Mediterranean Brisket *adopted

Queen Dragon Mom's Note:

(QDM's comments: The recipe as is, is very high sodium due to the corned beef. Substitute a plain brisket, or other large cut, and it will be a real keeper. We loved the taste and will make it again with uncured meat. I did soak the beef in several changes of water, but there is no way to get all the cure out.) Original poster's comment follow... This recipe is from The Complete Meat Cookbook (Houghton Mifflin, 1999) The addition of the sun-dried tomatoes gives it a unique Mediterranean flavor. When I served this dish for the first time, all my guests and family said this was the best brisket I'd ever cooked. The sauce is wonderfully rich and dark. The meat is fork-tender, yet not falling apart, and very easy to slice. This recipe is modified slightly from the original to satisfy my own personal taste. The original recipe used a lean brisket costing $7.50 a pound. I used a supermarket brisket costing $0.98 cents a pound. I don't know what the expensive brisket tasted like, but I don't see how it could be better that the one that I prepared. A trimmed brisket seems to be less juicy that one that has the fat left on while smoking.

• Total Time: 3 hrs 45 mins
• Prep Time: 45 mins
• Cook Time: 3 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 12

• 6 lbs beef brisket (approximate weight)
• 1 teaspoon sea salt or 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon oil , from sun-dried tomatoes
• 3 medium sweet red onions , thinly sliced
• 1 cup canned tomato puree
• ¼ cup sun-dried tomato packed in oil , drained and chopped,with the oil reserved
• 1 bay leaf
• ¾ teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 cup beef stock (if using canned broth, be careful when adding salt or use low-sodium stock)
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground tellicherry black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Sprinkle the brisket all over with the salt and pepper.
3. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or roasting pan over medium-high heat.
4. Brown the brisket on all sides-- 8 to 10 minutes.
5. Remove the meat and pour off all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the pan.
6. Put in the onions, tomato puree, sun-dried tomatoes, bay leaves, and thyme and stir well to combine.
7. Put the brisket back into the pan and spoon some of the onions and tomatoes over the top.
8. Add the stock and the wine and bring to a simmer.
9. Cover the pot tightly with aluminum foil and put on the lid to form a tight seal.
10. Bake the brisket for 3 1/2 hours or until it's fork-tender.
11. Carefully peel back the foil to check.
12. (You can also cut off a small slice and taste.) Transfer the meat to a platter and cover loosely with foil to keep warm.
13. De-grease the sauce and taste for salt and pepper.
14. To Serve: Cut the meat into 3/8-inch slices, napped with the sauce, or refrigerate it, tightly wrapped, to serve the next day.
15. Refrigerate the sauce separately.
16. Before serving, remove any congealed fat, then reheat the meat gently in the sauce or in a microwave.