Frank's Braised Brisket with Cabbage, Carrots & Potatoes
Almost like a Saint Paddy’s Day meal, this is beef and taters and cabbage and carrots you can serve to anyone almost anytime, whether they be Irish or not, me lads and lassies! So head off to the supermarket, make your groceries, and get back home in time to fix this for supper tonight!
3 packages instant beef broth mix
1 package dry onion soup mix
6 cups boiling water
1 can beer (not light beer), 12-ounce size
3 sprigs fresh Italian parsley, minced
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
6-8 toes fresh garlic, smashed
3 ribs celery, cut into 2-inch pieces
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon whole black pepper corns
2 whole bay leaves
3 teaspoons Frank Davis Beef Seasoning
6 pounds beef brisket, point or flat cut, trimmed
20 small red potatoes, “B” creamer size, peeled
10 carrots, peeled and cut into 3-inch pieces
2 large heads green cabbage, cut into small wedges
1 loaf artisan rye bread
First, take a 6-quart, cast iron, porcelain-lined Dutch oven, dissolve the beef broth and the onion soup mixes with the boiling water and the can of beer, and pour the “stock” into the pot. At this point, bring the liquids to a rolling boil. But immediately when the boil occurs, drop in all the remaining ingredients except the brisket, the potatoes, the carrots, and the cabbage.
When the pot comes back to a full boil, boil everything for 10 minutes. Then add the meat to the Dutch oven, lower the fire, and poach it with the cover on the pot for about 3 to 4 hours or until the beef is “fork tender.” Ideally, you’ll get the best results if you can allow the brisket to “rest” in the stock (in a non-metal, non-reactive container) overnight in the refrigerator. If this isn’t possible, though, you’ll have to skim the residual fat off the surface of the beef stock after the meat is removed from the pot.
To finish up the dish, after “resting” (either for a few hours or overnight) remove any hardened fat that might have accumulated on the surface of the stock. Then, with the brisket tightly wrapped in aluminum foil, place it in a 250-degree oven to reheat.
Immediately thereafter, set the pot back on the stove, bring the liquid in it to a gentle boil, and drop in the potatoes, carrots, and cabbage and poach everything slowly until tender (which should take about 20-25 minutes).
Then, when the veggies are cooked, transfer them from the Dutch oven to a large ovenproof serving platter and slide the platter into the oven with the reheating beef until you make your gravy.
Here’s how to do it: First strain the stock to remove all the flavoring ingredients (you can discard them). Then, after pouring the stock back into the Dutch oven, bring it to a full boil. But while it’s coming up to a boil, dissolve ¼ cup cornstarch in ½ cup cold water. Then slowly whisk the cornstarch a little at a time into the poaching stock. It will immediately begin to thicken. When it reaches the consistency you desire, not pasty but not watery either, transfer it in a gravy boat, set it on the table, place the veggies and the brisket next to it, and. . .dig in! By the way, this gravy goes great over the meat, potatoes, carrots, and the cabbage! And you just got to have a loaf of rye bread to go with this!
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Chef’s Notes:
Fork tender means a chef’s meat fork will penetrate the beef with very little resistance.
Here’s a gourmet suggestion—if there’s brisket left over (and it should be cut across the grain into thin slices), rush out to the store and buy French bread, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, mayonnaise, and a jar of horseradish. Then head back home to build yourself one of the tastiest beef poboys you ever had!
If you’d prefer to use canned or boxed beef stock instead of the dry packets, feel free to make the appropriate substitutions.
Oh, yeah—instead of cooking this brisket on top the stove, you most certainly can do it in your oven. Just place the prepped meat and stock into a large baking pan, make sure you got at least 2 inches of stock in the pan, and cover it tightly with heavy duty aluminum. Then bake the brisket at 350 degrees for roughly 4 hours or until fork tender.