Wine-Braised Brisket with Tart Cherries
Wine-Braised Brisket with Tart Cherries might be just the main course you are searching for. This recipe covers 30% of your daily requirements of vitamins and minerals. One serving contains 638 calories, 59g of protein, and 25g of fat. This recipe serves 10. If you have star anise, shallots, brown sugar, and a few other ingredients on hand, you can make it. To use up the cherries you could follow this main course with the Clafoutis with sour cherries as a dessert. It is perfect for Hanukkah. It is a good option if you're following a dairy free diet. It is a pretty expensive recipe for fans of Jewish food. From preparation to the plate, this recipe takes around 4 hours.
Instructions
Heat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.
Whisk together matzoh meal with 1 tablespoon kosher salt (2 teaspoons fine) and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Pat brisket dry and dredge in matzoh mixture, shaking off excess.
Set roasting pan across 2 burners and in it heat 3 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat until oil shimmers. Brown brisket (fat side down first if using first cut) on both sides, 3 to 5 minutes per side.
Transfer to a large platter or rimmed baking sheet.
If necessary, add remaining tablespoon oil, then reduce heat to medium, and cook shallots, turning occasionally, until they begin to brown, about 2 minutes.
Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 minute.
Add wine and boil until liquid is reduced by half, then stir in chicken stock, cherries, sugar, balsamic vinegar, star anise, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt (1/2 teaspoon fine salt). Bring to a simmer and return brisket, fat side up, to pan. Cover pan tightly with heavy-duty foil or a double layer of regular foil, and braise in oven for 2 hours.
Meanwhile, blanch carrots in a 3-quart pot of well-salted boiling water.
Drain and transfer to a bowl of ice water to stop cooking.
Add carrots to roasting pan (after meat has braised for 2 hours), then cover again tightly with foil, and continue to braise in oven, until meat is fork-tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours more.
If serving soon, transfer meat to a cutting board and let it rest, loosely covered, 15 minutes, then slice meat across the grain. Skim off any excess fat from surface of sauce, then discard star anise, and season to taste with salt. Reheat sauce, then return sliced meat to sauce to reheat before serving.
Serve meat with sauce and carrots on a large deep platter. (If making brisket ahead, see Cooks' Notes.)
•You can easily make your own matzoh cake meal by finely grinding regular matzoh meal in a clean, electric coffee/spice grinder.•First-cut brisket with a single side of exterior fat is relatively lean, while second-cut is more evenly marbled throughout. While second-cut has more succulent, moister meat, either works well in this recipe.•Each star anise is composed of 8 petals, so if the star anise you buy has no complete stars, count out 16 petals.•Regular-size carrots can be substituted for the smaller variety. Use same weight indicated, and cut them diagonally into 1-inch-thick pieces before blanching.•Brisket, like all braised meats, improves in flavor if made at least 1 day ahead, if not 3 days ahead. Leave brisket whole and let cool in sauce, uncovered, before chilling, covered. When ready to serve, remove meat from sauce, and discard solidified fat from sauce. Slice meat across the grain while it's still cold (it will cut into neater slices), then reheat gently in sauce, in oven or on top of the stove.