Red Wine Braised Beef Brisket
This red wine braised beef brisket is so simple to prepare and imparts the most deliciously comforting smell through your whole house! Just as the weather starts to bite, I fire up my oven (or Instant Pot!) sit back, and let the braising process do all the hard work for me! My red wine braised beef brisket recipe satisfies any hankering for cold-weather comfort food, and although I normally reserved this recipe for slow-braising Sundays, with an Instant Pot, it can be whipped up on any busy week night in about an hour and kept on warm till dinner time!
The best part? The recipe steps couldn’t be simpler!
Step one, sear your brisket.
Step two, place seared brisket in a baking dish with the other braising ingredients and pop in the oven (or Instant Pot!) and that’s it!
The braising process melds all the flavors of the red wine braising liquid into a rich gravy that is perfectly paired with mashed potatoes or buttered egg noodles. YUM!
Since this recipe has so few ingredients, I like to make sure I’m sourcing good quality! For instance, make sure your bay leaves haven’t been hiding in your spice rack for more than two years, and only cook with a bottle of wine you would drink yourself! The braising process only intensifies the flavors of the wine, so if you don’t prefer it straight out of the bottle, you probably won’t prefer it in your brisket!
Are you planning on making this for a family with kids? Don’t be scared to cook with wine for your Small Fries! This red wine braised beef brisket is kid-friendly with the addition of mashed potatoes or buttered egg noodles, and the extra gravy and braised onions can be left on the side in a small tasting cup on the side of their plate.
From my family to yours- Enjoy!
Ingredients
3-4 lbs flat-cut beef brisket
olive oil, salt and pepper (for searing)
1, 12oz can V-8 vegetable juice
1 10.5 oz can beef consomme -OR- 1 cup beef stock (+one extra knorr Homestyle Stock Concentrate pod)
1, 1 oz Knorr Homestyle Stock Beef Concentrate pod (or 1 tablespoon beef demi-glace)
1 cup red wine, full-bodied and drinkable like a cabernet sauvignon
1 sweet onion, sliced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
4 sprigs of fresh thyme
2-3 bay leaves
2-3 tablespoons corn starch
2 tablespoons warm water
2-3 tablespoons minced parsley for garnish (optional)
1. *INSTANT POT INSTRUCTIONS AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS RECIPE*
TRADITIONAL COOKING PROCESS: Preheat oven to 325F. Remove some of the excess fat from brisket season with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large baking dish or dutch oven and sear both sides on high heat for 3-5 minutes, or until a brown crust appears on both sides of the meat.
2. In the same pot, add V-8 vegetable juice, beef consomme, stock concentrate, red wine, sliced onion, garlic, thyme, and bay leaves
3. Cover with foil, and braise for 3-4 hours, or until meat is tender and falling apart.
4. Remove meat to rest on a cutting board and cover with foil to keep warm. Whisk cornstarch and two tablespoons of the cooking liquid into a slurry, and add to remaining pan liquid, whisking on medium heat till thickened. Adjust seasonings to the remaining pan liquid to your tastes.
5. Slice brisket on a bias, garnish with minced parsley, and serve immediately with mashed potatoes or buttered egg noodles and red wine gravy on EVERYTHING!
6 *INSTANT POT INSTRUCTIONS*
Remove some of the excess fat from brisket season with salt and pepper. Turn your Instant pot to saute (normal), and add 2 tablespoons olive oil. sear brisket on both sides till a brown crust appears on both sides, about 3-5 minutes each side. remove meat and add onion, saute 4 minutes, add garlic and saute another 30 seconds. Deglaze by adding the red wine and beef consomme, beef concentrate v-8 vegetable juice, use a spatula to dig up all the crispy bits on the bottom of the pot. Place brisket on top of onions and add bay leaf and thyme. Turn on manual setting for 55 minutes on high pressure with a natural release for 15 minutes. Remove meat to rest on a cutting board and cover with foil to keep warm. Set Instant Pot back to saute and whisk cornstarch and two tablespoons of the cooking liquid into a slurry in a separate bowl, and add to remaining pan liquid, whisking on till thickened. Slice brisket on a bias, garnish with minced parsley, and serve immediately with mashed potatoes or buttered egg noodles and red wine gravy on EVERYTHING!
RECIPE NOTES
I don't recommend using "quick-release" on the Instant Pot for red meat. The fast change in pressure tends to dry out the meat too quickly, and the extra few minutes to use "natural release" is worth the extra time! Plus, the brisket can be made hours before dinner time and left on "warm" if you're pressed for time right before serving dinner.