Braised Beef Brisket

Last week on Tyler Florence Fridays, Beth at The Seventh Level of Boredom made this amazing Braised Beef Brisket. Beth gave this recipe a rave review saying that it was absolutely fabulous and that she would love to add it to her dinner rotation. I couldn't agree more!! I made this recipe yesterday and thought it was heavenly!! The brisket was tender and juicy and the sauce was zesty and flavorful. I served the brisket with Tyler's Mashed Potatoes and watched as my family devoured the meal. The kids were begging for more mashed potatoes and there were no more : ) I will also be adding this meal to my dinner rotation.

BRAISED BEEF BRISKET by Tyler Florence, Dinner at My Place
4 large garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1/2 tsp kosher salt
4 fresh rosemary sprigs, needles stripped from the stem and chopped
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 4-pound beef brisket (first cut)
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 large carrots, cut into 3-inch chunks
3 ribs celery, cut into 3-inch chunks
2 onions, halved
2 cups dry red wine
1 16-ounce can whole tomatoes, hand-crushed
1 handful fresh italian flat-leaf parsley
3 bay leaves
1 tablespoon a/p flour (optional)
2 tablespoons water or dry red wine (optional)
1 bunch hydroponic watercress, for garnish (optional) *I could not locate watercress

Preheat oven to 325F. On a cutting board, mash the garlic and 1/2 tsp. salt together with the flat side of a knife until it turns into a paste. Add the rosemary and continue to mash until incorporated. Put the garlic-rosemary paste in a small bowl and add 2 tablespoons of the oil; stir to combine. Set aside.

Season both sides of the brisket withp plenty of salt and pepper. Rub the rosemary-garlic paste over the brisket. Drizzle with additional olive oil. Place a large roasting pan or Dutch oven over med-high heat. When the pan is hot, place the brisket in the roasting pan and sear to form a nice brown crust on both sides, adding additional oil as necessary to prevent sticking. Lay the vegetables all around the brisket. Add the wine, tomatoes, tomato liquid, parsley, and bay leaves. Cover the pan tightly with a lid or aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for 3-4 hours, basting every 30 minutes with the pan juices, until the beef is fork-tender. NOTE** I actually cooked my brisket in my crock pot. The brisket was still delicous and I didn't have to baste every 30 minutes or heat up my kitchen**

Remove the brisket from pan and place on a cutting board. Allow brisket to rest for 15 minutes. Remove vegetables from the pan with a slotted spoon; discard vegetables. Skim some of the excess fat from the pan juices, leaving about 1/4 cup fat in the pan; place the roasting pan with the pan juices and fat over medium-high heat. Boil and stir about 5 minutes, until the sauce is reduced by half. (For a thicker sauce, mix the 1 tbsp. flour with the 2 tbsp. water and whisk into the gravy.) Slice brisket and serve with sauce over Parsnip Puree or Mashed Potatoes. If you like, garnish each plate with watercress. I garnished my plate with chives. I love the combinations of chives with potatoes.

I highly recommend this recipe. It's a keeper!