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White Wine Braised Brisket

A while ago, I was making beef short ribs for dinner, thinking I had a bottle of red wine at home that I would use to braise them. But when I went to get the bottle, it was actually white wine (Chardonnay). With no time to run out to get a bottle of red and having everything else I needed in the kitchen, I went with it. And I loved the short ribs.

When I decided to cook a brisket recently, I duplicated what I did with the short ribs, and it was just as good. In fact, a family member who isn’t fond of wine-braised brisket loved this version. The white wine is present in the sauce, but it’s not as dominant a flavour, working with the honey, garlic, paprika, sumac, and thyme to create a delicious sauce.

You could use the same recipe with short ribs (less cooking time) or a chuck roast.

White Wine Braised Brisket

Brisket braised in white wine, sumac, honey, garlic and paprika. A lighter version of wine braised brisket.


Ingredients

  • 4-5 lbs. / 1.8-2.3 kg brisket (whichever cut you prefer)
  • salt and black pepper
  • 3 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 6 shallots, peeled and cut in half lengthwise, keeping the root attached
  • 6 carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
  • 4 celery ribs, cut into 2-inch chunks
  • 5 large garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1 Tbsp. sweet paprika
  • 2 Tbsp. sumac
  • 6 Tbsp. tomato paste
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 3 cups white wine (a bottle of dry white wine that you like)
  • 6 sprigs of thyme

Directions

  1. Preheat your oven to 300ºF / 150°C.
  2. Rinse and dry the brisket and season both sides generously with salt and pepper.
  3. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or roasting pan over high heat. Brown the brisket on both sides, 3-5 minutes per side, until caramelized. Transfer the brisket to a plate and set aside.
  4. Lower the temperature to medium and add the shallots, carrots and celery. Cook, stirring, until they just start to brown, 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic, paprika, sumac and salt and sauté one minute.
  5. Add the tomato paste and sauté another minute. Add the honey and mix through.
  6. Add the wine, stir through, scraping off anything that’s stuck to the bottom of the pot. Bring to a simmer. Add the thyme sprigs and return the brisket to the pot.
  7. Cover the pot/pan and place in the oven. Cook for 3-4 hours, or until the brisket is fork tender and reaches 200ºF / 95°C, turning the brisket over every hour.
  8. When the brisket is done, transfer it to another pan and strain the juices over the brisket. I like to keep the carrots and transfer them to the new pan with the brisket, discarding the shallots and celery, but you can keep the celery and shallots if you like.
  9. Cool slightly, then refrigerate until completely chilled. Once chilled, cover until you’re ready to proceed.
  10. To finish, use a spoon to remove any solidified fat from the sauce, then transfer the brisket to a cutting board and transfer any vegetables you saved to a plate.
  11. Pour the juices into a pot and place over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and let it cook until the sauce has reduced by approximately one-third and thickened slightly.
  12. While the sauce simmers, slice the brisket across the grain into 1/4-inch slices. Place the sliced brisket and vegetables back into the roasting pan.
  13. Taste the sauce for seasoning, adding salt and pepper if needed. Pour the reduced sauce over the brisket, cover, and place in a 300ºF / 150°C oven for 40-50 minutes until hot. Transfer to a serving dish and serve!

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