Sweet and Sour Brisket

I am absolutely loving the rainy, cloudy fall weather we are having. After many of these cozy days, I had a distinct need to braise a piece of meat! I decided upon brisket and came up with this recipe after a quick food network search. This is the first Ellie Krieger recipe I have tried and I must say it was a resounding success. I omitted the raisins from this recipe and substituted a pinch of allspice for the whole allspice berry. I made a 1.5 lb brisket but did not change the sauce proportions or cooking time and it was a perfect ratio of sauce to meat and the brisket was fork tender. This recipe would easily be adaptable to a slow cooker. This is the perfect meal for a football watching party or just a cold rainy day. I served mine with butterscotch and black pepper baby carrots and garlic mashed potatoes. Add in Ina's homemade chocolate pudding for dessert and you have one fantastic meal!

Sweet and Sour Brisket

• 1 (3-pound) beef brisket, first-cut or flat-half cut, trimmed of any excess fat
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 medium onion, cut in 1/2, then thinly sliced into 1/2 moons
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped (about 1 tablespoon)
• One 15- oz. can tomato sauce, preferably no salt added
• 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth or water
• 3 tablespoons firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup raisins
• 5 black peppercorns
• 1 allspice berry

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Pat the brisket dry and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat in a Dutch oven or braising pot. Sear the brisket until it is browned, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer the brisket to a plate.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the pot and cook the onion, stirring a few times, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the tomato sauce, broth, brown sugar, 1/3 cup of the vinegar, the raisins, peppercorns, and allspice and stir to combine well. Bring mixture to a boil, return brisket and any accumulated juices to the pot, spoon some of the tomato-vinegar mixture over the brisket, cover tightly, and transfer to the oven. Cook until the brisket is fork tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

Remove the brisket from the oven, transfer the meat to a cutting board, and let rest for 10 to 20 minutes or, if serving later, cover and refrigerate the meat and sauce for several hours or overnight. When you are ready to serve, cut the meat against the grain into 1/4- inch thick slices. Stir the remaining 1 tablespoon vinegar into the warm sauce. Return the sliced brisket to the sauce until heated through, then serve.

Yield: 10 servings, serving size: 4-ounces brisket plus 3 tablespoons of sauce

Source: Ellie Krieger/Foodnetwork.com