Braised Brisket

This is hands down the most popular and most favored recipe I make for people, and yall have been asking for this recipe for YEARS! Finally, you get to know my brisket secrets! This is my famous tomato and wine braised brisket. It is melt in your mouth shredded meat that you won’t be able to get enough of. It is perfect for the holidays and winter since it is warming, hearty, and savory. I make it every time I visit my family because they insist on it!

Brisket is a cut of beef from the lower chest of beef. It is highly marbled and high in fat, so must be cooked low and slow to achieve a good texture. It is often smoked or braised. 

• Two most common ways to cook brisket:
  • Smoking – a dry heat form of cooking where you smoke the brisket at temperatures as low as 225*F for many hours. When smoking brisket you usually have to smoke for 12-18 hours depending on the size of brisket
  • Braising – a wet and dry form of cooking that cooks the brisket in liquid in the oven at low temperatures, around 300-350*F for 2-4 hours.

I personally enjoy braising brisket’s more. It is more hands off, and results in a very moist and flavorful brisket that is super saucy and rich. But, I would take brisket any way!

• Keys to braising brisket:
  • Season meat day before for optimal flavor
  • Sear meats first, maillard reaction / browning means more flavor
  • Saute aromatics like onions, carrots, celery, garlic, tomatoes
  • Make sure you have flavorful liquids like stocks, tomatoes, wines
  • Braise at a low temperature, covered in the oven, flipping half way through
  • Pull from the oven once it is fork tender 

This recipe is super easy because most of the work is done slowly in the oven. Once you have it in there you can essentially do your own thing while it cooks. I have also made this in a slow cooker as well. If you want to do this, I recommend slow cooking for 8-12 hours until fork tender.

Ingredients:

• Sauce ingredients:
• 12 oz tomato paste
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup coconut aminos
• 1/2 tsp mustard powder
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• salt to taste
• 2 tbsp maple syrup

Brisket:

• 3-4 lb brisket
• salt and pepper
• avocado oil
• 2 onions, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup red wine, I use pinot noir
• 14 oz tomato sauce (above) – if you don’t want to make the sauce use a high quality ketchup
• 1 tbsp dried mustard
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp paprika
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 cups beef stock

Preparation:

STEP 1.

Day before cooking, season the brisket with salt and pepper. Day of preheat the oven to 300*F.

STEP 2.

Make the sauce by simmering all in a pot for 10 minutes and whisking together. Set aside. This can be done in advance.

STEP 3.

In a dutch oven over medium heat, add avocado oil and sear the brisket on both sides and remove. In the same pan add the onions and cook until translucent. Add minced garlic and cook another 2 minutes. Deglaze with red wine.

STEP 4.

Add the tomato sauce, mustard, chili powder, paprika, bay leaves and beef stock to the pot. Add the beef back and bring up to a simmer (make sure the liquid comes up 3/4 of the side of the brisket). Cover with a lid and transfer to the oven. Cook for 2 hours. Remove from the oven, flip, and cook another 2 hours.

STEP 5.

Remove from the oven and test for fork tenderness. If it is fork tender, remove and shred. Add back to the sauce and simmer 10 minutes stovetop to coat thoroughly in the sauce and serve.

If it isn’t fork tender yet, place back in the oven for another hour.