Not Corny Beef Brisket

Moist and tender, this is delicious!

Corned beef was devised hundreds of years ago to preserve meats by salt-curing.  Not everyone is a fan of corned beef though.  For that reason, I have interpreted a recipe that Tyler Florence published in Epicurious.com that is much lower in salt and fat and is very easy to put together. 

Prep time:  25 minutes          Cook time:  3-4 hours or until tender
Serves:  8

One 3-1/2 to 4 pound beef brisket
4 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3 carrots, peeled and cut into coins
3 stalks celery, sliced
1 large red onion, quartered
2 cans diced tomatoes
3 bay leaves
handful of chopped parsley
2 cups dry red wine

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Approximately one pound of fat was trimmed from this brisket.

Much better!

Trim most of the fat off of the brisket.  Season lightly with salt and pepper and set aside.

Mash together garlic cloves, salt, and rosemary.  Mix together with 2 tablespoons olive oil and set aside.  Prepare the vegetables and measure out the rest of the ingredients.

In a roasting pan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil on the stove top.  Add the seasoned beef and brown on both sides, about 4 minutes per side.

Drizzle the garlic, salt, and rosemary slurry over the top of the meat.  Tuck the vegetables around the meat.  Top with diced tomatoes, herbs, and red wine.

Very fragrant and colorful. 

Cover the pan tightly with foil and set in the preheated oven.  Every hour or so, baste with the juices and reseal.

When the meat is tender, slice against the grain and serve with cooked vegetables.

By itself, 4 ounces of beef offers about 210 calories, a full day's worth of vitamin B-12 and about 80% of your required zinc.  Add carrots, celery, tomato, onion, and cooking broth to your plate and the calories top out at approximately 350.  This is delicious served with crusty peasant bread and a tossed green salad.

Zinc is involved in numerous aspects of cellular metabolism and one of the best sources is lean beef.  Zinc is important for catalyzing enzymes in our bodies, wound healing, immune system support, to name a few.  Zinc is not stored in our bodies so a regular daily intake of this mineral is required.  Thankfully it is found in many of our commonly eaten foods.

- Kim Fielding