Sweet & Sour Brisket with Red Wine, Grapes and Sweet Potatoes
Brisket is an incredibly versatile cut of meat. If it hasn’t made it into regular rotation in your house, this recipe for Sweet & Sour Brisket with Red Wine, Grapes and Sweet Potatoes might just encourage you to do so.
Barbecued and smoked brisket are some traditional ways of cooking this cut of meat. Braising as we do here is another very popular approach.
What is Brisket and How to Cook it Right
Brisket is from the breast area of the cow. It can be a tough cut, which is why braising is such a great approach. Braising is a technique of cooking in a good amount of liquid. A low oven and a long cooking time, combined with the liquid, create a tender result.
There are also various cuts of brisket: the flat cut and the point. I like the flat cut for this sweet & sour brisket. The flat cut is sometimes a little pricier, but it is less fatty.
In my market the flat cuts come with a fat cap on one flat side; I leave it intact – for flavor.
Jewish Heritage
Jews in Eastern Europe from decades past lived frugal lives and lesser expensive cuts of meat, such as brisket, were commonplace. They became quite adept at cooking this cut of meat in a variety of ways – some savory, some a little sweet.
The sweet and sour approach is found in many Jewish recipes – perhaps because brisket became associated with Rosh Hashanah and dried fruit and/or sweet wine were added as a way to celebrate a “sweet” New Year. My family would make it during Passover and Hanukkah as well and the “sweet” flavors sometimes carried over.
It is equally good with a savory approach and we will be working on another recipe soon.
For another great Hanukkah dish, check out our latkes, too. They are absolutely the crispest, crunchiest potato pancakes you have ever had.
Cooking Grapes
Grapes are a great fruit to have around while on the low FODMAP diet – they are Green Light approved up to 1 cup (150 g)!
Maybe you like to snack on grapes but have never thought about cooking with them. Until recently, we hadn’t either and then we started experimenting and it was like – why hadn’t we done this before?
This sweet & sour brisket is a fantastic example of how delectable cooking with grapes can be.
We have another dish that we love where cooked grapes standout: our Chicken Thighs with Grapes, Thyme & Smoked Paprika. In that dish, the red grapes hold their color pretty well. In this dish, the color of the red grapes is absorbed into the sauce.
The grapes in the pictures here might look like green grapes, but they aren’t! Perhaps the pigments in your grapes will hold up better. Any which way, they add sweetness, juiciness, and body to this dish in an unexpected way.
Looking for some low FODMAP Passover Recipes? Check them out here.
Sweet & Sour Brisket with Red Wine, Grapes and Sweet Potatoes
Brisket is an incredibly versatile cut of meat. If it hasn’t made it into regular rotation in your house, this recipe for Sweet & Sour Brisket with Red Wine, Grapes and Sweet Potatoes might just encourage you to do so.
Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons low FODMAP gluten-free all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon FODY Steak Spice Blend
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper plus extra
- 3 to 3 1/2 pound (1.4 kg to 1.6 kg) brisket, preferably flat cut, patted dry
- 2 tablespoons FODY Garlic-Infused Olive Oil, divided
- 1 cup (72 g) chopped leeks, green parts only
- 1 19.4 ounce (550 g) jar FODY Marinara Pasta Sauce
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) dry red wine
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup (54 g) firmly packed light brown sugar
- 2 cups (300 g) red seedless grapes
- 1 large (14 ounce; 400 g) orange flesh sweet potato, peeled, cut into large cubes
- Kosher salt, if needed
Preparation:
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Position rack in lower third of oven. Preheat oven to 300°F/150°C.
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Stir together the flour, FODY Steak Spice blend and ½ teaspoon pepper in a large bowl. Place meat in bowl and use fingers to pat seasoned flour all over the brisket as evenly as possible.
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Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a 5 quart (4.7 L) Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear both sides of the brisket, until browned, about 5 minutes each side. Remove and set aside.
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Add remaining 1 tablespoon garlic-infused oil to pot, turn heat down to low-medium, add leek greens and sauté, stirring frequently, until softened but not browned, about 2 minutes.
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Add marinara, red wine, cider vinegar and brown sugar, turn heat up and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan and combining everything well. Add grapes and sweet potatoes, then add meat back to pan, nestling it down into the liquid, moving grapes and sweet potatoes to the side as needed; liquid should come to the top of the brisket. Spoon some of the sauce on top of the meat. Seal top of pot with aluminum foil, cover with lid and place pot in oven.
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Braise in the oven for 3 hours. Brisket should be fork tender. Remove brisket to a carving platter and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm while it rests for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, taste the sauce; adjust seasoning (salt and pepper) as desired. If you want to reduce and concentrate the sauce, bring to a boil over high heat, adjust heat and simmer vigorously for a few minutes.
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Slice the meat against the grain and serve with sauce. We love this with a steamed green on the side such as green beans. Brisket can be made up to 3 days ahead; we like is best the day after it is made. Simply refrigerate in an airtight container in the sauce and reheat on top of stove. The overnight in the fridge allows flavors to meld and maximize.
Notes:
Tips
- Plan ahead. Not all supermarkets will have the brisket available at all times, but it should be no problem to order ahead.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more. For a more detailed explanation, please read our article Understanding The Nutrition Panel Within Our Recipes.
Great recipe Thanks.