Beef Brisket With Cherry-merlot Sauce And Caramelized Onions

Total Time: 5 hrs 30 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 5 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 4 -5 lbs first-cut beef brisket
• salt & fresh ground pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups chopped onions
• 1/2 cup carrot, chopped small
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 (28 ounce) can plum tomatoes, with juice
• 2 cups merlot
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cups thinly sliced sweet onions (such as vidalia or spanish)
• salt & fresh ground pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup dried cherries, pitted

Recipe

• 1 preheat the oven to 325.
• 2 season brisket all over with the salt and pepper.
• 3 in a large roasting pan with a tight-fitting lid or a dutch oven, warm the olive oil over medium-high heat.
• 4 add the brisket and brown well on all sides.
• 5 transfer to a plate.
• 6 add the onion and carrot to the pan and saute until golden, about 6 minutes.
• 7 add the garlic and saute about 2 minutes more.
• 8 add the tomatoes and juices, 1 cup of the wine and the bay leaf, mix well and bring to a boil.
• 9 return brisket to the pan, cover and place in the oven.
• 10 cook, basting occasionally, for about 3 hours, or until the brisket is fork-tender.
• 11 remove from the oven and allow to cool in the juices.
• 12 transfer the brisket to a deep platter and cover with aluminum foil.
• 13 refrigerate until cold, up to overnight.
• 14 let the pan juices cool, then pass through a sieve or food mill into a bowl.
• 15 discard the solids and refrigerate until ready to use.
• 16 just before serving, preheat the oven to 350.
• 17 slice the brisket thinly and arrange on an oven-proof serving platter.
• 18 cover with aluminum foil and warm in the oven for 15 minutes.
• 19 meanwhile, cook the onions: warm the olive oil in a large fry pan and add the sliced onions.
• 20 saute, stirring often, until golden brown and sweet.
• 21 season with salt and pepper and set aside.
• 22 while onions are sauteing, pour the remaining cup of wine into a saucepan over high heat.
• 23 add 1/4 cup of the dried cherries and bring to a boil.
• 24 boil until wine is reduced by half and then stir in reserved brisket juices.
• 25 bring to a boil and season with salt and pepper.
• 26 to serve, remove the brisket from the oven.
• 27 pour the sauce over the meat and then top with the caramelized onions.
• 28 sprinkle with the remaining dried cherries and serve immediately.