Read The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook Online
Authors: The Editors at America's Test Kitchen
Tags: #Cooking
The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook (59 page)
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
While brisket is naturally flavorful, it can be hard to keep it moist and tender because the fat is all on the surface; there’s no marbling to keep the interior moist. We wondered if replacing some of the moisture after braising might help. We left the meat in the sauce after cooking it, and after about an hour there was a noticeable difference. Refrigerating the cooked meat and sauce overnight was even better. The meat reabsorbed some of the liquid, becoming more moist and easier to carve without shredding. The sauce—based on red wine, chicken broth, and lots of onions—had improved as well; the fat had risen to the surface and congealed, making it easier to remove. All we had to do was reheat the sliced meat in the sauce, and this hearty dish was ready.
SERVES 6 TO 8
This recipe requires a few hours of unattended cooking as well as advance preparation. After cooking, the brisket must stand overnight in the braising liquid that later becomes the sauce; this helps to keep the brisket moist and flavorful. Defatting the sauce is essential. If you prefer a spicy sauce, increase the amount of cayenne pepper to ¹⁄
4
teaspoon. You will need 18-inch-wide heavy-duty aluminum foil for this recipe. Good accompaniments to braised brisket include mashed potatoes and buttered egg noodles. Matzo meal or potato starch can be substituted for the flour.
1 | (4- to 5- pound) beef brisket, flat cut preferred, trimmed |
Salt and pepper | |
Vegetable oil | |
2¹⁄ | pounds onions, halved and sliced ¹⁄ |
1 | tablespoon brown sugar |
3 | garlic cloves, minced |
1 | tablespoon tomato paste |
1 | tablespoon paprika |
¹⁄ | teaspoon cayenne pepper |
2 | tablespoons all-purpose flour |
1 | cup low-sodium chicken broth |
1 | cup dry red wine |
3 | bay leaves |
3 | sprigs fresh thyme |
2 | teaspoons cider vinegar |
1.
Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Line 13 by 9-inch baking dish with two 24-inch-long sheets of 18-inch-wide heavy-duty foil, positioning sheets perpendicular to each other and allowing excess foil to extend beyond edges of pan. Pat brisket dry with paper towels. Place brisket fat side up on cutting board; using dinner fork, poke holes in meat through fat layer about 1 inch apart. Season both sides of brisket with salt and pepper.
2.
Heat 1 teaspoon oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until oil just begins to smoke. Place brisket, fat side up, in skillet (brisket may climb up sides of pan); weight brisket with heavy Dutch oven or cast-iron skillet and cook until well browned, about 7 minutes. Remove Dutch oven; using tongs, flip brisket and cook on second side without weight until well browned, about 7 minutes longer. Transfer brisket to platter.
3.
Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from pan (or, if brisket was lean, add enough oil to fat in skillet to equal 1 tablespoon); stir in onions, sugar, and ¹⁄
4
teaspoon salt and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened, 10 to 12 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute; add tomato paste and cook, stirring to combine, until paste darkens, about 2 minutes. Add paprika and cayenne and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, until well combined, about 2 minutes. Add broth, wine, bay leaves, and thyme, stirring to scrape up browned bits from pan; bring to simmer and simmer for 5 minutes to fully thicken.
4.
Pour sauce and onions into foil-lined baking dish. Nestle brisket, fat side up, in sauce and onions. Fold foil extensions over and seal (do not tightly crimp foil because foil must later be opened to test for doneness). Place in oven and cook until fork slips easily in and out of meat, 3¹⁄
2
to 4 hours (when testing for doneness, open foil with caution as contents will be steaming). Carefully open foil and let brisket cool at room temperature, 20 to 30 minutes.
5.
Transfer brisket to large bowl; set fine-mesh strainer over bowl and strain sauce over brisket. Discard bay leaves and thyme from onions and transfer onions to small bowl. Cover both bowls with plastic wrap, cut vents in plastic, and refrigerate overnight.
6.
About 45 minutes before serving, adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees. While oven heats, transfer cold brisket to carving board. Scrape off and discard any fat from surface of sauce, then heat sauce in medium saucepan over medium heat until warm, skimming any fat on surface with wide shallow spoon (you should have about 2 cups sauce without onions; if necessary, simmer sauce over medium-high heat until reduced to 2 cups). Slice brisket against grain into ¹⁄
4
-inch-thick slices and place slices in 13 by 9-inch baking dish. Stir reserved onions and vinegar into warmed sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour sauce over brisket slices, cover baking dish with foil, and bake until heated through, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve immediately.
After removing brisket from oven in step 4, reseal foil and let brisket sit at room temperature for 1 hour. Transfer brisket to carving board and continue with straining, defatting, and reheating sauce and slicing meat; omit step of returning brisket to oven once reheated sauce is poured over it.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
We wanted a corned beef and cabbage dish with a full-flavored medley of meaty, tender, well-seasoned beef; subtle spice; and sweet, earthy, vegetables, each distinct in flavor and texture. For our home-corned beef recipe, we selected point-cut brisket, which is thicker and fattier than the flat-cut brisket. Staggering the addition of the vegetables, based on their cooking times, ensured that nothing overcooked and became washed out. Finally, we brought everything together at the end for the perfect combination of flavors and textures.
SERVES 8 TO 10
If you prefer a leaner piece of meat, feel free to use the flat cut. Leave a bit of fat attached for better texture and flavor. The meat is cooked fully when it is tender, the muscle fibers have loosened visibly, and a skewer slides in with minimal resistance. Serve with horseradish, either plain or mixed with sour cream, or with grainy mustard.
¹⁄ | cup kosher salt |
1 | tablespoon black peppercorns, cracked |
1 | tablespoon dried thyme |
2¹⁄ | teaspoons ground allspice |
1¹⁄ | teaspoons paprika |
2 | bay leaves, crumbled |
1 | (4- to 6- pound) beef brisket, preferably point cut, trimmed, rinsed, and patted dry |
7–8 | pounds vegetables, chosen from categories below |
SLOWER-COOKING VEGETABLES
Carrots, peeled and halved crosswise, thin end halved lengthwise, thick end quartered lengthwise |
Rutabagas (small), peeled and halved crosswise; each half cut into 6 chunks |
Turnips, peeled and quartered |
Red potatoes (small), scrubbed and left whole |
Boiling onions (small), peeled and left whole |
FASTER-COOKING VEGETABLES
Green cabbage (1 small head), uncored and cut into 6 to 8 wedges |
Parsnips, peeled and halved crosswise, thin end halved lengthwise, thick end quartered lengthwise |
Brussels sprouts, trimmed |
1.
Combine salt, peppercorns, thyme, allspice, paprika, and bay leaves in small bowl. Poke brisket about 30 times per side with fork or metal skewer. Rub each side evenly with salt mixture; place in 2-gallon zipper-lock bag, forcing out as much air as possible. Place in pan large enough to hold it, cover with second, similar-size pan, and weight with 2 bricks or heavy cans. Refrigerate 5 to 7 days, turning once a day.
2.
Rinse brisket and pat it dry. Place brisket in large stockpot, add water to cover, and bring to boil, skimming the surface. Cover and simmer until skewer inserted in thickest part of brisket slides out easily, 2 to 3 hours.
3.
Heat oven to 200 degrees. Transfer meat to large platter and ladle about 1 cup cooking liquid over top to keep it moist. Cover with aluminum foil and set in oven.
4.
Add vegetables from category 1 to pot and bring to boil; cover and simmer until vegetables begin to soften, about 10 minutes. Add vegetables from category 2 and bring to boil; cover and simmer until all vegetables are tender, 10 to 15 minutes longer.
5.
Meanwhile, remove meat from oven and slice across grain into ¹⁄
4
-inch slices. Transfer vegetables to platter, drizzle with broth, and serve.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
When buying lamb, many people turn to the tried, true, and expensive rib or loin chop. The oddly shaped, much less expensive shoulder chop rarely gets a second look, which is unfortunate because it is less exacting to cook and a few chops make for a speedy weeknight supper. Because they aren’t a tough cut of meat, lamb shoulder chops don’t need to cook for a long time for the sake of tenderness—we found a much shorter braise worked well. After just 15 to 20 minutes, the lamb was tender, and the much-anticipated sauce we made with the deglazing liquid, using onion, garlic, red wine, and tomatoes, was delicious.
SERVES 4
Because they are generally leaner, round bone chops, also called arm chops, are preferable for this braise. If available, however, lean blade chops also braise nicely.
4 | lamb shoulder chops, about ³⁄ |
Salt and pepper | |
2 | tablespoons olive oil |
1 | small onion, chopped fine |
2 | small garlic cloves, minced |
¹⁄ | cup dry red wine |
1 | cup canned whole peeled tomatoes, chopped |
2 | tablespoons minced fresh parsley |
1.
Season chops with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Brown chops, in batches if necessary, on both sides, 4 to 5 minutes. Set aside.
2.
Pour off fat from pan. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil and heat over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds longer. Add wine and simmer until reduced by half, scraping to loosen browned bits from bottom of pan, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, then return chops to pan. Reduce heat to low and cover and simmer until chops are cooked through and tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
3.
Transfer chops to individual plates. Stir parsley into sauce and simmer until sauce thickens, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste, spoon sauce over each chop, and serve.
Add 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary with garlic and stir in ¹⁄
3
cup pitted and sliced kalamata olives with tomatoes.
Add 1 diced red bell pepper with onion and stir in 2 tablespoons rinsed capers and 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar with parsley.
Soak ¹⁄
3
cup dried figs in ¹⁄
3
cup warm water for 30 minutes. Drain and reserve liquid and cut figs into quarters. Add 1 teaspoon ground coriander, ¹⁄
2
teaspoon ground cumin, ¹⁄
2
teaspoon cinnamon, and ¹⁄
8
teaspoon cayenne pepper with garlic. Omit red wine and replace with ¹⁄
3
cup soaking water from figs. Add 2 tablespoons honey with tomatoes. Stir figs in with parsley.
