Braise of Prather Ranch Beef

June 4th, 2009

This is the kind of dish that requires a very long cooking time but holds great rewards for those with enough patience. I like to use brisket (beef from the lower breast or chest of the cow). It typically has a lot of sinew and–when cooked for many hours at a low temperature in some sort of braising liquid–comes out with an incredible depth of flavor. Here is how I like to put mine together:

Ingredients (serves 6-8):

-4 pounds of best quality brisket (I love Prather Ranch)

-1 large onion, diced

-2 medium carrots, chopped

-Extra virgin olive oil

-Salt and pepper

-16 ounces (1/2 28 ounce can) of San Marzano tomatoes

-1 bottle of dry white wine

-2 sprigs of oregano

-2 sprigs of rosemary

Heat your oven to 350 degrees. Take your meat out of refrigeration and place onto a large plate. Salt the meat aggressively and allow to come to room temperature (1 hour). In a large Dutch oven heat 4 tablespoons of olive oil over high heat until almost smoking. Place your meat into the Dutch oven and sear until deep dark golden brown (approximately 6 minutes per side) on both sides. Remove your meat to rest. Discard any excess fat from the Dutch oven.

Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and scrape up any brown bits using a wooden spoon. Add the carrots, onion and oregano. Salt the aromatics so that they begin to break down. Cook until the carrots and onions are soft and translucent (not brown), approximately 3-4 minutes. Add the meat back in. Pour in the wine and bring to a boil. Pour in the San Marzano tomatoes. Salt the tomatoes so that they too begin to break down. Boil for 4-5 minutes or until most of the alcohol has burned off. Add the sprigs of rosemary, cover and insert into the oven. Cook at 375 for one hour. Pull out the Dutch oven, check the braise to ensure there is enough liquid (if not, add water), stir and flip the meat.

Continue cooking for another 2 hours, checking and turning the meat each hour. After 3 hours remove the lid and cook for an additional 30 minutes until the meat is slightly browned and completely falling apart. Skim and remove any additional fat.

Remove the meat to a cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes. Slice into 1/2 fillets and serve with your favorite braised greens or vegetables. Spoon a bit of sauce over the meat and serve immediately.

Buon appetito!

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