Missy Robbins, chef/owner of Lilia in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, grew up in a household driven by good food—all thanks to her parents. Of all the things that her mother would make her, one thing she recounts not particularly enjoying was brisket.
But all of that changed a few years ago.
“Now when I’m home . . . I look forward to my mom’s brisket, especially the burnt end pieces,” she states in her latest cookbook, Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner…Life: Recipes and Adventures from My Home Kitchen. For her brisket, she does as her mom does, flavoring it with both beer and Heinz chili sauce. Robbins enhances the flavor with additional aromatics like thyme, rosemary and garlic.
“Thanks for the inspiration, Mom!”
Mom’s Brisket (Sort Of)
Reprinted with permission from Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner…Life: Recipes and Adventures from My Home Kitchen. Copyright © 2017 Rizzoli.Serves 10 to 12
Ingredients
1 brisket, whole (10 to 12 pounds)
Kosher salt
Olive oil
3 onions, sliced into 1/4-inch wedges
3 tablespoons coarse black pepper
1 tablespoon ground chile flakes
1 can of beer (ale is best)
3/4 cup Heinz chili sauce
One 14-ounce can San Marzano tomatoes, crushed
2 heads of garlic, split in half horizontally
10 sprigs thyme
3 sprigs rosemary
Method
1. Heavily salt the brisket and let it sit for at least an hour. (Overnight in the fridge is best.)
2. Heat a large roasting pan over high heat. Add some olive oil and sear the brisket on both sides until golden, 5 to 8 minutes per side. If you do not have a roasting pan large enough to sear on the stove top, heat an oven to 450˚F, rub some olive oil on the brisket and place the brisket in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes until a caramelized crust is formed.
3. Preheat your oven to 350˚F. Line the bottom of a clean roasting pan with half of the onions. Place the brisket on top of the onions. Season with the black pepper and chile flakes. Add the beer, chili sauce, tomatoes, garlic, herbs and remaining onions. Cover tightly with foil.
4. Put the roasting pan in the oven and braise until completely cooked through and tender, about 3 hours. (You’ll know it’s done when you can tear a piece off without too much resistance, but it’s not completely falling apart.)
Photo of Missy Robbins by Evan Sung.
