Cowboy Brisket with Espresso Balsamic Recipe

Cowboy Brisket with Espresso Balsamic  Recipe

Garlic, Espresso Balsamic , and apple cider vinegar flavor this slow-roasted beef brisket. Plan ahead to marinate overnight before cooking. The brisket may be made in advance and reheated the next day. It will actually taste better if you do so.
Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 3 hours, 30 minutes

Total Time: 3 hours, 45 minutes

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients:

-4 to 6 pounds first cut brisket of beef (do not remove fat cap)
-3 cloves garlic, slivered
-3 cloves garlic, crushed
-4 large onions, thinly sliced, divided use
-1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
-1/4 cup Sonoma Farm  Espresso Balsamic Vinegar
-1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke
-Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
-1 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
-1 Tablespoons bacon grease
-1 large bay leaf, broken in half
-1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
-1/2 cup beef broth or water

Preparation:

Cut slits all over the brisket with a thin, sharp knife. Push the slivered garlic into the slits.

Peel and thinly-slice 1 of the onions. Place the sliced onions, crushed garlic, apple cider vinegar, espresso balsamic vinegar, and liquid smoke in a large freezer ziplock bag. Squish to combine. Add the brisket to the bag, seal, and toss to evenly coat the meat. Unseal the bag, squeeze out all the air, reseal, and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Remove brisket from the marinade, discarding marinade, and pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then coat with the flour.

Heat a heavy, deep skillet over medium heat-high heat. When hot, add the bacon grease and swirl to coat the pan. Sear the brisket on both sides until browned, turning only once. Remove to a platter.

Thin-slice the remaining 3 onions and add to the same skillet. Saute until softened and lightly browned, then add 1/4 cup of the coffee. Bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits. Transfer onions and liquid to a shallow roasting casserole dish or roasting pan and spread evenly over the bottom. Bury the bay leaves in the onions. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place brisket fat-side up, along with any accumulated juices, on top of the onions and sprinkle with the crushed oregano. Add remaining and broth or water to the pan, cover tightly with foil, and bake for 30 minutes.

Reduce heat to 275 F. and bake an additional 3 hours until very tender. Let rest, covered, for 15 minutes.

Slice thinly against the grain. Skim any fat from the liquid in the pan, then return brisket slices to the pan to coat. Serve hot with onions and pan juices.

The brisket may be made in advance and refrigerated in the pan juices. To reheat, cover with foil, and bake at 350 F. until warmed through.

Sonoma Farm
February 2014