Tuscan-Style Beef Brisket

Growing up, beef brisket was not something we normally ate in our home. The first time I made this dish was about seven or eight years ago when I got tired of cooking the same standard roasts that we would always make for holidays or Sunday dinners.  Luckily for me, my family likes to try new things. In fact, every holiday or family gathering, my husband insists that there is at least one new item on the menu. 

I originally posted this recipe back in July 2011 along with a recipe for potato pancakes, but recently opened up my cookbook during one of our many recent homebound snowstorms and made this Tuscan-Style Beef Brisket again.  The recipe is simple with a paste of fresh garlic and rosemary and sits in a bath of red wine and beef broth; which make a flavorful au jus when served. I've made this recipe several times now over the years and it comes out perfectly every time. ~Enjoy! 

Marsala & Lemon Roasted Beef Brisket

I'm just warning you now that for the next week or so, I may have several recipes that include lemons. I have quite a few lemons without zest on them after making the Limoncello last week! :) This past Sunday, I made this Beef Brisket and the house smelled incredible. You just can't go wrong with wine, lemons, rosemary and garlic. The key to making a brisket is to cook it slow and low so that it tenderizes the meat. Also remember to cut across the grain! 

Since brisket wasn't a common food in our home while I was growing up, I never tried eating or cooking it until recently and now, I make it several times a year. For those of you not familiar with brisket, it is a cut of meat from the breast or lower chest of beef or veal. Brisket is also the most popular cut for corned beef, which can be further spiced and smoked to make pastrami. Cooked brisket, being boneless, carves well after refrigeration, and is a versatile cheaper cut.

I found this info on Wikipedia and thought it was interesting to share. Here are some other ways to cook brisket. In traditional Jewish cooking, brisket is most often braised, like a pot roast, especially as a holiday main course, usually served at Rosh Hashannah, Passover, and Shabbat.  In Hong Kong, it is cooked with spices over low heat until tender, and is commonly served with noodles in soup or curry. In Korean cuisine, it is commonly cooked for a short period of time and eaten in thin slices. In Thai cuisine, it is used to prepare suea rong hai, a popular grilled dish originally from Isan. It is also a common cut of meat for use in Vietnamese pho soup.  In Britain, it is not generally smoked, but is one of a number of low cost cuts normally cooked very slowly in a lidded casserole dish with gravy. The dish, known as a pot roast, is often accompanied by root vegetables.  In Mexican cuisine, brisket is known as suadero and it is commonly slowly cooked in a circular pan in taco stands all over the country.

Marsala & Lemon Roasted Beef Brisket
1 1/2 lb. Beef Brisket, thin cut
2 tbsp. Marsala Wine
1 Lemon, juice only
1 tbsp. Fresh Rosemary
3 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt
1/4 tsp. Fresh Ground Black Pepper
1/4 tsp. Garlic Powder
1 tbsp. Pecorino Romano Cheese, grated
1 c. Beef Broth

Whisk together the wine, lemon juice, rosemary, oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder and cheese until well blended. Place the brisket, fat side up (trim excess but leave a thin layer) in an oven safe baking dish. Baste the mixture on top of the brisket and add the beef broth to the bottom of the pan. Bake in a 325 degree oven for 4 hours; basting the meat every 30 minutes to keep it moist. Remove and let cool before slicing. Serves 4. 

Nutrition Facts per Serving

Calories 394, Carbs 1.7g, Fat 32.3g, Protein 21.6g, Fiber 0g, Sugar 1.5g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into Calorie Count and may not be 100% accurate. 

Enjoy!