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- Course: Main Course
- Skill Level: Moderate
- Cost: Splurge
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Beef Brisket Braised in Red Wine, Wrapped in Bacon
Cookbook
This is my version of a classic Italian dish called brasato al Barolo made in the Langhe region. This dish is perfect served with some creamy polenta or a serving of mashed potatoes with some of the gravy from the beef drizzled over it. The bacon wrapped around the beef gives it an extra note of silky richness and flavor. I know we’re all obsessed with doing things the fastest way possible, but there is merit in slow cooking. This dish is a great example of why.
Yield : Serves 4-6
Ingredients
- 3 pounds beef brisket
- 1 750-ml bottle Chianti or Barolo red wine
- 6 to 8 bay leaves
- 12 strips center cut bacon
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 red onion, cut into 4-6 wedges
- 4 carrots, scraped and cut on the diagonal into 3-inch pieces
- 2 fennel bulbs, quartered
- 6 whole celery stalks, cut into 4-inch pieces, including all leaves and hearts
- 8 cloves garlic, peeled
Directions
1. In a bowl, marinate the beef in the wine and bay leaves for 8 to 10 hours in the refrigerator.
2. In a skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat, being careful not to overcook it—it should not be crispy. Remove the bacon, leaving the fat in the skillet.
3. Remove the brisket from the wine, saving the marinade. Using the same skillet, turn the heat up to high, and when hot, sear the beef for 1½ to 2 minutes on each side, holding the brisket with tongs or a fork to sear all sides.
4. Place the seared beef in a Dutch oven and let it cool for a couple of minutes. Sprinkle the thyme on both sides of the brisket. Wrap the bacon strips around the brisket, securing them with kitchen string.
5. Preheat the oven to 300°F.
6. In the same skillet, melt the butter into the remaining bacon fat, and sauté the onions, carrots, fennel bulbs, celery stalks, and garlic for 4 to 5 minutes to awaken the flavors. Pour the vegetables, the fat in which they’re cooked, and the remaining wine marinade over and around the brisket. Cover the Dutch oven and begin the slow cooking process.
7. Bake the brisket for 3½ to 4 hours. Every 30 minutes, remove the brisket and turn it, stirring the vegetables. When done, the brisket should be so tender that you can cut through it with a spoon. Remove the butcher string and bay leaves, spoon the vegetables over the eat and serve.
© 2007 Padma Lakshmi
Nutritional Information
Nutrients per serving
Nutritional information is based on 6 servings.
657 kcal
12 % daily value
32 % daily value
14 % daily value
1592 mg
99 mg
51 g
6 g
5 g
21 g
169 mg
389 mg
13 g
30 g
35 % daily value
