Ciderhouse brisket recipe

Ingredients

• 7½ pounds brisket
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons sunflower oil
• 4 yellow onions, thickly sliced
• 3 heads green garlic or 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 cup dry hard cider
• 1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes
• 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 1 bay leaf
• 1⁄2 cup cider syrup
• 1⁄4 cup chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

1. The day before you plan to cook the brisket, rub the entire piece of meat with the salt and refrigerate in a large pan overnight. If you don’t have time for this step, the brisket is still wonderful.
2. Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C).
3. Combine the paprika and cumin (and the salt if you didn’t salt the meat the day before) in a small bowl. Remove the meat from the refrigerator and rub the spices over the meat.
4. Heat the sunflower oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the meat and brown on both sides, 4 to 5 minutes for each side. Transfer the brisket to a platter.
5. Add the onions to the pot and stir with a wooden spoon, scraping up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Cook until the onions have softened and browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the garlic for the last 5 minutes. Add the cider to deglaze the pot.
6. Set meat on the bed of onions and garlic and add the tomatoes, rosemary, bay leaf, and syrup. Put the lid on the pot and set in the oven to braise for 51⁄2 hours, or until the meat is very tender and pulls apart easily with a fork.
7. Carefully transfer the brisket from the Dutch oven to a large dish that can catch the juices (it may fall apart a little during transport, but that’s okay). Cover with foil and let rest for 30 minutes.
8. If you have enough time before serving, chill the pan sauce in the refrigerator to solidify the fat this will make it a cinch to skim off. Otherwise, spoon off as much fat as you can and discard.
9. Slice the brisket against the grain into approximately 1⁄2-inch-thick pieces, and arrange on a serving platter. Pour the sauce over the meat. If you’re serving it later, reheat the brisket in the sauce in a 350°F (180°C) oven for 30 minutes.
10. Garnish with the parsley and serve.