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Red Wine Braised Brisket

Cauliflower Puree • Caramelized Onion Gravy • Parsley

Red Wine Brisket

Cauliflower Puree • Onion Gravy • Parsley

Difficulty: ★★★☆☆  American

Something about a mouthful of fork tender brisket really hits the spot. This brisket is braised in red wine & herbs, served atop a silky smooth cauliflower puree, and topped with a rich caramelized onion gravy made with combining spiced caramelized onions with the braising juices of the brisket. You can choose to serve this over mashed potatoes or polenta, but the cauliflower puree serves as a lighter compliment to an otherwise rich dish.

Making this will require time. Time for the brisket to get tender, time for onions to caramelize, and then some more time to rest the brisket. A real test of patience (the smell of everything will probably drive you nuts), but a mouthful of kick-you-in-the-face awesomeness. And for the record, thats pretty awesome.

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FROM THE LAND

Ingredients –

[  Approx. serves 4  ]
Click on ingredients with * for more info.

For braising brisket

 

 

1 (3-4 lb.) brisket

 

 

 

½ yellow onion,
slice

 

 

 

A couple sprigs
fresh thyme

 

 

 

Handful of fresh
parsley, reserve some
chopped for garnish

 

 

 

3 bay leaves

 

 

 

1 tbsp. tomate paste

 

 

 

¾ bottle red wine
(non-expensive)

 

 

 

1 cup beef broth,
or more if needed

 

For onion gravy

 

 

1 yellow onion,
sliced thin

 

 

 

1 cup braising
liquid, or more

 

 

 

2 cloves

 

 

 

1 star anise

 

 

 

2 tbsp. flour

 

 

 

2 tsp. butter

 

For cauliflower puree

 

 

½ head cauliflower,
roughly chopped

 

 

 

Touch of butter,
to taste

 

 

 

1 cup half & half

 

 

 

1-2 small clove
garlic, to taste

 

Salt (kosher) & pepper to taste.

Time –
Prep

10 min.
Cook

3hr. 30 min
Total

3hr 40min.

Equipment –

 

Stock pot or dutch
oven

 

 

Oven, only if
using dutch oven

 

 

Food processor,
or blender

 

 

Saucepan

 
— instructions —

①

Sear brisket on all sides.

Season the brisket with about 2 tsp. salt and pepper, or to taste. Heat grapeseed oil (or oil of choice) in the pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat and add brisket. Brown on all sides. Remove from dutch oven and set aside.

 

 

②

Sweat onions, add herbs and braise, 3 hrs.

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). In the same dutch oven, add the onions and sweat it out a bit, stirring, around 10 minutes or so. Add the fresh thyme, parsley, dried bay leaves, and tomato paste. Stir around for a while, about 2 minutes. Add meat back into dutch oven along with the beef broth and red wine. Cover and braise in oven for 3 hours.

 

 

③

Begin caramelizing onions 2 hours in.

2 hours into braising the brisket, begin caramelizing your onions. Put a small pot over medium heat with a dollop of olive oil and sauté for a couple of minutes. Add cloves and star anise. Turn down to low heat and continue to cook onions, slowly caramelizing. It will take about 45 minutes for the onions to caramelize. Keep watch and stir once in a while so that the onions don’t burn on the bottom of the pot. When the onions are ready. They’ll be a deep brown colour. Salt to taste.

 

 

④

Remove brisket from oven and rest.

After 3 hours of braising, check on the brisket. It should be very tender. Remove from oven and let it rest on a chopping board. Keep the braising liquids but discard the solids.

 

 

⑤

Remove spices from onion, add flour.

After about 45 minutes of cooking, your onions should be caramelized. Remove the cloves and star anise from the mixture. The onions are now ready to be turned into a gravy. Turn heat to medium and add flour to the onions, stirring until well coated. Add butter and stir a little more.

 

 

⑥

Whisk in braising juices to onion mixture.

Whisk in some of the braising juices to the onion mixture. Start with 1 cup and continue whisking. As the mixture comes to a boil, the gravy will begin to thicken. Add more braising juices to thin down the mixture to your liking. Whisk until the gravy is smooth and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside for serving.

 

 

⑦

Boil cauliflower in cream.

In another pot, bring the half and half to a boil and add cauliflower and butter. Cook the cauliflower until soft and the half and half has reduced about a half, about 10-15 minutes.

 

 

⑧

Blend cauliflower into purée.

Take the cauliflower and half and half mixture and pour into a food processor. Blend on high for about 5 minutes or until the mixture is smooth and. Salt to taste. You are now done with all the components and ready to assemble! Spoon some of the cauliflower purée onto the center of a plate. Slice the rested brisket and place on top of cauliflower purée. Spoon the onion gravy over the meat, garnish with chopped parsley and serve. Congrats! You just made red wine braised brisket with onion gravy and cauliflower purée.

— instructions —

①

Sear brisket on all sides.

Season the brisket with about 2 tsp. salt and pepper, or to taste. Heat grapeseed oil (or oil of choice) in the pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat and add brisket. Brown on all sides. Remove from dutch oven and set aside.

 

 

②

Sweat onions, add herbs and braise, 3 hrs.

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). In the same dutch oven, add the onions and sweat it out a bit, stirring, around 10 minutes or so. Add the fresh thyme, parsley, dried bay leaves, and tomato paste. Stir around for a while, about 2 minutes. Add meat back into dutch oven along with the beef broth and red wine. Cover and braise in oven for 3 hours.

 

 

③

Begin caramelizing onions 2 hours in.

2 hours into braising the brisket, begin caramelizing your onions. Put a small pot over medium heat with a dollop of olive oil and sauté for a couple of minutes. Add cloves and star anise. Turn down to low heat and continue to cook onions, slowly caramelizing. It will take about 45 minutes for the onions to caramelize. Keep watch and stir once in a while so that the onions don’t burn on the bottom of the pot. When the onions are ready. They’ll be a deep brown colour. Salt to taste.

 

 

④

Remove brisket from oven and rest.

After 3 hours of braising, check on the brisket. It should be very tender. Remove from oven and let it rest on a chopping board. Keep the braising liquids but discard the solids.

 

 

⑤

Remove spices from onion, add flour.

After about 45 minutes of cooking, your onions should be caramelized. Remove the cloves and star anise from the mixture. The onions are now ready to be turned into a gravy. Turn heat to medium and add flour to the onions, stirring until well coated. Add butter and stir a little more.

 

 

⑥

Whisk in braising juices to onion mixture.

Whisk in some of the braising juices to the onion mixture. Start with 1 cup and continue whisking. As the mixture comes to a boil, the gravy will begin to thicken. Add more braising juices to thin down the mixture to your liking. Whisk until the gravy is smooth and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside for serving.

 

 

⑦

Boil cauliflower in cream.

In another pot, bring the half and half to a boil and add cauliflower and butter. Cook the cauliflower until soft and the half and half has reduced about a half, about 10-15 minutes.

 

 

⑧

Blend cauliflower into purée.

Take the cauliflower and half and half mixture and pour into a food processor. Blend on high for about 5 minutes or until the mixture is smooth and. Salt to taste. You are now done with all the components and ready to assemble! Spoon some of the cauliflower purée onto the center of a plate. Slice the rested brisket and place on top of cauliflower purée. Spoon the onion gravy over the meat, garnish with chopped parsley and serve. Congrats! You just made red wine braised brisket with onion gravy and cauliflower purée.