Atlanta Brisket | Imamother

Amarante

Thu, Apr 18 2019, 7:07 am

Atlanta Brisket

Excerpt From: America's Test Kitchen. “The Complete Cook's Country TV Show Cookbook Season 11.

Why This Recipe Works Atlanta brisket is a southern braise featuring onion soup mix, ketchup, and Atlanta’s own Coca-Cola. We wanted to keep the regional charm but update the convenience-product flavor. To season the brisket, we pierced it with a fork, salted it, and let it sit overnight. For a great crust, we seared the brisket weighed down with a heavy pot. Finally, for the characteristic braising liquid, we mixed cola and ketchup and replaced the artificial-tasting soup mix with our own blend of sautéed onions, onion and “garlic powders, brown sugar, and dried thyme. The mixture both flavored the meat and became a sweet, tangy sauce for serving.

SERVES 6

Parchment paper provides a nonreactive barrier between the cola-based braising liquid and the aluminum foil. A whole brisket is comprised of two smaller roasts: the flat cut and the point cut. For this recipe, we prefer the flat cut, which is rectangular in shape and leaner than the knobby, well-marbled point cut. The flat cut is topped with a thick fat cap; make sure that the fat cap isn’t overtrimmed.

1 (3½-pound) beef brisket, flat cut, fat trimmed to ¼ inch thick
Salt and pepper
4 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 pound onions, halved and sliced ½ inch thick
2 cups cola
1½ cups ketchup
4 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons packed dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried thyme

1. Using fork, poke holes all over brisket. Rub entire surface of brisket with 1 tablespoon salt. Wrap brisket in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 or up to 24 hours.

2. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Pat brisket dry with paper towels and season with pepper. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Place brisket fat side down in skillet; weigh down brisket with heavy Dutch oven or cast-iron skillet and cook until well browned on bottom, about 4 minutes. Remove pot, flip brisket, and replace pot on top of brisket. Cook on second side until well browned, about 4 minutes longer. Transfer brisket to plate.

3. Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in now-empty skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer onions to 13 by 9-inch baking dish and spread out in even layer.

4. Combine cola, ketchup, onion powder, sugar, garlic powder, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper in bowl. Place brisket fat side up on top of onions and pour cola mixture over brisket. Place parchment paper over brisket and cover dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake until tender and fork slips easily in and out of meat, 3½ to 4 hours. Let brisket rest in liquid, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

5. Transfer brisket to carving board. Skim any fat from top of sauce with large spoon. Slice brisket against grain into ¼-inch-thick slices and return to baking dish. Serve brisket with sauce.

To Make Ahead Follow recipe through step 4. Allow brisket to cool in sauce, cover, and refrigerate overnight or up to 24 hours. To serve, slice brisket, return to sauce, and cover with parchment paper. Cover baking dish with aluminum foil and cook in 350-degree oven until heated through, about 1 hour.
Getting a Great Sear

Brisket is a flat cut of meat that curls up when you try to sear it. We fixed this problem by weighing down the brisket with a heavy Dutch oven (wrapped in foil to make cleanup easier) to ensure a more even sear.

Amarante

Thu, Apr 18 2019, 7:34 am

Here's a "Cook's Illustrated" recipe for classic Brisket. It looks overwhelming because of all their explanations but the actual recipe and techniques used are simple and I have found that their information on techniques really produces an excellent result.

Onion-Braised Beef Brisket

Excerpt From: The Editors at Cook's Illustrated. “The Cook’s Illustrated Meat Book.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

When this notoriously tough cut finally turns tender, it’s often dried out, and cuts in shreds rather than slices. We wanted tender, moist meat that we could slice neatly, even after hours of unattended cooking.

BUY THE RIGHT CUT  Beef brisket is usually sold in two pieces, the flat (or first) cut and the point cut. The flat cut is leaner and thinner, with a rectangular shape and an exterior fat cap. It is more commonly available at supermarkets than the point cut, which has an oblong, irregular shape and contains large interior pockets of fat. We found the point cut to be marginally more flavorful but, more important, much less prone to drying out, thanks to all that extra fat. Unfortunately, more than a few tasters found the point cut too fatty to enjoy, and it was next to impossible to carve it into neat slices. The flat cut is easier to sear and to slice, provided it has cooled. Butchers usually trim away some or all of the fat cap, but try to find one with at least ¼ inch of fat in place, as it will help to keep the meat moist during cooking. If the fat cap is very thick and untrimmed in places, cut it down to a thickness of about ¼ inch. A flat-cut brisket roast usually weighs between 4 and 5 pounds, though butchers occasionally cut them into smaller 2- to 3-pound roasts. You can substitute two of these smaller cuts if that is all that is available, although the cooking time may vary.

USE HEAVY-DUTY FOIL  For this braise, we used 18-inch-wide heavy-duty aluminum foil to seal in the brisket as it cooks. It was essential to create a tight seal around the meat so that it could cook in the even heat of the simmering liquid, but also in the heat of the steam collecting in the closed container. The steam generated in the foil package helped the meat reach a higher temperature relatively quickly. This melted the collagen and kept the meat moist, despite its lack of fat. Be careful not to crimp the foil too tightly when you enclose the brisket—you will need to open it later when checking for doneness.

CHICKEN OR BEEF?  Though many recipes call for the use of beef broth in the braising liquid of brisket, we’ve found most canned beef broths to taste salty and artificial. In testing this recipe, we found that testers preferred chicken to beef broth for its cleaner flavor. To boost the flavor of the sauce, we added red wine.

REST OVERNIGHT  We find it’s preferable to leave the brisket in the refrigerator overnight. Not only does it produce a juicier, more tender brisket, but it also allows you to slice the meat without it falling apart or shredding. This is perfect if you’re cooking brisket for a crowd: Making this dish a day ahead reduces the stress of timing in the kitchen and the neatly sliced brisket creates a much more elegant spread on the serving platter.

FINISH THE SAUCE  While we were testing this recipe, a debate sprang up in the test kitchen over the proper thickness of the finished sauce. “Gravy” enthusiasts wanted a thick sauce that would cling to the meat, while their opponents backed a thinner, more natural jus. But everyone agreed that too much flour, stirred into the skillet while building the sauce, resulted in a sauce that was overly pasty; just 2 tablespoons was enough to give it the proper body. To further thicken the sauce, we put it back on the stove to simmer while slicing the finished brisket. Just before serving, we added a couple of teaspoons of cider vinegar to brighten the flavor.

ONION-BRAISED BEEF BRISKET

SERVES 6 TO 8

This recipe requires a few hours of unattended cooking as well as advance preparation. After cooking, the brisket must stand overnight in the braising liquid that later becomes the sauce; this helps to keep the brisket moist and flavorful. Defatting the sauce is essential. If you prefer a spicy sauce, increase the amount of cayenne pepper to ¼ teaspoon. You will need 18-inch-wide heavy-duty aluminum foil for this recipe. Good accompaniments to braised brisket include mashed potatoes and buttered egg noodles. Matzo meal or potato starch can be substituted for the flour.

1 (4- to 5- pound) beef brisket, flat cut, fat trimmed to ¼ inch
Salt and pepper
Vegetable oil
2½ pounds onions, halved and sliced ½ inch thick
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon paprika
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup dry red wine
3 bay leaves
3 sprigs fresh thyme
2 teaspoons cider vinegar

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Line 13 by 9-inch baking dish with two 24-inch-long sheets of 18-inch-wide heavy-duty aluminum foil, positioning “sheets perpendicular to each other and allowing excess foil to extend beyond edges of pan. Pat brisket dry with paper towels. Place brisket, fat side up, on cutting board; using dinner fork, poke holes in meat through fat layer about 1 inch apart. Season both sides of brisket with salt and pepper.

2. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until oil just begins to smoke. Place brisket, fat side up, in skillet (brisket may climb up sides of pan); weight brisket with heavy Dutch oven or cast-iron skillet and cook until well browned, about 7 minutes. Remove Dutch oven; using tongs, flip brisket and cook on second side without weight until well browned, about 7 minutes longer. Transfer brisket to platter.

3. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from pan (or, if brisket was lean, add enough oil to fat in skillet to equal 1 tablespoon); stir in onions, sugar, and ¼ teaspoon salt and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened, 10 to 12 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute; add tomato paste and cook, stirring to combine, until paste darkens, about 2 minutes. Add paprika and cayenne and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, until well combined, about 2 minutes. Add broth, wine, bay leaves, and thyme sprigs, stirring to scrape up browned bits from pan; bring to simmer and simmer for 5 minutes to fully thicken.

4. Pour sauce and onions into foil-lined baking dish. Nestle brisket, fat side up, in sauce and onions. Fold foil extensions over and seal (do not tightly crimp foil because foil must later be opened to test for doneness). Place in oven and cook until fork slips easily in and out of meat, 3½ to 4 hours (when testing for doneness, open foil with caution as contents will be steaming). Carefully open foil and let brisket cool at room temperature, 20 to 30 minutes.

5. Transfer brisket to large bowl; set fine-mesh strainer over bowl and strain sauce over brisket. Discard bay leaves and thyme sprigs from onions and transfer onions to small bowl. Cover both bowls with plastic wrap, cut vents in plastic, and refrigerate overnight.

6. About 45 minutes before serving, adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees. While oven heats, transfer cold brisket to carving board. Scrape off and discard any fat from surface of sauce, then heat sauce in medium saucepan over medium heat until warm, skimming any fat on surface with wide shallow spoon (you should have about 2 cups sauce without onions; if necessary, simmer sauce over medium-high heat until reduced to 2 cups). Slice brisket against grain into ¼-inch-thick slices and place slices in 13 by 9-inch baking dish. Stir reserved onions and vinegar into warmed sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour sauce over brisket slices, cover baking dish with foil, and bake until heated through, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve immediately.