Slow-Cooked Brisket with Red Wine and Shallots
Using an all-in-one slow cooker, like the Instant Dutch Oven, saves time and clean-up when making this dish because you can sear the brisket right in the slow cooker using the “brown” function. If your slow cooker doesn’t have this function, brown the brisket and deglaze the pan on the stove in a large Dutch oven before transferring the contents of the pan to a slow cooker.
Ingredients
- 1 flat-cut beef brisket, about 4 lb. (2 kg), fat trimmed to 1/4 inch (6 mm)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2 Tbs. vegetable oil
- 5 shallots, thinly sliced into rings
- 2 cups (16 fl. oz./500 ml) red wine
- 2 cups (16 fl. oz./500 ml) chicken or beef broth
- 6 garlic cloves
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tsp. paprika
- Flaky sea salt for sprinkling
- Fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves for garnish
Directions
Season the brisket generously on both sides with salt and pepper. In a 7-quart (7-l) slow cooker with a browning function, warm the oil on the “brown” setting. Add the brisket and sear, turning once, until browned on both sides, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer the brisket to a platter.
Add 4 of the shallots to the slow cooker insert and sauté until tender, about 3 minutes. Add 1 cup (8 fl. oz./250 ml) of the wine to the insert and cook, stirring to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the insert, until the wine comes to a simmer. Add the remaining 1 cup wine, the broth, garlic, bay leaves, paprika and generous pinch each of salt and pepper. Cover and set the slow cooker to the “high” slow cook mode and cook until the brisket is very tender, about 4 hours.
Remove the brisket from the slow cooker, transfer to a carving board, cover loosely with aluminum foil and let rest for 15 minutes. Cut the brisket across the grain into thin slices. Arrange the slices, slightly overlapping, on a serving platter and spoon some of the cooking liquid over the top. Sprinkle with the flaky sea salt and with the remaining sliced shallot and the parsley. Serve immediately. Serves 8 to 10.
Williams Sonoma Test Kitchen