Garlicky Brisket Food

BRAISED BRISKET WITH THIRTY-SIX CLOVES OF GARLIC

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325°F.
• Drop the garlic cloves into a small saucepan of boiling water for 30 seconds. Drain immediately. Peel as soon as the garlic is cool enough to handle. Set aside on paper towels to dry.
• 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. 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.)
• 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. Add the vinegar and deglaze the pan, scraping up all the browned bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon. 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.
• 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.)
• 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.
• Cool the brisket in the pan sauce, cover well with foil, and refrigerate until the fat congeals. Scrape off all solid fat. Remove the brisket from the pan and slice thinly across the grain.
• 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.) Transfer the pureed mixture, the remaining braising liquid, and the rest of the cooked garlic to a skillet. 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.
• Arrange the sliced brisket on a serving platter. Spoon some of the hot gravy all over the meat and pass the rest in a separate sauce boat.

BRAISED BRISKET WITH GARLIC

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grate 1 teaspoon zest from the lemon.
• Heat the olive oil in a roasting pan over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook until well browned on both sides. Remove the beef from the pan. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon pan drippings.
• Reduce the heat to medium. Add the garlic cloves to the pan and cook until golden, stirring occasionally. Add the vinegar to the pan and cook and stir for 1 minute, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir in the stock, thyme and rosemary sprigs. Reduce the heat to low. Cook for 5 minutes. Season with black pepper.
• Return the beef to the pan. Spoon the stock mixture over the beef. Cover the pan.
• Bake for 2 1/2 hours or until the beef is fork-tender. Baste the beef with the pan juices every 30 minutes. Remove the beef from the pan, cover and keep warm.
• Strain the pan drippings through a sieve into a medium bowl, reserving the garlic and discarding the thyme and rosemary sprigs. Spoon off any fat.
• Place about half the garlic cloves and about 1 cup pan drippings into a food processor or blender. Cover and process until the mixture is smooth.
• Heat the garlic mixture, remaining garlic cloves, remaining pan drippings, chopped rosemary, minced garlic and lemon zest in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat to a boil. Cook and stir until the gravy is thickened. Serve the gravy with the beef.

BEER, GINGER, AND GARLIC BRAISED BRISKET

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Warm the oil in a large, ovenproof Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Season the brisket with salt and pepper on both sides, and then add the meat to the pot. Brown on all sides, about 10 minutes total. Remove from the pot and set aside on a plate.
• Turn the heat down to medium and add the cinnamon stick, cloves, and cardamom pods; they should sizzle upon contact with the oil in the pot. Once they start releasing their aroma (less than 1 minute), add the onions and Ginger-Garlic paste. Sprinkle with a touch of salt to help them release some moisture. Saute until they soften and turn golden, about 10 minutes.
• Stir in the sugar and beer to the pot, scraping up any bits that may have stuck to the bottom. Carefully, using a pair of tongs, return the brisket to the pot. Then add enough broth to bring the liquid halfway up the brisket, about 1 cup. Bring the liquid to a boil, shut off the heat, cover, and transfer to the oven where it will cook away for 3 hours until it's very tender. Remove the lid in the last half hour of cooking to reduce the liquid.
• When you're ready to serve, check the gravy. Stir in the cider vinegar. If it's too thick, don't be afraid to add a little water to thin it out. If it's too thin, reduce it on the stovetop. Taste for seasoning; depending on the brand of broth you used, you may want to add a little more salt.
• When slicing the brisket, remember to slice across the grain, that way you'll get the most tender pieces of meat. Spoon a little gravy over the top and enjoy a slice of brisket heaven!
• Throw the garlic, ginger, and canola oil in a mini-food processor and let it go until it forms a semi-smooth paste. There will still be tiny little pieces in there, but overall, it should resemble a paste.
• Save what you don't use in a small glass jar; it should last in the fridge for 2 to 3 weeks. It's a delicious addition to marinades, pasta sauces, stir-fry sauces, slow-cooker recipes, gravy etc. We always had a jar of this stuff in our fridge growing up.

BRAISED BRISKET WITH CARROTS, GARLIC, AND PARSNIPS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Season both sides of brisket with salt and pepper. Place a roasting pan across 2 burners on medium-high. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in pan. Add brisket; sear until browned, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
• Reduce heat to medium. Add onion and minced garlic to pan; cook, stirring often, until onion is soft, about 4 minutes. (Add more oil to pan if needed.) Stir in tomato paste, and cook for 1 minute more. Stir in wine, and cook, scraping any browned bits from bottom of pan.
• Add stock and bay leaves, and bring to a boil. Add the brisket to the pan, and cover with foil. Transfer to oven, and roast until meat is very tender, about 2 hours. Flip meat over. Add head of garlic. Cover, and roast for 30 minutes more.
• Add remaining vegetables to brisket, cover, and roast until meat and vegetables are tender, about 1 hour. Transfer vegetables and garlic to a platter and meat to a cutting board, reserving pan sauce. Tent meat with foil; let rest.
• Let sauce stand in pan for 15 minutes, then skim fat from top. Place pan across 2 burners over medium-high heat; cook until sauce is reduced by slightly more than half, about 20 minutes. (You should have about 2 cups.) Stir in vinegar.
• Thinly slice brisket against the grain. Arrange slices on a platter with the vegetables. Season with pepper, and drizzle with some sauce. Serve immediately with remaining sauce.

BRAISED BRISKET WITH ONIONS & GARLIC

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Place beef brisket, fat side up, in large roasting pan.
• Sprinkle brisket evenly with salt, pepper and garlic; top with onions.
• Roast in oven 1 hour or until onions are lightly browned.
• Add 1 cup hot water.
• Carefully cover pan tightly with aluminum foil.
• Reduce oven to 325F and continue cooking 2 hours or until brisket is tender.
• To make gravy, skim fat from pan juices.
• Add cornstarch mixture to pan juices.
• Cook over medium heat until gravy boils and thickens, stirring constantly.
• Carve brisket across the grain into thin slices; serve with onions and gravy.
• Makes 6 to 8 servings.