Beef Brisket Braised in Red Wine, Wrapped in Bacon
- 3 pounds beef brisket
- 1 750-ml bottle Chianti or Barolo red wine
- 6 to 8 bay leaves
- 12 strips center cut bacon
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 red onion, cut into 4-6 wedges
- 4 carrots, scraped and cut on the diagonal into 3-inch pieces
- 2 fennel bulbs, quartered
- 6 whole celery stalks, cut into 4-inch pieces, including all leaves and hearts
- 8 cloves garlic, peeled
- In a bowl, marinate the beef in the wine and bay leaves for 8 to 10 hours in the refrigerator.
- In a skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat, being careful not to overcook itit should not be crispy.
- Remove the bacon, leaving the fat in the skillet.
- Remove the brisket from the wine, saving the marinade.
- Using the same skillet, turn the heat up to high, and when hot, sear the beef for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes on each side, holding the brisket with tongs or a fork to sear all sides.
- Place the seared beef in a Dutch oven and let it cool for a couple of minutes.
- Sprinkle the thyme on both sides of the brisket.
- Wrap the bacon strips around the brisket, securing them with kitchen string.
- Preheat the oven to 300F.
- In the same skillet, melt the butter into the remaining bacon fat, and saute the onions, carrots, fennel bulbs, celery stalks, and garlic for 4 to 5 minutes to awaken the flavors.
- Pour the vegetables, the fat in which theyre cooked, and the remaining wine marinade over and around the brisket.
- Cover the Dutch oven and begin the slow cooking process.
- Bake the brisket for 3 1/2 to 4 hours.
- Every 30 minutes, remove the brisket and turn it, stirring the vegetables.
- When done, the brisket should be so tender that you can cut through it with a spoon.
- Remove the butcher string and bay leaves, spoon the vegetables over the eat and serve.
beef brisket, bay leaves, center, thyme, butter, red onion, carrots, fennel bulbs, celery stalks, garlic
Taken from www.cookstr.com/recipes/beef-brisket-braised-in-red-wine-wrapped-in-bacon (may not work)