

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Rub beef with salt, pepper, ginger, and allspice. In a medium bowl, combine vinegar, tomato paste, brown sugar, onion, garlic, and 1/2 cup water.
• Spoon half of the sauce into a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish. Place brisket in dish, and spoon remaining sauce over the top. Cover tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil (or a double layer of regular foil).
• Bake until brisket is falling-apart tender, about 3 hours. Remove brisket from dish. Skim any fat from the surface of the sauce.
• Transfer sauce to a medium saucepan; bring to a boil over high heat. Boil 5 minutes to reduce slightly. Slice brisket against the grain; serve with sauce.

BRAISED BRISKET WITH PLUMS, STAR ANISE AND PORT

Steps:

• Season brisket all over with salt and pepper. Place it in a large container and cover with garlic and half the thyme sprigs. Cover and refrigerate overnight or for at least 4 hours. Let meat stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking. Wipe off garlic and thyme.
• Heat oven to 325 degrees. On the stovetop, place a very large Dutch oven over high heat. Add oil. Place brisket in pot and cook, without moving, until browned, about 7 minutes per side. (Cut meat into two chunks and sear in batches if it doesn't fit in a single layer.) Transfer to a plate.
• Add onions to pot and reduce heat to medium-high. Cook onions, tossing occasionally, until golden brown around the edges and very tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Pour in port and wine and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Stir in star anise, bay leaves and remaining thyme. Scatter half the plums over the bottom of the pot and nestle brisket on top. Scatter remaining plums over meat. Cover pot and transfer to oven. Cook, turning every 30 minutes, until meat is completely fork tender, about 5 hours. After 4 hours, uncover the pot so some of the liquid can evaporate and sauce can thicken.
• If you have time, let brisket cool completely in the pot, then refrigerate, covered, overnight. (This makes it easier to remove the fat from the top with a slotted spoon.) Reheat meat in a 300-degree oven for about 45 minutes before serving, if necessary. If sauce seems thin, remove meat from the pot and bring liquid to a simmer. Let cook until it's reduced to taste. Slice meat and serve with the plum sauce, garnished with thyme leaves if you like.

BRAISED BEEF WITH ANCHOVY TOASTS

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based casserole dish and fry the onion for 5 mins. Stir in the garlic and bay leaves and fry for 5 mins more.
• Pour in the wine, stock and sugar. Mix the flour with the tomato purée and 3 tbsp water. Tip into the wine mixture and stir continuously until thickened. Then add the meat and anchovies, cover and leave to simmer for 1 hr.
• Stir in the shallots, carrots and olives. Cover and simmer for 1 hr more until everything is tender. Meanwhile, for the anchovy toasts, grind the anchovy fillets using a pestle and mortar until smooth (or very finely chop), then beat into the butter with the parsley and lots of black pepper. If freezing, spoon the stew into a container or freezer bag. Repeat with the anchovy butter. To defrost, put both in the fridge to thaw overnight, then reheat the stew in a pan.
• To serve, grill the slices of French bread until lightly toasted, then spread with the anchovy butter. Serve on top of the beef stew and scatter with parsley.