A Tale of Two Briskets

Step 1

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Rinse your brisket and pat dry. Rub both sides of brisket with black pepper and salt.Heat your largest skillet over medium heat, drizzle 2 tbs olive oil. Brown brisket on both sides – it usually takes 4-5 minutes per side. Your brisket will likely overlap the edges of the skillet if so, brown one side at a time.While the brisket browns, pour canned tomatoes, garlic, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, and 1 1/2 cups of broth into a food processor. Add 2 tsp of salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Pulse until the garlic is chopped small and all ingredients combined.Remove brisket from skillet, it should have shrunken a good bit.Drizzle two more tsp olive oil in the pan and add the sliced onions, saute them over medium heat for a few minutes until they wilt. Add carrot and celery slices, saute for another 5-6 minutes until the onions are soft and browning and vegetables are fragrant.Pour the vegetables out of the skillet into a bowl or plate, set aside. Add 1/2 cup beef stock or chicken stock to the skillet, let it heat up. Using a spatula gently scrape the brown bits and pan juices clinging to skillet. Turn off heat.Pour half the tomato mixture into a large roasting pan, placing brisket on top of tomato sauce, fat cap facing up.Pour the cooked vegetables across the top of the brisket along with the broth and brown bits.Pour the remaining tomato sauce over the top of the vegetables and brisket.Cover the roasting pan tightly with a layer of parchment paper followed by a layer of aluminum foil.Place the brisket in the oven. Let it roast undisturbed for 5-7 hrs. It will take about 1 hr per pound of meat. Brisket is ready when it flakes tenderly when pierced with a fork. Brisket should have shrunken in size by about half.Brisket should be made at least a day ahead, allow it to sit in the fridge for 1-2 nights which will only improve on flavor. If making it ahead, let brisket cool and switch meat to a ceramic or class dish (the pan can react with the acid in the sauce) cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Brisket can also be frozen at this point.1-2 hrs before serving, remove brisket from fridge and preheat your oven to 350 degrees. The fat of the sauce will have solidified on top of brisket so use a spoon to scoop out the fat bits and discard.Take the brisket out of the dish, place on cutting board, fat-side up. Slice the meat cold, capping off the brisket then slice thinly against the grain.Return sliced meat to the dish and spoon sauce over it. Cover dish with layer of parchment paper, then aluminum and place in oven.Let brisket roast for 45-60 mins until heated through. Serve with warm sauce and veggies on top.

Step 2

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.Season each side of the brisket with 2 heavy pinches of salt and pepper. In a Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-hight heat. Sear brisket on both sides till golden brown – it usually takes 5-7 minutes per side.Reduce the heat to medium, then add the onions and garlic to the pot. Cook, stirring often, until softened and caramelized, 20 to 25 minutes. Add the Calvados, then stir continuously with a wooden spoon for 1 minute to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot.Stir in the stock and 2 heavy pinches each of salt and pepper, then return the brisket to pot. Tie together the thyme and sage sprigs with a small piece of butcher’s twine (tying is optional, but makes it much easier to remove the herbs after cooking) and nestle the herb bundle in the pot. Bring to a simmer, then cover the pot and transfer it to the oven. Cook for 3 hours to 3 hours 30 minutes, until very tender when pierced with a fork. Remove from the oven and let cool completely, then refrigerate overnight.The next day, skim off and discard any fat, if desired, and discard the herbs. Transfer the brisket to a cutting board and cut it against the grain into 1⁄4-inch-thick slices. Return the meat to the sauce and heat over medium heat until warmed through. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, then serve.