Smothered Beef Brisket

Smothered is a term my mother used for beef simmered in brown gravy. This smothered beef brisket uses tomatoes instead of brown gravy. The recipe is adapted from one by Julia Child.

If you're not familiar with brisket then you might want to read the pages on Selecting Brisket and How To Cook Brisket before you try the recipe.

Smothered Beef Brisket Recipe

1 Beef Brisket flat cut, most of the fat trimmed off
1 or 2 large garlic cloves, pureed
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 cup olive oil
1/8 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 cup sliced onions
1 cup sliced carrots
2 cups fresh Italian plum tomatoes, cored and chopped

Trim any excess fat off the brisket, leaving 1/8-inch layer on the fatty side.

Make a paste by mashing 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and thyme into the pureed garlic, using the flat side of a large kitchen knife to do the mashing. With salt-thyme-garlic mixture in a small bowl, beat in the oil and pepper. Spread this mixture over both sides of the brisket.

Toss the vegetables in a large bowl with a little salt and thyme. Spread half of the vegetable mixture in the bottom of a roasting pan. Place the brisket, fat side up, on top of the vegetables. Cover with the remaining vegetables. Cover the pan tightly with foil.

This dish may be prepared to this point in advance and refrigerated.

When ready to cook, place in a 300-degree F oven. Baste with accumulated juices about every 1/2 hour. Cook for 3 to 4 hours, until a fork goes into the meat easily.

(Note that brisket is never tender like steak, but should be pleasantly chewable and will have a real beefy flavor. Note that the meat can rest after cooking, from 1 to 24 hours or more.)

Transfer the brisket with its vegetables to a smaller pot (it will have shrunk).

To reheat, cover and put in a 350-degree F oven for 20 minutes or so, basting two or three times with the juices. Remove meat with its vegetable topping to a carving board.

Pour the juices into a saucepan, degrease, and rapidly boil down almost to a syrup. Or, if you want more of a sauce, thicken the juice with 1-1/2 tablespoons cornstarch blended with 2 tablespoons wine or stock.

Carve the Smothered Beef Brisket across the grain into thin slanting slices. Accompany each serving with a spoonful or two of sauce and vegetables. Yield: 6 to 8 servings