“As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.”
If you’re looking for a different take on a sweet and sour brisket, this is for you! Brisket of course, is traditionally made for Rosh Hashanah, and I always like to have something with some sweetness on the menu.
For this brisket, the sweetness comes from canned Bing cherries in syrup (I use M’Lord cherries, but use what’s available to you) and a little brown sugar. This brand of cherries isn’t overly sweet, so if you use a different brand taste them before adding the brown sugar.
In addition to the cherries and brown sugar, this brisket is cooked slowly with onions, garlic, Dijon mustard, thyme and balsamic vinegar for the sour component. As they cook, the cherries break down to create a delicious lightly sweet and tangy gravy with some savory depth from the other ingredients. A great addition to a holiday meal!
Sweet and Sour Cherry Brisket
Tender brisket in a lightly sweet and tangy gravy with cherries, Dijon and balsamic. Serves 6-8.
Ingredients
• one 4-5 lb (1.8-2.3 kg) beef brisket
• salt and black pepper
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and finely chopped (about 10 oz. / 280 grams)
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 4 large garlic cloves, crushed
• two x 390 mL cans Bing cherries in syrup
• 2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 4 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 10 sprigs of thyme
Directions
• Preheat your oven to 300ºF / 150°C.
• Rinse and dry the brisket and season both sides generously with salt and black pepper.
• In a large Dutch oven or roasting pan, heat the olive oil over high heat (to very hot, but not smoking). Brown the brisket on both sides, about 3-5 minutes per side. Transfer the brisket to a plate and set aside.
• Lower the heat to medium and add the onions and brown sugar to the pan. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are soft, 8 -10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another minute, stirring continuously.
• Add the cherries with the syrup, Dijon, balsamic and thyme. Stir everything together and bring to a simmer.
• Return the brisket and any juices to the pot, cover and place in the oven for 3-4 hours, or until fork tender (and reaches 200°F / 95°C). Turn the brisket over every hour.
• When it’s fork tender, remove from oven, then remove the lid and cool slightly. Refrigerate until completely chilled.
• To finish, use a spoon to remove any solidified fat, then take the brisket out of the sauce, scraping all of the sauce off of the brisket and back into the pot. Remove the thyme sprigs and discard.
• Slice the brisket into 5-mm / 1/4-inch thick slices, making sure you slice across the grain.
• While you’re slicing the brisket, place the Dutch oven back on the stove over medium-high heat and bring the sauce back to a simmer. Simmer for 7-10 minutes, until the sauce has reduced by about 1/3 and thickened slightly.
• Carefully add the sliced brisket to the pot and simmer gently until the brisket is hot, 8-10 minutes.
• Enjoy!
Pam's Kitchen 