Nick Ranch Grass Fed Beef Brisket Recipe
This recipe is from Better Homes and Gardens - Readers are safe that I didn't make it up (though i never follow it exactly and you don't have to either - if you have the same delicious beef to start out with, you'll love it). Instead of the 28 ounce can of tomatoes, I used a jar of the co-op's Vegan Vodka Sauce. Jar's are better than cans and yes, i get the irony of my "vegan" ingredient. The recipe calls for adding cream to it, too, but it works fine with or without!
This skillet-braised, company-ready recipe is flavored with vodka and vermouth and garnished with green olives. No wonder it's called "Martini Brisket." If you wish to make an alcohol-free version, the spirits may be omitted.
1. Prep the Brisket and Cooking Liquid
- Slice 2 medium onions; set aside.
- Coarsely crush 1 tablespoon mixed peppercorns. Sprinkle a fat-trimmed 3- to 4-pound brisket with salt and crushed peppercorns.
- Heat 1 tablespoon cooking oil in a large heavy skillet with a tight-fitting lid. Brown the brisket on both sides in hot oil. Remove brisket from the pan.
- Add onions to the skillet. Cook and stir onions until they are tender but not brown.
- Return brisket to the skillet. Add one 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes, 1 cup lower-sodium beef broth, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, and 1 tablespoon crushed fines herbes.
2. Cook Brisket on the Stove Top
- Bring onion mixture in the pan to boiling. Reduce the heat. Spoon some of the onion mixture over brisket.
- Simmer brisket, tightly covered, for 3 hours or until brisket is tender.
3. Finish the Sauce
- Remove brisket from the pan and let stand for 10 minutes before slicing.
- Meanwhile, use a soup spoon to skim the fat from the top of the sauce in the skillet.
- Stir 1/2 cup whipping cream and, if desired, 2 tablespoons dry vermouth and 1 tablespoon vodka into the cooking liquid. Bring the mixture just to boiling, then immediately remove the pan from the heat.
- Top the sliced brisket with 1/2 cup pimiento-stuffed green olives and pass the sauce at the table. (See "How to Slice Brisket," below.)
- Transfer cooked brisket to a cutting board. Let stand if specified in the recipe.
- Using a slicing knife, thinly slice the brisket across the grain, as shown.
- If serving the cooking juices alongside your brisket, use a tablespoon to skim fat from the cooking liquid. Pass the cooking liquid alongside the brisket.
How to Store Leftover Brisket
Divide leftover cooked brisket into small portions and place in shallow airtight containers. Refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze (in freezer containers) for up to 2 months.
Brisket Recipes to Try: