Never made a brisket before. So, I have one. I want to do it on top of the stove.

M

Marg CDN

Well-known member
I have a 3.3 pounder which I will cut into 2. I'll probably use the entire ingredient recipe for 1.6 pounds of meat, but what do you think about the cooking time and the ability to do it on top of the stove? I don't have a slow cooker but lots of grand pots. And now again, I wish I didn't have an gas stove.

I think I planned to eat this as a main course rather than sandwich meat. Clearly, inexperienced. When I was in the store, this is how I imagined making it but I notice lots of recipes that use Heinz Chili, ketchup, tomato soup, coffee, prunes, apricots. Yikes. I just wanted veggies and lots of onions. Of course, by the time I get to eat this, I may feel like "something completely different".

I hope this recipe will work. It got full points at Epi and is an old Gourmet recipe.

Anyone have advice for me please??

3 tablespoons canola oil

1 (2-pounds) piece beef brisket (preferably second-cut)

2 large white onions, chopped

4 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces

4 celery ribs, cut into 1-inch pieces

6 garlic cloves

1/4 cup cider vinegar

1 cup chicken stock or reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 (28-ounces) can crushed tomatoes

Heat oil in a wide 5-to 6-quart heavy pot over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Season brisket with 1 tsp each of salt and pepper, then brown brisket, turning once, about 8 minutes total. Transfer to a plate.

Reduce heat to medium. Add onions to pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden-brown, 12-15 minutes. Add carrots, celery, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Add vinegar, stirring and scraping up brown bits. Add stock and tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Return brisket to pot, nestling it in braising liquid (liquid will not cover meat). Cover with a tight-fitting lid and braise in oven until fork-tender, 3 to 3 1/2 hours.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Braised-Beef-Brisket-355532?recipename=Braised%20Beef%20Brisket&saved_to_box=y

 
I wouldn't go with too small a cut of meat. Brisket needs long-slow cooking to break down properly

so that the collagens and fat keep it moist and flavorful. I fear too small a piece will cook too quickly and you'll wind up with a tough, fatty, unpleasant piece of meat.

This stuff freezes well so if you make more than you can use in an alotted time, wrap it in plastic, then foil and freeze.

 
OK. This recipe says 2 lb. which I thought was a bit small for a simmering meat

tough cut, and you think probably that would be too small as well? Mine would be 1.7 lb actually. I'm not very metric yet after 20 years.

I guess I could do it all anyway as there should be significant loss with quite a bit of fat here. (on the meat, not on me)

I really disliked tough cut roasts as my mother always overdid them or they didn't have enough marbling. I hope this is a pleasant surprise.

 
Marg, I would do the whole thing--you may need to add a little more stock to cover it is all.

If you have a heavy dutch oven you can certainly do it on top of the stove--just keep it slightly below the simmer. A heat diffuser would help if you have one but it shouldn't be necessary if your burner can go down low enough to not boil it.

 
My vote goes to the heavy dutch oven. I use a slower oven, at around 300 degrees.

I start checking for tenderness at around the 3 hour mark. I let it go until I get the tenderness I want. Sometimes as long as 4 to 5 hours.

Make sure the lid seals tightly, and put a piece of foil over the pot before the lid goes on, just in case.

Check every 45 minutes to an hour, to make sure the liquid doesn't go dry. Add simmering water or chicken broth if you need to, to keep the liquid about half way up the side of the meat (don't cover the meat). Turn the meat over in the liquid when you check it.

I like to toss in a few quartered mushrooms, but that's just me.

Good stuff.

Michael

 
Well, I think I'm still living in the olden days and I'm not looking forward to this.

I'm not being open-minded. It looks pretty boring and has another hour to go. It has been difficult finding a true simmer or even a notch above, on a gas stove. It is properly situated in liquid and I've turned it twice but it just looks dull.

Did I ever mention how much I detest gas cooktops??!!

 
(((Marg)))) It never looks great to me, but usually tastes wonderful.

I'm sorry to read you are having such trouble with your gas cooktop - usually it's the other way round with controlling the heat/simmering.

I hope it all turns out well!

 
Marg, earlier this year, Cooks Illustrated did a piece on braising. Their

finding was...regulating the temperature was much easier in the oven as opposed to the cooktop. Braising in the oven was their preferred method.

 
My chuck roasts come out fabulous in the oven, and I was a stove-top...

..."braiser" for years!

It takes about the same amount of time, but it does heat up the house more if you use the oven method. Not a big deal in winter, but I'm more apt to use the stove-top method in the summer!

Michael

 
Rec: Zinfandel-Braised Beef Brisket with Onions and Potatoes, to try next time.

My sympathy over trying to simmer with gas. That's one of the things i don't miss about having to have an electric cooktop. I do miss charring peppers and heating tortillas with the gas flame.

* Exported for MasterCook 4 by Living Cookbook *

Zinfandel-Braised Beef Brisket with Onions & Potatoes

Recipe By : David Bonom
Serving Size : 8 Preparation Time: 0:00
Categories : Beef Main Dish


Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

2 cups zinfandel or other fruity dry red wine
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 2 1/2-lb beef brisket, trimmed
2 tsp salt, divided
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, divided
cooking spray
8 cups sliced Walla Walla or other sweet onion
-- (about 4 medium)
2 Tbs sugar
1 1/4 tsp dried thyme, divided
6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 carrots, peeled and cut into (1/2-inch-thick) slices
2 stalks celery, cut into (1/2-inch-thick) slices
1 1/2 lbs small red potatoes, cut into quarters
1 1/2 tsp extravirgin olive oil
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp ground red pepper
chopped fresh parsley

1. Preheat oven to 325°.

2. Combine first 3 ingredients, stirring with a whisk.

3. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sprinkle beef with 3/4
teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Coat pan with cooking spray.
Add beef to pan; cook for 8 minutes, browning on all sides. Remove beef from
pan; cover and set aside.

4. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, onion, sugar, and 1
teaspoon thyme to pan. Cook 20 minutes or until onions are tender and golden
brown, stirring occasionally. Add garlic, carrots, and celery; cook 5
minutes, stirring occasionally. Place beef on top of onion mixture; pour
wine mixture over beef. Cover and place in oven.

5. Bake at 325° for 1 1/4 hours.

6. While beef mixture cooks, place potatoes in a large bowl. Add 3/4
teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon thyme, oil, oregano, and red pepper; toss to
coat. Arrange in a single layer on a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking
spray.

7. Remove beef from oven; turn beef over. Place potatoes on lower rack in
oven. Cover beef; return to oven. Bake potatoes and beef at 325° for 45
minutes or until beef is tender: Remove beef from oven; cover and keep warm.
Increase oven temperature to 425°. Place potatoes on middle rack in oven;
bake at 425° for 15 minutes or until crisp and edges are browned.

8. Remove beef from pan; cut across the grain into thin slices. Serve with
onion mixture and potatoes. Sprinkle with parsley.

Comments: When it's cold outside, count ,count on the richness of
Zinfandel-Braised Beef Brisket with Onions and Potatoes to comfort your
inside. As this dish (which requires minimal preparation) bakes in the oven,
you will have time to set the table, prepare dessert, and enjoy a glass of
zinfandel. Thanks to its distinctive fruitiness, it's the wine of choice to
season the beef and vegetables as they braise.

Recipe Author: David Bonom

Recipe Source: Cooking Light


- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/zinfandel-braised-beef-brisket-with-onions-potatoes-10000001011337/

 
Marg, my gas stovetop has a simmer burner and a megaburner and 2 regular ones.

Maybe your's has this but it's not marked very well? If you're in a rental you may not have the instruction book. or maybe not all gas stoves have this feature. I have to say I love my gas stove/oven. It's an Amana "big" something or other and it sure does hold a lot in the oven, and those 2 special burners do their job nicely. I think they have diffusers for gas stoves for that gentle simmer you're look for.

 
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