Slow Cooker Braised Brisket with Chimichurri

We invited my parents over for dinner a few weekends ago to enjoy a new recipe I was making. Plus, we wanted an excuse to bust out the pretty China dishes and glasses we have. 

Honestly, we really shouldn't need an excuse to use the good dishes. Sometimes some meals just call for an extra bit a class. 

There were a few different Brisket with Chimichurri recipes I came across, however, I chose the one out of my favorite cookbook: The New Slow Cooker Cookbook. Duh...

It was a 9-hour slow cook process so you'll definitely want to make sure you pop the meat in early so you aren't eating at 10 p.m. It's perfect for days when you're going to be out of the house for a while and don't want to worry about having to prep something for dinner when you get back. Plus, you won't have to suffer through the amazing smells for hours on end... The struggle is real, and the longer it cooks, the harder it is not to want to eat the house down. Trust me. 

Ingredients for Braised Brisket:

• 2 lbs of beef brisket with most of the fat trimmed
• 2 Tbsps of olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
• 5 cloves of garlic, smashed
• 1 tsp of dried oregano
• 1/2 cup of dry red wine
• 1/2 cup of chicken broth
• 2 cups of cherry or grape tomatoes for serving (I omitted these since J and my dad aren't huge tomato fans)
• salt and pepper for taste

Steps for Brisket:

1. Season the brisket generously on both sides with salt and pepper. In a large frying pan, warm the oil over medium heat. When hot, add the brisket and sear on both sides until both sides are golden brown. Transfer the brisket to a plate. 

2. Pour off most of the fat from the pan and return it to medium - high heat. Add the onion and carrot and sauté until softened. Add the garlic and oregano and cook for an additional 1 minute. 

3. Pour in the wine and stir to dislodge any pieces at the bottom of the pan. Stir in salt and pepper. Then, transfer the contents of the pan to the slow cooker. Place the brisket on top and pour the accumulated juices from the plate on top, as well. 

4. Cover and cook on low for 9 hours, turning the brisket over halfway through, if possible. 

5. Remove the brisket and transfer it to a cutting board to let it rest a few minutes before slicing. Cut the brisket crosswise against the grain into thick slices. Serve!

Ingredients for Chimchurri Sauce:

• 1 1/2 cups of flat-leaf parsley leaves and cut-up tender stems
• 6 cloves of garlic, quartered
• 2 Tbsps of fresh oregano leaves
• 3/4 cup of extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tsps of seal salt
• 1 tsp of freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 tsp of red pepper flakes (optional)
• 3 Tbsps of white wine vinegar (I omitted this ingredient because J really doesn't like white wine vinegar, no matter how little there is in a recipe) 

Steps:

1. In a food processor, combine parsley, garlic, and oregano leaves. Process until finely chopped.

2. Stir in oil, salt, pepper, and red pepper. 

3. Serve at once or cover and refrigerator up to 4 hours. Just before serving, stir in white wine vinegar. 

Because I wasn't too sure if we were all going to like the chimichurri sauce, I served it on the side and allowed people to add as little or as much as they wanted to their meat. 

At the end of the day, I could have done without the chimichurri sauce all together, but it wasn't bad. The juices from the meat, carrots and onions created a "gravy" that was delicious on its own. The chimichurri is still worth a try, though!