Braised Brisket with Prunes and Apricots
Braised Brisket with Prunes and Apricots is one of our favorite fall dinners. We like this apricot brisket for several reasons. First of all, I like to serve this for all the Jewish holidays in the fall. Since, it’s very traditional to serve braised brisket for the Jewish holidays. Secondly, I like that this brisket serves at least eight people. Thirdly, I like that I can freeze any leftover brisket. I like to freeze any leftovers and then heat them up in the microwave. And, lastly, we all love the rich and delicious brisket, and the sweet prunes and apricots.
The Equipment I Used
- A Dutch Oven- I like to make my brisket in an enameled cast iron Dutch oven. I really love baking the brisket in my Le Creuset Dutch oven. You can use any oven safe pot or casserole dish. Just make sure it’s tightly covered either with a lid, or foil. Ideally, the pot would be just big enough to hold the ingredients.
- A Food Processor- Use this or a blender to puree the vegetables to make the sauce.
The Ingredients Needed for Braised Brisket with Prunes and Apricots
- Chicken Stock- I always use my homemade chicken stock.
- Brisket- Buy the best quality brisket you can find. The better quality your meat is the better the finished dish will be.
- Short Ribs- I always add a pound of short ribs to my brisket. I do this to help moisten the brisket, which tends to be dry. But you can omit the ribs and just make an extra pound of brisket.
How I Made my Brisket
- First, I browned the meat. Take care to not burn the meat.
- Next, I added the veggies and liquid to the pot. It’s important that the braising liquid only comes halfway up the brisket. If there’s too much liquid the brisket will boil, not braise.
- Finally, I pureed the veggies and added the prunes and apricots and cooked the brisket for another half hour.
If you like beef, you need to try this rich and tender Braised Brisket with Prunes and Apricots.
Braised Brisket with Prunes and Apricots
Tender brisket braised in red wine, prunes, carrots, and apricots.
Equipment
- food processor or blender
Ingredients
- ½ tsp. each kosher salt, black pepper, onion and garlic powders
- 1 tsp. each ground cumin and fresh thyme
- 3 lbs. beef brisket
- 1 lb. beef short ribs
- 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
- 6 cloves minced garlic
- 2 cups sliced onions
- 1 cup each sliced carrots and celery
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1 tsp. each ground cumin and fresh rosemary
- 1 cup red wine
- 2 cups chopped plum tomatoes
- 1 cup chicken stock
- ½ cup each dried apricots and prunes
Instructions
- Begin by preparing the brisket and short ribs. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Mix together the salt, pepper, cumin, thyme leaves, onion powder, and garlic powder.
- Dry the brisket and short ribs well and sprinkle it all over with the spices.
- On medium high heat, heat the oil in the Dutch oven and sear the brisket and ribs on all sides, in several batches. If the brisket is large, cut it in half. After it browns, remove it to a plate,
- Then, add the garlic, onions, carrots, and celery. Add the cumin, rosemary, and wine and simmer for three minutes. Add the meat back to the pot along with the tomatoes. Add enough chicken stock to come about halfway up the brisket. Cover the pot tightly and bake for three hours.
- After the three hours, remove the brisket from the pot, and put the vegetables in a food processor. Blend until smooth and then stir back into the liquid in the pot. Add the apricots and prunes to the pot. Cover and bake for thirty minutes more.
- Slice the brisket and short ribs and serve with the sauce and fruit.
Nutrition
Calories: 281kcal
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Chicken Stock
Homemade chicken stock
Ingredients
- 4½ lbs. chicken breasts and wings with skin and bones
- 10 cups water
- 2 peeled onions
- 2 peeled carrots
- 3 peeled parsley roots
- 1 tbsp. kosher salt
- 4 stalks celery
- 1 peeled parsnip
- 2 tbsp. garlic cloves
- 1 cup fresh parsley and fresh dill
Instructions
- Put the chicken and the salt in a large, tall pot and cover with ten cups of cold water. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 30 minutes, skimming any scum that forms.
- Add all the vegetables and herbs and simmer for two and a half hours. Pour the soup through a strainer to remove everything but the broth.
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