rainy day brisket

It’s been raining cats and dogs in our desert for the last couple of days. Nothing tastes better or is more welcoming on a cold and rainy day than beef brisket!

This classic brisket is a family favorite. I found the original recipe nearly 30 years ago in The Silver Palate New Basics cookbook and have adapted the recipe over the years.

Basic Beef Brisket with Fresh Horseradish Sauce

• 6 pounds beef brisket, trimmed of most excess fat
• Kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 large onions, peeled and sliced
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 bottle beer
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon sweet chili sauce
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 large carrot, peeled and diced

Horseradish Sauce

• 1 cup and finely grated fresh horseradish root (peel first and use a Microplane to grate)
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 cup crème fraîche or sour cream
• Pinch of salt

Season beef on both sides with salt, rubbing it into the meat. Put the brisket on a baking sheet, cover it with plastic wrap, and refrigerate it overnight.

Sprinkle the brisket with the flour, 1 tablespoon on each side. Heat the oil in a roasting pan over medium-high heat on the stovetop and brown the brisket on both sides, about 8 minutes per side. Transfer the brisket to a clean baking sheet or dish.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Lower the heat under the roasting pan to medium and add the sliced onions, seasoning well with salt and pepper. Sauté, stirring frequently, until onions are soft, wilted, and golden brown, scraping up any stuck-on bits of beef from the bottom of the pan as you stir, for about 15 to 18 minutes total.

Add the beer and bring to a boil then turn off the heat.

Add the brisket back to the pan, laying it on top of the onions, along with any juices that accumulated on the baking sheet. Spread the tomato paste over the top of the brisket.

Sprinkle with fish sauce, sweet chili sauce, garlic slices, and diced carrots.

Cover with lid or foil and cook in the preheated oven for 1 ½ hours, lifting the lid once or twice during cooking, to spoon juices over the brisket.

Remove the roasting pan from the oven and reduce the heat of the oven to 325 degrees. Set the brisket on a cutting board and slice it into 1/2-inch slices, against the grain and on a diagonal, then place the slices back in the pan so that they are snugly overlapping, keeping the brisket in the same shape as it was before you sliced it.

Cover and bake for another 2 hours, or until tender.

Serve the brisket with the onions, juices from the pan, and horseradish sauce.

Horseradish Sauce: Mix the freshly grated horseradish with the cider vinegar. Stir in sugar. Let it rest on the counter for 30 minutes.

Whisk in crème fraîche or sour cream and a pinch of salt. Taste, and add more vinegar, sugar, and/or salt to your taste. If the sauce is too thick, thin with a touch of milk. The sauce will thicken more if refrigerated.

Serves 12

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