Recipe: Brisket Braised in Coffee

BRISKET BRAISED IN COFFEE

4 pounds beef brisket, trimmed of excess fat
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
3 large yellow onions (about 1 1/2 to 2 pounds total), sliced
1/4 cup sliced fresh garlic
2 tablespoons (or more) pure chile powder, such as ancho or Chimayo
2 teaspoons whole fennel seeds
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
2/3 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
2/3 cup apple cider vinegar
4 cups strong brewed coffee
1 cup chicken, meat or vegetable stock
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes with their juice

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Season meat liberally with salt and pepper.

In a deep Dutch oven or casserole, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and brown brisket on both sides over high heat. Remove meat from pot, discard fat and wipe pot.

Add remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil to pot and saute onions and garlic over high heat until they just begin to color.

Add chile powder and saute, stirring for a minute more, until fragrant.

Add fennel, cumin, sugar, vinegar, coffee, stock and tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Return brisket to pot.

Cover and place in oven for 3 to 3 1/2 hours or until meat is very tender.

Leaving oven on, transfer meat from pot to cutting board.

Puree braising liquids and vegetables until smooth any way you can (an immersion blender is the easiest way, or you can transfer everything to a food processor or blender, in batches if necessary). Taste sauce and season with salt and pepper if you think it needs it.

Return pureed sauce to pot, place meat fat side up in pot and bake uncovered 30 to 45 minutes more, or until brisket is nicely glazed.

Transfer meat to a cutting board and slice thinly across grain.

Serve meat with warm sauce spooned over it or refrigerate sliced brisket in sauce for up to 3 days and reheat on stove top.

Servings: 6
Adapted from source: John Ash: Cooking One on One: Private Lessons in Simple, Contemporary Food from a Master Teacher