Unbreaded

Weekend Recipe: Braised Brisket with Gruyere

Weekend Recipe posts are intended to give you a delicious sandwich you can try on a lazy Saturday or Sunday afternoon.

Braising a brisket is about succulent, juicy, flakes of tender beef that melt in your mouth and fill your gullet with a deep, hearty, robust, meaty flavor. Served on a fresh Italian bread with gravy, horseradish and shredded gruyere cheese.

Directions for a 2lb cut of brisket:

1. In a dry bowl, combine all ingredients for spice rub and stir till completely incorporated.
2. Trim away any large sections of fat on the meat. Rub an even coating of spice rub on both sides and pat down into the meat. Pour a light drizzle of olive oil on both sides and pat down.
3. Preheat oven to 325.
4. Over medium-high heat, pour canola oil in a sauté pan, enough to coat the bottom. When it comes to a light smoke, sear brisket for approx. 3 minutes on each side.
5. Pour in enough braising liquid to cover ¾ of meat, cover, and put in oven. Turn meat every 45 minutes for 3 hours.
6. After 3 hours, remove meat and use cooked braising liquid as gravy.

Jeff’s beef rub

- 1 tsp hungarian paprika
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp New Mexico chile
- ½ tsp ancho chile powder
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp ground mustard
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ¼ tsp granulated onion
- ¼ tsp ground allspice
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- 1/8 tsp chipotle chile
- 1-2 tbsp kosher salt to taste

Jeff’s braising liquid

In a dry sauce pot, lightly toast seeds (stirring frequently) over medium heat until fragrant. Add onion, garlic and olive oil and sauté till golden. When onion and garlic begin to brown, stir in tomato paste to incorporate all ingredients. Stir frequently for 2-3 minutes while tomato paste browns and begins to stick to the bottom. Continuously scrape bottom for another 1-2 minutes, longer if paste is not sticking. Pour in broth, Worcester, soy and hot sauces and use wooden spoon to scrape up all bits on the bottom. Add 2 dried ancho chiles, cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove chiles, onion, garlic and seeds with a slotted spoon or strainer.

- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 1 small onion, large chops
- 2 cloves garlic, large chops
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp Worcester sauce
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Frank’s hot sauce
- 2 dried whole ancho chiles
- 3-4 cups beef broth

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