Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 4 to 5 hours
Serving size: 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients
*2 to 4 pound Sweetwater Farm Brisket
For the rub: ( use half for a small brisket and all for a large brisket):
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon potent ground red pepper or smoked Spanish paprika. (I used generic ground red pepper)
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
For the brisket:
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 to 1 cup red wine (I used Merlot or cheap Cabernet)
- 1 to 3 onions, sliced (or what will fit with the meat and other ingredients)
- 1/2 to 1 cup beef stock
- 2 to 3 carrots, thickly sliced (or what will fit with the meat and other ingredients)
- 1/2 to 1 (14.5 - ounce) can whole or diced tomatoes
- 1/2 to 1 whole head garlic, cut in half, outer papery cover removed
- 1/4 to 1/2 pound dried apricots (or prunes…...this ingredient adds needed sweetness to counter the spicy rub)
- 3 to 6 sprigs fresh thyme
For the garnish:
- Minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
Directions:
- Blot the meat dry and blend together the salt, sugar, cumin, ground black and red pepper, and paprika and rub the mixture over the dried meat.
- Let the brisket rest on a rack to bring it to room temperature, about 1 hour. (I applied the rub the day before and refrigerated the meat, then allowed it to return to room temperature for about an hour.)
- Heat the oven to 275 degrees, then heat a large Dutch oven and add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. When the oil has thinned and become fragrant, brown the meat well on both sides, fat side first, 3 to 5 minutes per side. It is ready to turn when it stops sticking to the pot.
- Transfer the browned meat to a deep platter and deglaze the pot with the red wine, scraping up any browned bits. Cook the wine down by half and pour it over the meat on the platter--this take several minutes.
- Wipe out the pot, add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, and sweat the onions until they are soft, translucent, and just beginning to brown.
- Deglaze the pot with a 1/2 cup of the stock, scraping with a wooden spatula. Return the meat and reduced wine to the pot, along with the remaining ½ cup stock, carrots, tomatoes, garlic, prunes, and thyme. Cover the pot and set it in the oven for 3 to 5 hours, turning the meat every half hour or so.The meat is done when it is meltingly soft and you feel no resistance if you pierce it with a skewer.
- Remove the meat to a platter, and cook down the sauce if necessary. Cut the meat against the grain into thin slices. Top the slices with the sauce and garnish with a shower of parsley. Enjoy!
Source: Krasner, Deborah, Good Meats: The Complete Guide to Sourcing and Cooking Sustainable Meat
