7-Hour Brisket

This is a recipe I adapted from Etats-Unis Bistro, Gourmet Magazine, April 1998. To get the best flavor from a cut like brisket, it's best to cook it really slowly at a fairly low temperature. The gravy in this recipe is marvelous - serve it with good bread and either homemade noodles or rice.

Ingredients:

3-4 pounds beef brisket
1 large onion, chopped
3 large carrots, chopped
10 crushed garlic cloves
2 T. crushed black peppercorns
1 T. salt
2 750-ml. bottles of dry red wine
6 large onions, sliced
1 t. sugar
3 T. olive oil
3 large ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 dried ancho chile, seeded and chopped
8 crushed garlic cloves
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

Mix the first onion, carrots, garlic, peppercorns, salt, and wine. Marinate the brisket in the marinade, in the roasting pan you will use, for 48 hours (in the refrigerator), turning once or twice.

Cook the remaining sliced onions and sugar in oil for about 30 minutes, until brown and tender. Cool these and reserve. Use half of the browned onions with the brisket from the start and half to add during the last hour of roasting.

After marinating the meat, remove most of the solids, add the tomatoes, chile, garlic, pepper, nutmeg, and half the reserved onions. Cover the pan with several layers of foil, tightly sealed. Roast at 300°F. for 6 hours. Remove the foil and add the remaining onions. Roast for an additional hour, uncovered.
Serves 6-8.

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