Beef Brisket Stew

Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words. Or in my case, a thousand calories. Nothing speaks to me like a perfectly styled bit of food photography. "Food porn," my husband calls it.

One of my favorite places to indulge in this guilty pleasure is Tastespotting. This is a website devoted to posting gorgeous food photos. I look at it whenever I'm in need of new ideas, inspirations and recipes.

That's where I found this recipe for beef brisket stew. I mean, the name alone was enough to win me over. But the photo sealed the deal. Browned, luscious meat swimming in a glossy sauce, surrounded by tender potatoes, bright orange carrots coins and vivid green peas.

As far a guilty pleasures go, this one's not too bad!

Rub Worcestershire sauce, salt and black pepper all over the brisket. 

Place the brisket in a Dutch oven and cook it, covered, in a preheated oven for 6 hours.

Remove cooked meat from the Dutch oven and place it on a cutting board, fat side up. With a spoon, you can easily scrape off the fat.

Now cut the meat into slices, against the grain.

Prep the veggies.

Brown the onions, potatoes and carrots in the Dutch oven. (I tossed in some fresh thyme for flavor.)

Add the meat back to the pot and pour the stock and wine over everything. Cover the pot and put it back in the oven for another hour, until everything is tender. Taste for salt and pepper.

You can serve this on its own, over rice or noodles, or with a hunk of french bread to dip in the sauce.

Beef Brisket Stew

Recipe slightly adapted from Cooking On the Weekends

1 (2-1/2) pound brisket
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Olive oil for the pan
1 cup peeled Pearl onions
1 cup Peewee potatoes, washed, dried and cut in half
2 large carrots, peeled, and cut into 1/4-inch slices

2 sprigs, fresh thyme
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1 cup beef stock
1/2 cup red wine
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1.    Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F, and coat a large Dutch oven with olive oil.

2.    Rub the brisket with the Worcestershire sauce, coating it evenly, and season both sides generously with salt and pepper.

3.    Place the brisket, fat side up in the oil coated pan, and cover it with a fitted lid or heavy-duty foil.  Place the brisket in the preheated oven for 6 hours.

4.    Remove the brisket from the oven, and place it on a large plate. (Leave any juices in the pan.)  Let the brisket cool slightly, and then use the back of a knife or a spoon to gently scrape off the fat and discard it.

5.    Place the meat on a cutting board and cut it into 1/2-inch slices, against the grain.  Set aside.

6.    Turn the oven up to 300 degrees F.

7.    Place the pan with the brisket juices on the stove over medium-high heat and add the onions.  Once they’re beginning to brown, add the potatoes, carrots, and thyme.  Cook the vegetables until they are all nicely browned, about 7 minutes.

8.    Move the vegetables to the sides of the pan and use a large, flat-bottomed spatula to return the sliced brisket to the center of the pan.

9.    Pour the stock and wine over the meat and vegetables and cover the pan.  Place in the preheated oven and cook until the meat is extremely tender and the vegetables are soft, about 1 hour.

10. Season generously with salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 4 to 6