Yesterday in NYC the weather was 65 and sunny. As I strolled through Whole foods I saw women in sun-dresses, bare legs and itsy-bitsy flip flops that showed off their brand-new perfect pedicures. The way people were pushing the season (fashion-wise) you would have thought it was the dog days of summer! Before our dinner menus turn to crispy salads with chicken breast and fresh sautes of summer garden vegetables, I felt there was room on the dinner menu for one last braise of the season. Today it’s 48 degrees and rainy which means it will be downright cold by the time sun sets. Tonight’s menu calls for a Spring-time dish that honors the season’s ambivalence. Dinner is to be hot, sweet, nutty and have a hint of lemon. Ahhh… that lemon does the trick! It’s tangy citrus that shows a promise of hot summer days to come.

Beef Brisket Braised with Sweet White Wine – This recipe comes from The Minimalist Mark Bittman a food writer for the New York Times. A friend passed along a copy of this article way back in 2001 – and it has been a Spring-time favorite of mine ever since. The best part is that you can make this recipe the day before -or- double it and serve to a crowd. P E R F E C T I O N -!-

Ingredients:
3 Tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 2-3 pound beef brisket – salt and pepper to taste
3 large or 4 medium onions peeled and sliced *use yellow onions not white sweet vidalia onions, the yellow ones will sweeten as they carmelize*
1 Tablespoon of minced garlic (I prefer to use garlic paste)
1 cup white wine – I like to use a Fume Blanc or a Sauvignon Blanc
1/2 juice of a lemon, or to taste

Directions:
Put the olive oil into a large dutch oven or casserole pan that has a lid.
Turn the heat to medium high.
Salt and pepper one side of the brisket.
When oil is hot, place the beef into the oil seasoned side down.
Salt and pepper the exposed side of the beef brisket.
Brown the meet well on both sides, for about 10 minutes total.
Remove the meat and place it on a plate off to the side.

Add the onion and garlic to the pan you just browned the meat in. Add a sprinkle of salt to the onion/garlic mixture. This will help the onions to release some water and continue to cook.
Stir this mixture once, making sure the onions are covered with the oil/salt/pepper that coated the pan.
Cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Onions will be slightly brown, they will be almost dry – nearly sticking to the pan
Uncover, add wine, add the meat. I like to ladle the onions to cover the meat.
Adjust the heat so that the mixture simmers steadily, not violently.

Cook until the meat is tender. {1.5-3 hours – be sure to keep this in mind when making the recipe! It isn’t a dish you just whip together in 20 minutes flat. It is a nice meal to prepare on a lazy Sunday afternoon and eat warmed up that night – or better yet – reheated the next day as the flavors will have time to meld}
Remove the meat and place on a cutting board. Let rest for about 10 minutes to allow the meat to relax and absorb any juices.

E N J O Y -!-

Posted by Amy Beth Cupp Dragoo / Nesting and totally delicious dishes and Uncategorized