Brisket with Mushroom Onion Rub & Gravy

From Every Kitchen Tells Its Stories
This recipe seems long and complicated, but it’s done in three stages, each one taking a minimum of hands on time. The longest time will be to read the recipe through... I highly recommend it.

Printable Recipe

DAY ONE:Rub time: 5 minutes
Marinating time: 24 hours
DAY TWO:Hands-on time: 30-40 minutes
Roasting time: 3-4 hours
DAY THREE: Hands-on: 25 minutes
Roasting time: 45 minutes

Serves 8-10

Ingredients
5-7 lb/2.2 – 3 kg. beef brisket
Rub:
½ cup ground dried mushrooms (I put a couple of handfuls of dried mixed mushrooms in my coffee grinder until coarsely ground)
1 package onion soup mix
2 tsp mustard powder
1 tsp paprika

Roast:
2 tbsp olive oil
3 large onions, sliced
3 cloves fresh garlic, chopped
1 cup beef stock or 1 tbsp Maggi or some other beef bouillon in 1 cup of water
1 cup each chopped onions, celery, carrots
1 cup dried mushrooms, rehydrated in hot water for 15 minutes, reserve the mushroom liquid to add to broth in roasting
1-2 cups beef broth for final roasting

Gravy: Perhaps not necessary, since the brisket generates lots of juicy gravy on its own. That said, the mushrooms spooned over the brisket is a delicious addition.
3 tbsp olive oil
1 -2 large shallots, finely chopped
1 cup fresh mushrooms (I like to mix cremini with shiitake), roughly torn or chopped
2 cups beef broth
1 tbsp coarsely ground dried mushrooms
½ tsp powdered mustard
½ tsp paprika

Directions:
DAY ONE:
1. Rub brisket with onion soup mix, paprika and powdered mustard. Leave covered in fridge overnight.

DAY TWO:
Roasting instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 325°F/170°C. Remove brisket from the fridge one hour before cooking to allow it to come to room temperature. Rehydrate the dried mushrooms in enough hot water to cover the mushrooms for 15 minutes. Drain, reserving the mushroom water. You’ll use that with the beef broth). Coarsely chop the mushrooms.

2. In a non stick skillet over medium heat, sauté sliced onions in oil tossing occasionally for even browning until they are opaque, soft and starting to turn golden (about 15 minutes). Then add rehydrated mushrooms and garlic for the last minute or so (just enough time to bring out the flavor and not enough to burn it).

3. In large roasting pan, sear brisket over medium high heat on all sides and set aside. Pour 1 cup beef stock or 1 tbsp Maggi or some other beef bouillon in 1 cup of water in the pan and scrape any brown bits left from the searing. It’s the secret to the gravy.

4. Toss cooked onion slices and raw chopped vegetables together in the roasting pan. Move this mixture around the edges of the roasting pan to make a well in the center.

5. Place the brisket into the well. Seal roasting pan with tin foil and cook for 30-40 minutes per pound or until tender. This usually takes at least 3 hours for a small brisket and 4 hours or so for a large one. Don’t peek for 3 hours or you’ll let out the steam that tenderizes the meat.

6. Allow the brisket to come to room temperature before the next step.

7. Cooling and slicing tip: If you cool the meat for at least 4 hours in the fridge you will be able to slice it thinner and it will be less likely to fall apart during the slicing. I usually place the cooled brisket in a covered container overnight before slicing.

DAY THREE:
Final roasting:
1. Remove any congealed fat from the cold brisket and then slice thinly across the grain.

2. In a medium sized pot, gently warm the gravy and add some beef broth to thin it out.

3. In a large roasting pan or other ovenproof dish (like one used for lasagna), place a layer of the onion vegetable mixture plus ¾ cup beef broth with the mushroom liquid. Place sliced meat on top. Slightly overlap the slices to sort of reshape the whole brisket. Put any smaller pieces of meat around the pan, spoon more vegetable mixture on top, cover with foil and heat at 325°F/170°C for 40-45 minutes or until heated through.

8. While the meat is roasting, in a large skillet over medium, heat the oil and sauté the shallots for about 2 minutes.

9. Add the mushrooms and cook until browned. (about 5 minutes)

10. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the powdered mustard, ground mushrooms & paprika and set aside.

11. Just before serving, pour most of the juice from the brisket, into the mushroom skillet, adding additional beef broth if needed to get the consistency you like. Add the ground mushroom mix and stir.

To serve: pour the mushrooms over the brisket on a serving platter, and have the gravy in a separate gravy boat to pass around.

BBQ Brisket

BBQ Brisket
From Every Kitchen Tells Its Stories – Recipes that Warm the Heart

Printable Recipe

Hands-on time: 15 minutes
First stage roasting: 3-4 hours
Marinate: 24 hours
Final roasting time: 1 hour
Serves 8-10

Ingredients:
5-7 lb/2.5-3kg beef brisket
1 tsp garlic powder (one of the very few times I use it)
2 tbsp powdered mustard
1 tsp paprika
Pepper
Sauce:
1 (14 oz/500ml) bottle ketchup
2 tsp mustard powder
¾ cup water
⅓ cup Worcestershire sauce
⅓ cup brown sugar
1 cup diced celery ( or 1 tbsp celery seeds)
½ cup gravy from brisket

Directions
1. Season brisket with garlic powder, paprika, mustard and pepper. Sear brisket on both sides(*see note below).

2. Roast brisket, fat side up, covered. Do not add water to roasting pan. Roast at 325°F/170°C until tender (usually 30 minutes per pound).

3. Meanwhile, combine ingredients for the sauce in a saucepan, cover and simmer 1 hour. If there is not enough gravy around the brisket, add beef bouillon or magi liquid and water to make up the difference.

4. Let the brisket cool for 30 minutes or so. Trim of excess fat. (You might want to refrigerate for a couple of hours to firm up the tender brisket before slicing to make it easier.) Then slice across the grain.

5. Marinate in sauce, refrigerated overnight. For best results try to find a container that will hold the sliced meat in one layer so that the sauce gets to all the meat.

Second Stage roasting:
1. Let the meat come to room temperature (about 1 hour) before roasting. Bake at 325°F/170°C covered for ¾ -1 hour.

Note: *Searing brisket: This creates a seal on the meat as it cooks in the oven. Meat stays juicier This process caramelizes the sugars present in meat, sealing the juices in and allowing the meat to remain juicy during cooking. There are a few pre-cooking tips that will help make the most of your sear:

Remove the meat from the refrigerator and set it out until it reaches room temperature (15 minutes or so) before cooking with it. The removal from cold will allow the meat to relax, allowing the meat's natural moisture to reabsorb into the muscle, rather than staying trapped between the meat's fibers;

Make sure the pan that will be used for searing is hot, hot, hot! If the pan is not hot enough when the meat is added, the meat will stick and tear when turned. Allow the meat to release all by itself before turning....it will, I promise, just be patient.

1. Place a heavy stainless steel sauté pan or seasoned cast iron skillet on high heat on top of stove. When pan is hot, add 1 tbsp olive oil, (not Extra Virgin as it burns quickly at high heat), peanut, vegetable or grape seed oil which also has a high smoke point, and then quickly add meat (in small batches if you are making stew). If you put too much meat in at one time, it will just turn grey and “stew”, losing the ability to caramelize or form a crust to seal in the precious juices. This process sizzles, so be careful.

2. Let it cook for 2-3 minutes (or as long as it takes for the meat to easily "unstick" itself from the pan) and, using tongs or spatula, flip to other side. If you’re using a regular pan (not non-stick), the meat is ready to turn when it stops sticking to the bottom. Watch for coloration to take place, it will happen fairly quickly. When one side of the meat is seared, turn it to allow a fresh side of meat the opportunity to brown. Searing calls for constant attention because it takes place so quickly. If attention is averted, it is easy to burn the meat. The result will be a nice crisp caramelized surface and juicy meat on the inside. Keep in mind that the inner core of the seared meat is most likely raw and will need to be cooked further.

The Cooking Primer section of Every Kitchen Tells Its Stories has many great cooking tips.

Serving ideas: BBQ Brisket tastes great with latkes or kugel