Lily's Brisket

My favorite things to cook have always been the ones that yielded the most deliciousness with the minimum of effort. Don't misunderstand me--I love to cook complex, time-consuming multi- course meals, but it is not the only thing I like to do. Friends, sweaty yoga classes, sunny days all beckon me away from my four burner lover. (Really, is there anything better than sitting outside on a sunny day sipping a glass of wine, chatting with friends and people watching? )
I never considered how well this preference for cooking things with ease would work with a baby. I honestly thought that during my maternity leave, she would nap and I would finally have time to experiment and cook four course dinners on weeknights. Wrong! She is a lovely sleeper at night, but during the day she is 'no nap nellie' and my new challenge is not to work around her but to work with her. Braising is perfect for the baby (or just plain busy) lifestyle. I don't need to espouse the benefits and ease of braising. I'm sure that you are familiar with it--'take a cheap cut of meat and turn it into a tender, succulent taste sensation!' No need to be tied to the stove! The busy household's friend!' But it really is true. In honor of Passover last week I braised brisket, but this basic recipe could easily work for pot roast, beef stew etc. I love starting with a base note of caramelized onions--it adds an irreplaceable richness and depth of flavor.

Lily's Busy Day Brisket
Turn on the oven to 375F

2 onions, sliced (put the baby down and frantically slice before she starts to fuss.)

2 Tbsp. Olive Oil

1 Tbsp. Butter

1 tsp. dried thyme or 1 Tbsp. fresh

Over a low heat in a saute pan, warm the olive oil and melt the butter. Add the onions, season with salt and pepper and the thyme. Cook slowly over low to medium heat, until the the onions melt down into a sticky, dark golden brown mass. This takes about 45 minutes, but it is absolutely worth it. You can make this ahead of time and freeze in small containers to use whenever. Caramelized onions are great on sandwiches with roast beef, pizzas or anything else you can imagine. Once the onions are done, deglaze the pan with a little bit of water or stock and set aside.

4 Carrots, large dice

handful of mushrooms, quartered or halved if tiny.

2# Brisket

scant Tbsp. of oil

1 c. of Red Wine

1 c. of Chicken Demi Glace (I love cooking with demi-glace. It adds richness and mouthfeel to foods. However, if Demi-glace is unavailable, use twice the amount of chicken stock.)

3 c. of chicken or beef stock.
I like using a combination of beef and chicken stock. Braising beef with pure beef stock often results in a dish that is just too, well, beefy. I like the lightness of flavor that results from using chicken stock. If you only have beef stock on hand, I would cut it with 50% water.
Season the brisket well with salt and pepper. If you are using kosher beef keep in mind that it has already been salted. Heat the oil in a pot large enough to hold the beef and other ingredients. Sear the beef well on both sides. The beef should be a rich dark brown color from the searing process. *searing to a dark color will add flavor to the overall dish. Pour in the liquids, add the carrots, mushrooms and onions. Bring to a simmer on the stove top and add rosemary or other herbs if desired, then cover and place in the oven. Go about your daily business and let the brisket simmer away. Take a peek after an hour has elapsed--make sure that the brisket is still simmering away with plenty of liquid left in the pan. After 2 hours of cooking time, test the brisket for doneness by sticking a fork in it and lifting up. All braised items are judged to be done when they are fork tender. This means that when you stick a fork in a piece of meat and lift up it will fall off of the fork. Remove the pot from the oven and taste the sauce for seasoning. Add salt and pepper as needed. Since brisket tends to be fatty, you may de-grease the sauce by letting it chill overnight and then skimming the fat from the surface before reheating and serving. To serve, remove the brisket from the sauce and slice across the grain. I like serving this with mashed potatoes, but egg noodles or steamed rice would also be a good accompaniment.
Bon Appetit!