Did you think I was done with Thanksgivukkah recipes? Oh that’s adorable. Not even close! Today I’ve got a winning braised brisket for ya, plus scroll down for some links to other Thanksgivukkah treats over the interwebs! Brisket is a classic Hanukkah treat, plus I live in Texas, also known for smoking the delicious meat. As Anthony Bourdain (rour) says: “Only Jews and Texans understand brisket.” Braise it in a combo of bourbon and coffee and top it all off with a cranberry bourbon sauce and you have a Thanksgivukkah meal worthy of being up on Hanukkah Harry’s nice list this year. Finger’s crossed I’ll finally get a pony!
To make the rub, mix all ingredients together in a small bowl. Rub the mixture all over the brisket and cover and let chill in the refrigerator for 2-24 hours.
When ready to cook, let the meat stand at room temperature for 30-60 minutes. Heat 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil in a large, heavy bottomed pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add brisket, fat side down. Cook without moving for 5 minutes until browned. Then turn the brisket over and cook the other side until browned, about 3 more minutes.
Remove and place the brisket on a plate. Then reduce the heat to medium and add the celery, carrots, onion and garlic. Sauté until golden, about 5 minutes, making sure to scrape up all the pieces stuck to the bottom. Add the tomato paste cook until browned. Then add the brisket back in. Pour in coffee, chicken stock, bourbon, light brown sugar and apple cider vinegar. Bring to a boil, then cover and lower to a simmer over medium low heat.
Braise until brisket is very tender to the touch but not falling apart, about 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours. When ready, transfer the brisket to a large plate, fat side up.
Strain braising liquid into a large bowl to remove large chunks. Return the liquid to pot, bring to a simmer, add cranberries and bourbon and cook until cranberries have popped and sauce is thick, about 20 minutes. Adjust with salt and pepper to taste.
From this point, you can refrigerate the cooled brisket in the cooled sauce until ready to serve, or let brisket rest for 20 minutes, slice against the grain and serve with sauce!
Oh mama! I could eat this for breakfast, lunch and dinner. And pretty much did. Thank you breakfast taco! Highly recommended to woo man friends and lady friends alike. Unless they are vegetarians. Then stick with latkes.
Bourbon and Coffee Braised Brisket with Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients
- Rub:
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons ground fennel
- 1 tablespoon ground instant espresso
- Brisket:
- 1 4-5 pound brisket trimmed to leave 1/4 - 1/2 inch fat
- 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
- 2 celery stalks large diced
- 2 large carrots large diced
- 3/4 cup onion large diced
- 4 garlic cloves smashed
- 1 6- ounce can tomato paste
- 2 cups coffee decaf is fine
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1.25 cup bourbon
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar packed
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- Sauce:
- 1 cup fresh cranberries
- 2 teaspoons bourbon
- Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- To make the rub, mix all ingredients together in a small bowl.
- Rub the mixture all over the brisket and cover and let chill in the refrigerator for 2-24 hours.
- When ready to cook, let the meat stand at room temperature for 30-60 minutes.
- Heat 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil in a large, heavy bottomed pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add brisket, fat side down. Cook without moving for 5-7 minutes until browned and fat is rendered. Then turn the brisket over and cook the other side until browned, about 3 more minutes.
- Remove and place the brisket on a plate. Then add the celery, carrots, onion and garlic. Saute until golden, about 5 minutes, making sure to scrape up all the pieces stuck to the bottom.
- Add the tomato paste cook until browned. Then add the brisket back in. Pour in coffee, chicken stock, bourbon, light brown sugar and apple cider vinegar. Bring to a boil, then cover and lower to a simmer over medium low heat.
- Braise until brisket is very tender to the touch but not falling apart, about 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours.
- When ready, transfer the brisket to a large plate, fat side up.
- Strain braising liquid into a large bowl to remove large chunks. Return the liquid to pot, bring to a simmer, add cranberries and bourbon and cook until cranberries have popped and sauce is thick, about 20 minutes. Adjust with salt and pepper to taste.
- From this point, you can refrigerate the cooled brisket in the cooled sauce until ready to serve, or let brisket rest for 20 minutes, slice against the grain and serve with sauce!
61 Comments
Can this brisket be finished in the oven instead of the stovetop??
Sure! Cook covered at 300 degrees until tender, it should take about the same amount of time!
My question, exactly. I like to smoke a big brisket on the grill. Takes many, many hours
at around 225F. Labor of love. So, my question too, is can I just do this in the oven at
225-250 until done? Low and slow is the way to go, right? Girls like that. Jokes aside,
this looks like a fabulous recipe, and I like the rub and the cranberries at the end.
Thank you! Yes low and slow works every time. Or something like that.
Hello, I followed your recipe exactly, except I did braise in a dutch oven in the
oven at 225 degrees. It was superb! My wife was raving about it all day and
today too, as there are a few leftovers! Great recipe!
Awesome! So glad you enjoyed it 🙂
[…] The site sports the tagline This Ain’t Yo Bubbe’s Blog, but with recipes like this Bourbon and Coffee Braised Brisket with Cranberry Sauce, we have a feeling Bubbe would […]
A great Thanksgivukkah recipe!
If we cook it in the oven, do we remove the fat when it’s cooked and cooled?
Looks delicious!
Sounds and looks so savory and amazing!
I love the Jews and Texans comment! My family will only eat brisket Texas style. This is an interesting recipe; love the addition of bourbon in the braise (I usually put it in the barbecue sauce).
Thanks!
[…] Recipe: What Jew Wanna Eat […]
How strong of a bourbon taste do you get in the finished product? I’m looking to make this for a family dinner this weekend and we have some people who I know may not like a strong bourbon flavour. Looks great by the way!
Thanks, Katie! Not too much of a bourbon flavor in the braise, but you may want to leave it out of the gravy. You could always sub red wine for a different flavor!
[…] now famous Bourbon and Coffee Braised Brisket (illegal in 13 […]
[…] I was cooking up Thanksgivukkah dinner. After I poured some bourbon in the braising sauce of my Bourbon and Coffee Braised Brisket, I “accidentally” dribbled a little in my sautéed butternut squash. And my gravy. And […]
Thoughts on making this in a crock pot as I don’t have the right kind of pot?
Any big pot would work, but you could definitely use a crock pot too. I would suggest browning the meat and sautéing the vegetables in a large sauté pan first if you have one, and then transferring that and the liquids to the crock pot. Hope this helps!
Congrats! This recipe has been nominated to win my Inspired Recipe of the Year Award. The shortlist will be announced on 12/30/2013.
[…] of What Jew Wanna Eat knows brisket, and this how it’s done. The combination of her spice rub and her braising liquids… I can’t begin to imagine […]
[…] but this updated version is very adult with a coffee rub and a bourbon based braise!” – Bourbon and Coffee Braised Brisket with Cranberry Sauce from What Jew Wanna […]
[…] http://whatjewwannaeat.com/bourbon-coffee-braised-brisket-cranberry-sauce/ […]
Hey Amy, just made this for the family, they all loved it! One thing though, I can’t find fresh cranberries in Australia 🙁 I’m hoping the closer to winter it gets I might see some pop up at the shops. Anyway, had to substitute with grapes which worked ok but fresh cranberries are better.
Glad you enjoyed it, Helen!! Yo could always leave the cranberries out or try something totally different like mushrooms next time!
[…] Bourbon and Coffee Braised Brisket with Cranberry Sauce – What Jew Wanna Eat […]
[…] Bourbon Coffee Braised Brisket with Cranberry Sauce from What Jew Wanna Eat […]
[…] know why. Because I love it! If you forced me, I’d probably pick seafood over my beloved brisket. That may be shocking, but it would be a tough call. Luckily, I don’t have to […]
[…] into a red soup and topped with sour cream. Variations included adding potatoes, cabbage, sugar and brisket […]
Thanks, Amy. I am living in Switzerland with a tiny stove and an oven I cannot figure out, so braising is perfect for a celebratory meal with my co-workers and this brisket sounds delicious! Unlike Helen in Australia, I can find cranberries in Zurich.
Awesome! Let me know how it goes.
Hello, I plan on trying this recipe soon and I want to use a crock pot. I am assuming the cook time would be about 10-12hours on low? It should come out the same?
Hi Teri- I don’t own a crockpot, but if you have made brisket in a crockpot before and liked it, then this recipe would work!
[…] did! Our annual Friendsgiving complete with a photo booth, DJ, and tons of Bourbon and Coffee Braised Brisket was a hit! Anyone can attend (within reason) so we always get a hodge podge of weirdos, and I […]
[…] some fun Hanukkah recipes for them this year. I immediately turned to my friend Amy Kritzer of What Jew Wanna Eat. She is the local (and probably national) Jewish food expert! So if you’re looking for tons […]
[…] When Hanukkah and Thanksgiving overlapped in 2013? A glorious mash-up, and the first time I made Bourbon and Coffee Braised Brisket! (First of many.) Obvi Merry Jew Year’s Eve-ukkah needs its own recipes, and I’m starting […]
[…] beans and stews in a fraction of the time. Get a tender brisket to your table before you can say bourbon and coffee braised brisket with cranberry sauce. They use one on TV shows like Chopped to get things […]
[…] Bourbon Coffee Braised Brisket with Cranberry Sauce ~ What Jew Wanna Eat Cranberry Chicken Meatballs ~Farm Fresh Feasts Roasted Pumpkin Recipe with Maple Syrup and Apples ~ Food Faith Fitness Cranberry BBQ Hasselback Salami ~ This American Bite Thanksgiving Leftovers Salad with Cranberry Vinaigrette ~ The Roasted Root Crockpot Turkey Breast with Cranberry Sauce ~ Krafted Koch Coffee Rubbed Flank Steak with Cranberry Salsa ~ Healthy Delicious […]
[…] are seriously one of my favorite comfort foods. After brisket. And matzo ball soup. And potato kugel. But definitely top 10! My Bubbe, always watching her […]
[…] week I cooked Bourbon and Coffee Braised Brisket and Roasted Beet Salad for 300 (!) (oy!) in Austin and today, I’m speaking at the Kosher […]
Saw your demonstration this past weekend at Horseshoe Bay-bought my brisket-made my rub-and it’s now back in the fridge—doing its thing! Was so yummy -can hardly wait to see how it comes out! Thank you! You were fun and entertaining!
Aw yes love it!! Let me know how it turns out. Glad you had fun!!
[…] This recipe was adapted from What Jew Wanna Eat’s Bourbon and Coffee Braised Brisket with Cranberry Sauce. […]
[…] back when Thanksgiving and Hanukkah were on the same day became really popular. It’s a brisket dish with a twist. Everyone here in Austin smokes brisket and Jews braise it. So, I did a dry rub of coffee on the […]
[…] Honey and Goat Cheese Crostini are one of the recipes my friends request the most (besides my Bourbon + Coffee Braised Brisket, of course. But imagine that on a crostini?! Ooh.) And honestly, appetizer eating is just the best, […]
[…] know how much I love brisket. Let me count the ways. It’s meaty. Impresses/feeds a crowd. Looks hard but isn’t. […]
Do you think it would work to combine smoking and braising? If so, how would you do it?
Sorry, I think a dry rub would be better for smoking!
[…] don’t really have much of a sweet tooth. For realz. I’ll take brisket over brownies any day! But if I am having a dessert, it usually is boozy, or chocolate, and […]
When the brisket goes back into the pot for the braise, does it matter if it is fat side up or down?
There is some debate over this but I usually do fat side down to protect the meat, but I don’t think it makes a huge difference.
how long would u cook the brisket in a crock pot?
Hi Lee- I personally don’t like brisket in a crock pot because it gets mushy, but you could do high for 4 hours or low for 8 and it should work.
[…] Brisket es el rey de Rosh Hashaná, ¡pero no golpees el salmón! Las cabezas de pescado a menudo están en una mesa de Rosh Hashaná como un recordatorio para mirar hacia adelante, no hacia atrás. No sé sobre ti, ¡pero me quedaré con un filete de salmón ! […]
[…] be a full meal unless meat or fish is involved. And though I never get sick of chicken shawarma or bourbon braised brisket (and we do tons of veggies on the side) sometimes I want something a little lighter! Enter: […]
Would this work with a pressure cooker? Just to cut down on cook time because electricity and gas is expensive!
Sure!
Hi, I like the recipe, looks interesting. I have a couple guests who cannot have coffee (allergy). What would you recommend to use instead?
Thanks
Thanks! I would probably try a different recipe since coffee is such a main ingredient here. You could try broth but I am not sure how that would turn out.
Got it, thanks. I’m impressed that you are still responding to these messages, years after you posted the recipe.
Shana tova!