Recipe of the Week: Poached Brisket

Brisket is a great cut of beef that needs to be cooked slowly at a low temperature over many hours for its tough muscle fibers to relent to the pressure of the low heat. It can be smoked on the barbecue or seared and braised in wine and stock. Today I am sharing a recipe that treats brisket as it would be in a classic “pot au feu” – slowing poached in flavourful liquid, to be consumed either as a second course after the broth or mixed in as a soup.

Poached Brisket

Serves 8

Ingredients:

2-3 lbs                  beef knuckle bones
2 tbsp                   tomato paste
4 lbs                      brisket, preferable first cut/flat
4-5 L                     cold water
2 tbsp                   salt
1 tsp                     black peppercorns
8 pieces               cloves
4                            bay leaves
1                            large onion, cut in half
2                            large carrots, peeled
2 stalks                celery, cut in half


Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Spread the beef bones out on a baking sheet and dollop the tomato paste on the bones. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

2. Add the brisket to a large pot with the cold water, spices, and onion, carrot, and celery. Add the cooked bones to the pot. The water should cover the ingredients by about an inch or so – add more water if necessary. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, skimming off the scum every few minutes.

3. Lower the heat and continue simmering and skimming for at least three hours, or until the brisket is tender. Using tongs or a fork, transfer the brisket to a large bowl, then strain the broth over the brisket. Discard the bones and vegetables.

4. At this stage you can do a few different things. You can add a large dice of winter root vegetables to the broth in a clean pot and cook through (about 30-40 minutes) and serve with the sliced brisket as a soup. Or you can simply cook some noodles in fresh salted water, strain and serve in bowls with the broth and the sliced brisket. Any way you slice it, poached brisket is a delicious treat.