Brisket With Gravy And Grainy Mustard Hominy Recipe
A fail-proof recipe for brisket--in a pressure cooker
At Ashby Inn, where Nathan Shapiro is the sous chef, the entire kitchen staff numbers three, Shapiro included. The team has found ways to capitalize on their labor, and a pressure cooker is one shortcut.
Shapiro, who worked at the Inn at Little Washington before joining the team at Ashby Inn, makes stocks and beans in the pressure cooker, but also uses the appliance to braise beef brisket, cooking the meat with caramelized onions, star anise, tomato paste and beef stock until the meat is spoon-tender and aromatic.
A marvelous one-pot feast with a little pressure? Count us in.
Recipe adapted from Nathan Shapiro, The Ashby Inn and Restaurant, Paris, Virginia
Brisket With Gravy And Grainy Mustard Hominy
Ashby Inn sous chef Nathan Shapiro shares his beef brisket recipe.
Prep Time
0
minutes
Cook Time
1.67
hours
Servings
4
servings
Total time: 1 hour, 40 minutes
Ingredients
- Water, 4 cups
- Light brown sugar, ¾ cup (lightly packed)
- Kosher salt, ½ cup plus ½ teaspoon, divided
- Brown mustard seeds, 1 tablespoon
- Dried bay leaf, 1
- Ice water, 4 cups
- Beef brisket, 2 pounds (trimmed of fat)
- Unsalted butter, 6 tablespoons
- Sweet onion (such as a Vidalia), 1 large (halved and thinly sliced)
- Star anise pods, 2
- Tomato paste, ½ cup
- Beef stock or broth, 2½ quarts (10 cups)
- Heavy cream, 2 cups
- Whole-grain mustard, ¼ cup
- White hominy, one 16-ounce can (drained)
Directions
- In a medium saucepan set over high heat, bring to a boil the: Water Light brown sugar ½ cup kosher salt Brown mustard seeds Bay leaf Use the wooden spoon to stir occasionally. Once the sugar and salt are dissolved, turn off the heat and add the: Ice water Immediately pour into a large bowl or airtight container. Once the ice is melted and the mixture is cool, add the brisket, cover and refrigerate overnight.
- The next day, remove the brisket from the brine (discard the brine) and set the brisket aside. In a pressure cooker set over medium-high heat, add: 3 tablespoons unsalted butter Once melted, add the: Sliced onion Star anise Cook, using the wooden spoon to stir frequently, until the onions are browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the: Tomato paste Once incorporated into the onion mixture, add the: Beef stock Reserved brisket Place the lid on the pressure cooker and twist to lock shut. Bring the pressure cooker up to full pressure, reduce the heat to medium and cook for 1 hour. Turn off the heat, release the heat from the pressure cooker and set aside for 20 minutes.
- In the medium saucepan set over medium-high heat, add the: Heavy cream Whole-grain mustard Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to medium-low and gently simmer until reduced by half, about 15 minutes. Add the: Hominy Season with the remaining: ½ teaspoon kosher salt 4. After ensuring that all of the pressure has been released from the pressure cooker, open the lid and use tongs and a slotted spoon to transfer the brisket to a cutting board. Loosely tent the brisket with aluminum foil to keep it warm.
- Use a large spoon to skim off any fat from the top of the braising liquid. Bring the braising liquid to a simmer over medium-high heat. Turn off the heat and use a ladle to transfer 2 cups to a blender. While blending, incorporate in small amounts the remaining: 3 tablespoons unsalted butter Add a little at a time until the sauce is emulsified. Slice the brisket against the grain and arrange on a platter. Drizzle with the sauce and serve the hominy on the side.