Two-day braised point brisket

AP:

Though most of my brisket experience has been spent at the smoker or the grill, I have fond memories of braised brisket.

I remember the beefy steam escaping into the kitchen as the tomato-and-onion-flecked meat was spooned on to a serving dish. Sadly, the taste of the brisket was always a bit of a let-down. That is why I started smoking my briskets; it was an easy way to add lots of flavour. But recently, I decided there must be a way to add flavour to a traditional braised brisket.

But first, a brisket primer. A whole brisket averages 15 pounds, and butchers cut it in half to make it easier to sell and easier to cook. The first cut - the lower half of the brisket - is the lean piece, also called the flat. It's the cut most often found at grocers. But because it's so lean, it generally has little flavour.

The second cut sits on top of the flat. Called the point, this cut is fattier and far more flavourful. Most butchers end up grinding the point for burger meat, mistakenly (at least in my mind) assuming people won't want a fattier cut. But I certainly do! And you should, too. And don't worry about the fat, much of it melts away from the meat during cooking and is easily separated from the pan sauce later.

So if you want an amazing brisket, ask for the point or second cut. Trust me, the flavour difference is worth the trouble.

Now that you know what meat to get, let's talk cooking. My secret for getting the best flavour is to make this recipe the day before I serve it. It is very hands-off, but needs patience and time to make it right. That includes letting it set overnight in the refrigerator. This step is important for many reasons, including that it makes it easy to remove the fat.

Though the recipe is written for an oven braise, if you have a slow cooker with a sautÈ setting, it's easy to do it in that. Eight hours on high in the slow cooker is perfect.

Two-day braised point brisket

If the brisket is too long for your Dutch oven, cut it into two pieces.

Start to finish: 40 minutes active plus four to six hours cooking and overnight chilling.

Serves 10.

Ingredients

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper

4 to 5lb point or second-cut brisket

olive oil

2 medium red onions, cut into rings

18 1/2 oz can French onion Soup

14 1/2 oz can stewed tomatoes

2 cups red wine

1 tbs chopped fresh thyme, plus extra to garnish

1 cup (about 1oz) dried porcini mushrooms

4 large carrots, cut into chunks

Chopped fresh parsley, to serve

Flaked sea salt

Method

1. Heat the oven to 3258F.

2. In a small bowl, stir together the salt, garlic powder and pepper. Set aside.

3. If necessary, trim excess fat off the brisket, but leave about 1/4 inch on both sides. Brush any exposed meat (where there is no fat) with olive oil, then season all over with the spice mixture.

4. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium high. Add the brisket and sear all sides, about two minutes per side. Transfer the brisket to a plate.

5. Arrange the onions evenly over the bottom of the Dutch oven, then set the brisket over them. Add the onion soup, tomatoes, wine, thyme, mushrooms and carrots. Stir gently to combine, then cover and roast in the oven for four to six hours, or until the brisket is tender, but not falling apart. Remove the pot from the oven and let the brisket cool in the pot. Once cooled, cover and refrigerate overnight.

6. The next day, skim off and discard the congealed layer of fat. Remove the brisket and set aside. Place the pot over medium high and the stove top and bring to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, until reduced to six cups. Working in batches, transfer the liquid and vegetables to a blender and puree until smooth. Return to the pot.

7. Slice the brisket into 1/4-inch slices against the grain and place the slices into the reduced juices to warm. Simmer for four to five minutes. Serve the slices with the juices and topped with parsley and flaked salt.

Nutrition information per serving: 440 calories; 180 calories from fat (41 per cent of total calories); 20g fat (7g saturated; 0g trans fats); 125mg cholesterol; 650mg sodium; 13g carbohydrate; 2g fibre; 5g sugar; 44g protein.

- Elizabeth Karmel