Brisket

Comfort food will never go out of style. While food trends come and go, comfort food is in it for the long haul. I think about comfort food more when the weather is cold or on a rainy day or like today when 25 inches of snow has us indoors.

This recipe is excellent, leftovers make great sandwiches

Seasoned with Emeril's Essence, split into its own recipe: Emeril's Essence (Creole Seasoning).

Ingredients

• 8 to 10 pound (3.63-4.54 kg) brisket
• Garlic cloves
• 4 cups (960 ml) beef stock (unsalted or low salt) I used chicken stock .
• 3 large onions, sliced
• 3 tablespoons (45 ml) vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons (10 ml) salt
• 2 teaspoons (10 ml) Emeril's Original Essence, recipe follows
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) onion powder
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) garlic powder
• 1 cup (240 ml) ketchup
• 1 cup (240 ml) chili sauce
• 1 cup (240 ml) brown sugar

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F (260°C).
2. Using a paring knife and your finger, stuff the brisket all over with garlic. Place the brisket in a baking dish or casserole and bake until browned on top. Remove from the oven, turn the brisket, and return to the oven until browned on both sides.
3. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175°C). Add enough beef stock to the casserole to come up 1 inch (3 cm) on the sides, cover with foil, and bake one hour.
4. While the brisket is cooking, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and sauté the onions in the vegetable oil, stirring occasionally, until caramelized and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 20 minutes. Set aside.
5. Remove the brisket from the oven after one hour and add the caramelized onions and all remaining ingredients, moving the meat around to combine the ingredients. Cover and continue to bake until very tender but not falling apart, another 2 to 3 hours.
6. Remove the brisket to a carving board and slice. Strain the reserved cooking liquids and pour over the sliced brisket. The brisket may be returned to the casserole dish and allowed to cool, then served the next day. (Reheated in the oven.)

this is the original recipe, I omitted the ketchup and increased the chili sauce to 2 cups.

Brisket is better if made a day in advance.