A Divine Brisket - My Food Porn

I can do it.  I have the willpower today to resist.  I.must.not.look.  Just keep walking.  You want the deli counter, not the butcher shop.  Boots, don't fail me now!  I nearly walk past the meat counter at my store but stop dead in my tracks, staring and drooling at the raw brisket laying there all nice and demure.  "Come on...buy me.  You know you wanna.", it taunts me.  Feverishly, I bite my lower lip....my heartbeat drums in my ear.  *THUD THUD THUD* And before I know it, I'm telling the overly hot, tattooed butcher boy Jimmy, I want a piece of his meat brisket.  He smiles up at me as he slowly wraps his the red, juicy meat in brown paper.  "Thanks, sweetheart.", he tells me while our fingers longingly touch as he hands over his the package.  "No....thank you.", I quip before being so rudely interrupted by my husband who, at the other end of the counter, while waving a plastic bag full of crab legs, bellows out "HEY HON!  I GOT CRABS!"  Sighing, and looking at the empathetic butcher god staring sympathetically at me, I mutter under my breath, "Great.  Just great."  The size 0 fashion model-ette standing next to me mockingly twists her lips into a evil sneer and sideways glances at me as Jimmy barks "NEXT!". 

So much for my fantasy... I wave goodbye to Jimmy, who winks and says "See ya next week."  You bet, Jimmy....you bet.  Because he knows....he knows my dark, dirty secret that I can't pass up a good, well trimmed brisket EVER.  And I can't.  Brisket has a notorious, bad boy reputation for a being hard, tough and chewy bite - and it can be if not properly tended to or cooked long enough.  Once you learn the secrets, brisket is one of the easiest meals ever made.

This brisket, I hate to say it, is a heavy take on Pioneer Woman's Passover Brisket, which isn't even really HERS, but her friend's recipe.  I don't normally have luck with Pioneer Woman recipes but this is one that actually worked for me.  But even still, I had to fix it somewhat.  (My hubby has the theory that PW leaves out specific instructions or ingredients off her recipes so nobody can possibly duplicate them...I have to wonder after so many failed attempted recipes.)  However, I have to say, this one DID work after figuring out the basics after trial and error.  The main key to this brisket is an overnight marinade.  (2 days is best)  Jimmy is a great butcher and while I don't need to trim my beef, remove any excess fat you see prior to marinating.  Some is okay...big chunks of fat is not.  Get rid of that icky stuff.  The other key, prolly the biggest, is slow, low heat cooking.  Patience is a must, grasshopper.  Sliced against the grain, it falls apart into irresistible, tender strands.

What happens is nothing short of sheer magic.  As it cooks for 8 hours, the marinade becomes a thick, rich tomato/beef gravy that soaks in and penetrates every meat fiber.  It changes from a bright red color to a deep burgundy/brown.  Each delicious bite is just bursting with deep, dark flavor.  You cannot resist the flavor or texture.  It is sheer perfection on a fork.

Divine Brisket
derived from Pioneer Woman

5-8 pound beef brisket, trimmed of fat
2 regular sized bottles of Heinz Chili Sauce
1 packet of Golden Onion soup mix
3/4 cup beef stock
1/4 cup red wine or cooking sherry
salt/pepper

Salt and pepper your brisket on both sides.  Place into a gallon sized Ziploc bag.  (or some glass or plastic container big enough for marinating.  Do NOT use metal.)

In a bowl, whisk together the chili sauce, the soup mix, beef stock and wine/sherry. Pour over the meat in the bag and zip shut.  Place in the fridge overnight, flipping several times to marinate both sides.  (two days is really optimal here for marinating...its gets SUPER tender if you soak a second day.)

Spray a casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray big enough to contain both marinade and brisket.  (I use a glass, low rimmed one)  Remove your meat to the prepared baking dish and pour the marinade over top.  Cover with foil and pierce a few times to vent.

Bake at 275 degrees for 8 hours, flipping once half-way through and spooning sauce over top to baste.  Keep covered with foil the entire time.  Remove from oven and cool slightly.  Remove to a chopping board and slice against the grain into thin strips.  Add back to the dish and spoon sauce over top before serving.