Best Michael Symons Red Wine Braised Brisket Recipes

BRISKET

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• In a large enameled cast iron casserole, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Season the brisket with salt and pepper. Add half of the brisket to the casserole and cook over medium-high heat, turning on all sides until browned, about 6 minutes. Transfer the brisket to a plate. Repeat with the remaining oil and remaining brisket. Add the celery, carrot, onion, and chile to the casserole and cook over medium heat until softened, about 7 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring frequently, until glossy, about 2 minutes. Add the thyme sprigs, anchovies, bay leaf, and garlic and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the stock, wine, and vinegar and bring to a boil. Return the brisket to the casserole, cover and braise for 1 hour. Drop the heat to 225 degrees F and cook 4 more hours or until meat is tender.

ITALIAN BRAISED BEEF WITH ROOT VEGETABLES

Steps:

• For Yia Yia's Sunday sauce: Heat the oil in a 4-quart saucepan or large Dutch oven over medium heat. Brown the beef bones. Add the onions and cook until translucent, 2 minutes. Add the salt and garlic and cook until everything is soft but not browned, about 3 minutes. Squeeze the tomatoes one by one into the pan, pulverizing them by hand, and pour in their juice, too. Add the wine, oregano, red pepper flakes, if using, black pepper and bay leaf. Bring the sauce to a simmer, and then reduce the heat to its lowest possible setting, and continue to cook for 8 hours. The sauce should reduce by about one-third. Taste for seasoning and add more salt if necessary. Remove the bones and bay leaf. Set aside 2 cups. If not using the remaining sauce right away, let it cool, then cover and refrigerate for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 2 months. Yield: 8 cups.
• For the braised beef with root vegetables: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Sprinkle the meat liberally with salt and pepper as much as 1 day in advance. (Cover and refrigerate it if doing so and take the meat out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking.) Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over high heat. When the oil is on the verge of smoking, sear the meat for about 2 minutes per side. Move the meat to the side (or remove it from the pot altogether if necessary), and add the carrots, celery root and onions. Brown the vegetables for about 3 minutes, and then add the garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes longer. Pour in the wine and deglaze the pot, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom. Add Yia Yia's Sunday Sauce, 1 cup water and the bay leaves (and the pot roast if you removed it). Bring the liquid to a simmer and taste for seasoning. Add more salt if necessary. Cover the pot and place it in the oven for 3 hours, basting the meat occasionally during cooking time. When almost ready to serve, make the rigatoni, if using. Boil in salted water according to package directions until al dente. Discard the bay leaves before serving. Transfer the meat to a cutting board and slice into bite-size pieces, or shred with 2 forks. Return the meat to the pot of sauce along with the drained rigatoni. Toss to coat, and serve.

BRAISED SPARE RIBS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Season flour with salt and pepper and dust ribs with it. Knock off any remaining flour and heat up oil. Brown ribs in oil and set aside.
• Saute, over low heat, the onions and garlic until translucent. Add spices and stir. Add the puree, red wine vinegar, and beef stock and bring to a simmer. Place ribs in braising pan and cover with the seasoned beef stock and veal stock. Cover with foil. Place in the oven for 2 1/2 hours or until ribs are tender.

PASTRAMI-RUBBED BRISKET

Steps:

• Set up your grill for indirect heat by building the coals on one side only. Allow the temperature to reach 225 to 250 degrees F. Alternatively, set up your offset smoker. Build a fire with apple and cherry wood in the firebox and allow the temperature to reach 225 to 250 degrees F and the smoke to begin to run clear.
• Clean the brisket by trimming the fat cap, creating a fatty and lean side. Trim the fat on the point down to about 1/2 inch. Trim the fat on top of the flat end down to about 1/4 inch. Flip the brisket over and remove any silver skin and sinew from the meat. You will lose around 2 pounds from trimming.
• Place the fat you have trimmed into a small pan and place on the smoker or grill to render. You will use it later to brush the brisket before wrapping.
• To make the pastrami spice, add the coriander seeds, black pepper, salt, mustard seeds, chili flakes and sumac to a small bowl and mix to combine. In a spray bottle, combine the apple cider and Worcestershire sauce.
• Coat the entire brisket with the mustard, then liberally season on all sides with the pastrami spice. Spray it with the apple cider mixture.
• Place the brisket on the indirect side of the grill with the fat side facing down. If using the smoker, place the brisket with the fattiest part of the brisket pointed towards the fire. Place a thermometer in the fattest part of the brisket, close the lid and cook, misting the brisket every 30 minutes, until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 6 hours.
• Brush the brisket with the rendered fat and wrap it in peach butcher paper. Place back onto the indirect heat on the grill or smoker and continue to cook until an internal temperature of 205 degrees is reached, about 3 more hours.
• Remove from the grill and let rest for at least 1 hour before separating the flat (lean brisket) from the point (fatty brisket). Slice against the grain and serve.

MICHAEL SYMON'S RED WINE BRAISED BRISKET

Steps:

• In a large Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over high heat until smoking. Season the meat liberally with salt and pepper. Sear in the pan for 4 to 5 minutes per side. Remove once dark golden brown and set aside.
• Add the onions, carrot, celery and garlic and cook until the vegetables are starting to brown, about 8 minutes. Add the wine and bring to a boil. Reduce by half, about 3 to 5 minutes, then add the beef stock.
• Add the brisket back in, along with the thyme and bay leaf, and bring up to a simmer. Place a lid on the pot and cook at a low temperature for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, or until the meat is fork tender. Serve the brisket with the sauce and vegetables.