Faith Middleton's Food Schmooze

Anytime Brisket with Matzo Spaetzle

CourseMain course, Main Dish
CuisineJewish

Servings

6-8 people

Servings

6-8 people

Ingredients

13-4 pound point-cut brisket(also known as “second cut”), fat cap trimmed to 1/8 inch
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3tablespoons neutral oil
3 yellow onionsthinly sliced (3 cups)
3 garlic clovesthinly sliced
2 bay leaves
5sprigs fresh thymetied with twine
1/2cup (4 ounces) tomato paste
2cups dry red winesuch as Pinot Noir or Cabernet Sauvignon
1quart chicken stockstore-bought or homemade
3/4pound whole carrots1-1/2-inch diameter
2tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Matzo Spaetzle(see recipe link in headnote)
2tablespoons thinly sliced fresh chives

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325°F.
Liberally season the brisket with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of the neutral oil in a large Dutch oven over high heat. When it just begins to smoke, lay the brisket fat side down and sear until well browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Flip and brown the other side for 5 minutes more. Remove the brisket from the pan and set aside.
Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of neutral oil in the same pan over medium heat. When it begins to smoke, add the onion, garlic, and bay leaves. Cook, stirring often, until the onions begin to caramelize, 8 to 9 minutes. Add the thyme bundle and tomato paste and cook, stirring, until the onions are evenly coated and the tomato paste darkens, 1 minute. Add the wine and cook until reduced by one-third, about 5 minutes. Add the stock, increase the heat to high, bring to a boil, and nestle the brisket back into the braising liquid. Cover and transfer to the oven.
After 2-1/2 hours, remove the lid and add the carrots to the braising liquid. Continue to cook for 30 minutes more, until the carrots and the brisket are just fork-tender with a little resistance. Remove from the oven, discard the bay leaves and thyme bundle, and allow the brisket to cool to room temperature in the braising liquid. Then cover loosely with aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight.
To serve: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spoon off any congealed fat from the onion gravy and discard. Remove the brisket from the gravy and cut against the grain into 1/4-inch slices. Remove the carrots and cut into 2-inch pieces. Place the brisket and carrots in a 4-quart casserole dish and pour the gravy over. Cover the dish with foil and place in the oven to warm through, 30 to 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the spaetzle and cook, stirring often, until warmed through, 2 to 3 minutes. Mix the chives into the spaetzle and serve with the brisket and the remaining gravy in a bowl alongside.