Braised Brisket with Thirty-Six Cloves of Garlic

Name: Braised Brisket with Thirty-Six Cloves of Garlic
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Jewish
Ingredients: 2 kilograms A first-or second-cut beef brisket (about , trimmed of excess fat, wiped with a damp paper towel, and patted dry; 394 milliliters About 36 fat unpeeled garlic cloves or an equivalent amount of smaller cloves, plus 1 teaspoon minced garlic; 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest; 710 milliliters chicken broth, preferably homemade or good-quality low-sodium purchased; 3 Tbsps olive oil; 2 Tbsps red wine vinegar; 2 fresh rosemary sprigs, plus 1 teaspoon chopped leaves; 8 servings Salt and freshly ground black pepper

You can never have too many main course recipes, so give Braised Brisket with Thirty-Six Cloves of Garlic a try. Watching your figure? This gluten free, dairy free, and primal recipe has 501 calories, 61g of protein, and 27g of fat per serving. This recipe serves 8. Head to the store and pick up salt and pepper, an equivalent amount of smaller cloves, rosemary sprigs, and a few other things to make it today. To use up the red wine vinegar you could follow this main course with the Cherry-Berry Pie as a dessert. From preparation to the plate, this recipe takes approximately 45 minutes. It is perfect for Hanukkah. This recipe is typical of Jewish cuisine.

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325°F.

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Oven

Drop the garlic cloves into a small saucepan of boiling water for 30 seconds.

Ingredients you will need

Whole Garlic Cloves

Water

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Sauce Pan

Drain immediately. Peel as soon as the garlic is cool enough to handle. Set aside on paper towels to dry.

Ingredients you will need

Garlic

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Paper Towels

Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a heavy-bottomed roasting pan or casserole large enough to accommodate the meat in one layer. Use two burners, if necessary.

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Olive Oil

Meat

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Roasting Pan

Add the brisket and brown well on both sides, about 10 minutes.

Transfer the brisket to a platter and set aside. (Or brown the meat under the broiler: place the brisket, fat side up, on a foil-lined broiler pan under a preheated broiler. Broil for 5 to 6 minutes on each side, until browned. Don’t allow it to develop a hard, dark crust, which might make the meat tough or bitter. Move the meat around as necessary, so it sears evenly.)

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Crust

Meat

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Broiler Pan

Broiler

Aluminum Foil

Pour off all but about 1 tablespoon of fat remaining in the pan and add the garlic cloves. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the garlic edges are tinged with gold.

Ingredients you will need

Garlic

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Frying Pan

Add the vinegar and deglaze the pan, scraping up all the browned bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon.

Ingredients you will need

Vinegar

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Wooden Spoon

Frying Pan

Add the stock, thyme, and rosemary sprigs, and reduce the heat to a simmer. Salt and pepper the brisket to taste on all sides, and add it to the pan, fat side up. Spoon the garlic cloves over the meat.

Ingredients you will need

Salt And Pepper

Whole Garlic Cloves

Rosemary

Stock

Thyme

Meat

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Frying Pan

Place the brisket in the oven, cover (if you have no lid, use heavy-duty foil), and cook, basting every half-hour, until the meat is fork tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours or longer. (As the meat cooks, periodically check that the liquid is bubbling gently. If it is boiling rapidly, turn the oven down to 300°F.)

Ingredients you will need

Meat

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Aluminum Foil

Oven

The brisket tastes best if it is allowed to rest, reabsorbing the juices lost during braising, and it's easiest to defat the gravy if you prepare the meat ahead and refrigerate it until the fat solidifies. That is the method I use, given here, but the gravy can be prepared by skimming the fat in the traditional way, if you prefer. If you go that route though, do let the meat rest in the pan sauce for at least an hour.

Ingredients you will need

Gravy

Sauce

Meat

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Frying Pan

Cool the brisket in the pan sauce, cover well with foil, and refrigerate until the fat congeals. Scrape off all solid fat.

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Sauce

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Aluminum Foil

Frying Pan

Remove the brisket from the pan and slice thinly across the grain.

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Grains

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Frying Pan

Prepare the gravy: Bring the braising mixture to room temperature, then strain it, reserving the garlic and discarding the thyme and rosemary sprigs. Skim and discard as much fat as possible from the liquid. Puree about one half of the cooked garlic with 1 cup of the defatted braising liquid in a food processor or a blender. (If you want a smooth gravy, puree all of the cooked garlic cloves.)

Ingredients you will need

Garlic

Rosemary

Gravy

Thyme

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Food Processor

Blender

Transfer the pureed mixture, the remaining braising liquid, and the rest of the cooked garlic to a skillet.

Ingredients you will need

Garlic

Equipment you will use

Frying Pan

Add the chopped rosemary, minced garlic, and lemon zest. Boil down the gravy over high heat, uncovered, to the desired consistency. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Rewarm the brisket in the gravy until heated through.

Ingredients you will need

Minced Garlic

Lemon Zest