Onion Braised Beef Brisket Americas Test Kitchen Recipe 385

ONION-BRAISED BEEF BRISKET

Steps:

• Pat brisket dry with paper towels and place fat side up on cutting board. Using fork, poke holes in meat through fat layer about 1 inch apart. Season with salt and pepper.
• Using highest sauté or browning function, heat oil in multi- cooker for 5 minutes (or until just smoking). Place 1 brisket half fat side down in multicooker and cook until well browned, about 8 minutes. Flip brisket and cook until well browned on second side, 3 to 5 minutes; transfer to large plate. Repeat with second brisket half; transfer to plate.
• Add onions and ¼ teaspoon salt to fat left in multicooker and cook until onions are softened, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in garlic, tomato paste, paprika, and cayenne and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in broth, wine, bay leaves, and thyme sprigs, scraping up any browned bits. Nestle brisket halves into onion mixture (pieces will overlap), adding any accumulated juices.
• TO PRESSURE COOK: Lock lid in place and close pressure release valve. Select high pressure cook function and cook for 1½ hours. Turn off multicooker and let pressure release naturally for 15 minutes. Quick-release any remaining pressure and let brisket sit, covered, for 1 hour. Carefully remove lid, allowing steam to escape away from you.
• TO SLOW COOK: Lock lid in place and open pressure release valve. Select low slow cook function and cook until beef is tender and knife slips easily in and out of meat, 6½ to 7½ hours. (If using Instant Pot, select high slow cook function and increase cooking range to 10 to 11 hours.) Turn off multicooker and let brisket sit, covered, for 1 hour. Carefully remove lid.
• Transfer brisket to carving board and tent with aluminum foil. Strain braising liquid through fine-mesh strainer into bowl. Discard bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Reserve onions in separate bowl. Let liquid settle, then skim excess fat from surface using large spoon. Return liquid to multicooker and cook using highest sauté or browning function until reduced to about 2 cups, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Slice brisket against grain into ¼-inch-thick slices and place slices on serving dish. Stir reserved onions and vinegar into sauce, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon sauce over brisket and serve.

TEXAS BBQ BRAISED BEEF BRISKET

Steps:

• For the rub: Mix the paprika, 1 tablespoon each of salt and black pepper, the brown sugar, and the cayenne. Rub spice mixture all over brisket, wrap tightly, and refrigerate overnight.
• Soak the wood chips in water for at least 30 minutes before grilling. Prepare an outdoor grill with a medium to medium-low fire for indirect grilling.
• For the sauce: Mix the tomato puree, beer, celery, onion, 1/2 cup of the vinegar, the brown sugar, mustard, bacon, garlic, chiles, bay leaves, chili powder, 1 tablespoon salt, and black pepper to taste in a large disposable aluminum pan. Put brisket in the sauce.
• Throw a handful of drained wood chips on the hot coals, put the pan over the cooler side of the grill, and cover so the vent holes are directly over the brisket. Baste meat every 30 minutes, turning occasionally and adding water to the pan as necessary to keep meat partially submerged, until the meat is tender and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers 200 degrees F, about 3 3/4 hours. Replenish the charcoal as needed to maintain a medium to medium-low fire.
• Transfer the brisket to a cutting board, tent with foil, and let rest for 20 minutes. Skim the fat from the braising sauce and stir in the remaining 1/4 cup cider vinegar and salt to taste. Reheat if necessary. Thinly slice brisket across the grain and arrange on a serving platter. Spoon some sauce over the meat and pass the rest at the table.

BRAISED BRISKET

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F. Mix the fennel seeds, sage, cayenne, 1 tablespoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper in a small bowl. Rub the spice mixture all over the brisket, pressing it into the meat to make sure it sticks well.
• Mix the beef stock or broth, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar and garlic in a large liquid measuring cup and set aside.
• Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or large heavy-bottomed pot with a lid over medium-high heat. Add the brisket fat-side up and cook until golden brown and no longer sticking to the bottom of the pot, 4 to 5 minutes. Flip and cook the other side until it is golden brown and some of the fat has rendered, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the brisket to a plate and lower the heat to medium.
• Add the onions, carrots and 1 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally and scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot, until the onions are softened and starting to caramelize, 7 to 8 minutes.
• Add the balsamic mixture and tomatoes to the pot and bring to a boil. Return the brisket to the pan and nestle it into the sauce and vegetables fat-side up. Cover the pot, transfer to the oven and braise until the brisket is tender but not shredding or falling apart, about 3 hours 30 minutes. A fork should easily pierce through the meat.
• Remove from the oven, uncover and let the brisket rest in the pan for 30 minutes. Remove the brisket to a cutting board. Bring the vegetables and sauce to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until slightly thickened, 12 to 15 minutes. Thinly slice the brisket across the grain and place on a platter. Spoon the vegetables and sauce over the top and serve.

ONION-BRAISED BEEF BRISKET(ATK)

Steps:

• Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 300 degrees. Line 13 by 9-inch baking dish with two 24-inch-long sheets of 18-inch-wide heavy-duty foil, positioning sheets perpendicular to each other and allowing excess foil to extend beyond edges of pan. Pat brisket dry with paper towels. Place brisket fat side up on cutting board; using dinner fork, poke holes in meat through fat layer about 1 inch apart. Season both sides of brisket liberally with salt and pepper.
• Heat 1 teaspoon oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until oil just begins to smoke. Place brisket fat side up in skillet (brisket may climb up sides of skillet); weight brisket with heavy Dutch oven or cast-iron skillet and cook until well browned, about 7 minutes. Remove Dutch oven; using tongs, flip brisket and cook on second side without weight until well browned, about 7 minutes longer. Transfer brisket to platter.
• Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from pan (or, if brisket was lean, add enough oil to fat in skillet to equal 1 tablespoon); stir in onions, sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened and golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute; add tomato paste and cook, stirring to combine, until paste darkens, about 2 minutes. Add paprika and cayenne and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Sprinkle flour over onions and cook, stirring constantly, until well combined, about 2 minutes. Add broth, wine, bay, and thyme, stirring to scrape up browned bits from pan; bring to simmer and simmer about 5 minutes to fully thicken.
• Pour sauce and onions into foil-lined baking dish. Nestle brisket, fat side up, in sauce and onions. Fold foil extensions over and seal (do not tightly crimp foil because foil must later be opened to test for doneness) Place in oven and cook until fork can be inserted into and removed from center of brisket with no resistance, 3 1/2 to 4 hours (when testing for doneness, open foil with caution as contents will be steaming). Carefully open foil and let brisket cool at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes.
• Transfer brisket to large bowl; set mesh strainer over bowl and strain sauce over brisket. Discard bay and thyme from onions and transfer onions to small bowl. Cover both bowls with plastic wrap, cut vents in plastic with paring knife, and refrigerate overnight.
• About 45 minutes before serving, adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees. While oven heats, transfer cold brisket to cutting board. Scrape off and discard any congealed fat from sauce, then transfer sauce to medium saucepan and heat over medium heat until warm, skimming any fat on surface with wide shallow spoon (you should have about 2 cups sauce without onions; if necessary, simmer sauce over medium-high heat until reduced to 2 cups). While sauce heats, use chef's or carving knife to slice brisket against grain into 1/4-inch-thick slices, trimming and discarding any excess fat, if desired; place slices in 13 by 9-inch baking dish. Stir reserved onions and vinegar into warmed sauce and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over brisket slices, cover baking dish with foil, and bake until heated through, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve immediately.
• To Make and Serve the Brisket on the Same Day: If you would like to make and serve the brisket on the same day, after removing the brisket from the oven in step 4, reseal the foil and let the brisket stand at room temperature for an hour. Then transfer the brisket to a cutting board and continue with the recipe to strain, defat, and reheat the sauce and slice the meat; because the brisket will still be hot, there will be no need to put it back into the oven once the reheated sauce is poured over it.

ONION-BRAISED OVERNIGHT BRISKET

Steps:

• Season the fatty side of the brisket with 1 teaspoon of the salt and 1/2 teaspoon of the pepper. Flip the brisket over.
• On a cutting board, chop the garlic. Add 1 teaspoon of the salt while continuing to chop, stopping occasionally to mash the garlic to a paste by holding your knife almost flat against the board with the dull side facing you and sliding it across the garlic to crush it. Rub the garlic paste into the non-fatty side of the brisket and season it with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Starting with the thin side, roll the brisket up tight, jelly-roll style, with the fat on the outside, and tie it firmly with kitchen twine.
• Heat a Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of the oil. Brown the brisket evenly on all sides, about 20 minutes, and then transfer it to a platter.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 225°F.
• Discard any remaining oil in the pot, wipe it out with a paper towel, and return the pot to the stove over medium-low heat. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons oil, the onions, the sugar, and the remaining 2 teaspoons salt. Cook, stirring often, for 15 to 20 minutes, until the onions are completely soft and caramelized.
• Remove the pot from the heat and add 1 cup water. Return the brisket to the pot, and use a slotted spoon to spread some of the onions on top to keep it moist. Tent it with a piece of parchment or aluminum foil by placing it on top and then crimping it snugly around the roast so that the edges nearly meet the liquid, and then cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid. Put the pot in the oven and braise for 7 hours, until the brisket is tender.
• Transfer the brisket to a warm place and use a food mill to puree the onions. Return the onion puree to the pot and heat gently, adding a little water if necessary to make a thick but pourable gravy. Slice the brisket and serve with the onion gravy.

BEER-BRAISED BRISKET WITH ONIONS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Pat brisket dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a 6- to 8-quart wide heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown meat well on all sides, about 10 minutes total. Transfer with tongs to a platter.
• Cook onions with bay leaf in fat remaining in pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer half of onions to a bowl. Arrange brisket over onions in pot, then top with remaining onions. Add beer, bouillon cube, and vinegar (liquid should come about halfway up sides of meat) and bring to a boil.
• Cover pot and braise in middle of oven until meat is very tender, 3 to 3 1/2 hours. Cool in sauce, uncovered, 30 minutes.
• Transfer brisket to a clean cutting board. Skim off any fat from sauce, then season with salt and pepper. Slice meat across the grain and serve with sauce.

BRAISED BRISKET WITH MUSHROOMS (AMERICA'S TEST KITCHEN)

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees.
• Pat brisket dry, prick all over fatty side with fork, and cut into 2 roasts (important for liquid reabsorption later). Season with salt and pepper.
• Use 2 skillets to brown both roasts at once. Heat oil in 12-inch skillets over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown roasts on both sides (10-14 minutes). Transfer fat side up to a single 13 by 9-inch baking dish.
• Meanwhile, microwave 3/4 cup water and porcini in covered bowl until steaming (1 minute). Let sit until softened (5 minutes). Drain porcini through strainer lined with coffee filter, reserve liquid, and mince and reserve porcini.
• Scrape browned bits from roasts into single skillet, and pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat. Add mushrooms and ¼ teaspoon salt and cook medium-high until liquid evaporates and mushrooms are golden brown (8 minutes).
• Add onions and sugar, and cook until browned (8-10 minutes).
• Add flour, garlic, and thyme, and cook until golden and fragrant (1 to 2 minutes).
• Slowly whisk in broth, wine, ½ cup reserved porcini liquid, reserved porcini, and bay leaves, scraping up any browned bits, and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until thickened, about 8 minutes.
• Pour sauce over roasts and cover dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake until tender and fork inserted into meat meets no resistance, 4½ to 5 hours.
• Let brisket cool in dish at room temperature, uncovered, for 1 hour, flipping halfway through cooling. Discard bay leaves. (Cooled brisket can be refrigerated in sauce for 2 days; reheat gently, covered, in 300-degree oven for 1 hour before proceeding with next step.).
• Transfer roasts to carving board. Strain sauce through fine-mesh strainer into fat separator; reserve mushrooms. Let liquid settle, then pour into bowl. Stir vinegar into sauce and microwave until warm, 30 to 60 seconds.
• Slice roasts against grain into ¼-inch slices and return to dish with mushrooms. Pour 1½ cups sauce over meat. Serve with remaining sauce.
• (Refrigerate sliced brisket in sauce for up to 3 days; reheat meat in sauce.).