Anne White’s Best-Ever Braised Beef Brisket
My mother always made her brisket with the “first cut,” which is the leanest part of the brisket. As well, she used a commercial product called Kitchen Bouquet Browning and Seasoning Sauce, which was popular in the Fifties and Sixties, and which she always considered a miracle ingredient. I believe it’s still available at many food stores. And the Bouquet Garni spice she used was a Spice Island product that was always in her cupboard.
My mother always made this dish a day ahead and chilled it overnight so that she could remove the excess fat before reheating. One other thing: she always served it with her delicious mashed potatoes and warmed sauerkraut.
If time permits, make this a day ahead. Dry meat with paper towels or a kitchen towel and allow to get to room temperature. In a large pot, heat olive oil until hot. Add meat, fat side down, and brown well, turning periodically, until meat is well browned all over. This should take about 6 to 8 minutes or slightly longer. Remove meat from pan and place on platter or baking sheet.
Pour off all but 2 or 3 tbsp of oil from pot. Heat oil and stir in onions and garlic; cook, stirring often, until tender and slightly golden. Return brisket to pot, season with salt and pepper, paprika and Bouquet Garni. Add just enough boiling water to come halfway up the side of the brisket.
Bring liquid to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer on low heat for about 2-1/2 to 3 hours, turning brisket halfway though. When meat is folk tender, turn off heat and let cool for about 20 to 30 minutes. Then remove beef to a platter. Strain liquid into small bowl or Pyrex cup and stir in Kitchen Bouquet seasoning. Taste and adjust seasoning.
If time permits, make a day ahead and refrigerate over night. Before serving, remove the cap of congealed fat on the sauce. Reheat brisket until warmed through.
To serve, cut across the grain into thin slices. Serve with mashed potatoes and warm sauerkraut.
Jim White
Jim White lives in Napa Valley, California, where he makes wine, and writes about food and wine for his own site napaman.com. Jim is also a co-founder and active partner in one of North America’s most successful commercial bakeries, FGF Brands, in Toronto, Ontario. Over a span of 30 years, as one of North America’s leading food and beverage product developers, Jim successfully brought to market more than 10,000 products. Jim attributes his product development success to the journalistic approach he brings to each food assignment; he has an innate curiosity to know how things work, or why they taste the way they do. It makes sense that Jim propels his food career with journalistic principles as he has had a parallel career in journalism for all the years he created food products. In the 1970s, Jim was a foreign correspondent in Africa, covering wars and famines, writing for the largest newspapers in North America, for UPI and the Associated Press. In the 1980s, Jim became food editor and restaurant critic of The Toronto Star, one of the largest newspapers in North America. Although twice named “Best Food Writer in North America,” Jim has also always been passionate about the visual element; he is an accomplished photographer, and over the years has sold images to Life, Time and Newsweek magazines.