Crock Pot Beer Braised Brisket

How to Make

• Step 1: Vegetables ... Add the onion, carrots, celery (including the leaves), leeks, mushrooms, and garlic to the crock pot.

• Step 2: Bacon and Beef ... In a large saute pan, render the bacon on medium low heat to start - if you render it slowly, you will not need any additional oil. Once the bacon begins to render some fat, you can turn up the heat to crisp up the bacon. Transfer the bacon (leaving the drippings in the pan) to the crock pot along with the vegetables.

• Step 3: Next, make sure the beef is room temp; then, season with salt and pepper on all sides. Sear the beef on each side until golden brown. Transfer to the crock pot on top of the vegetables and bacon.

• Step 4: Broth and Cook ... Add the beer, beef broth, thyme, parsley, bay leaves and peppercorns (whole) to the crock pot. Cover and cook 8-10 hours on low; 5-7 on high. Now, old and new crock pots differ, and so do different brand; so you will just have to check. Mine took 8 hours and mine is a older pot.

• Step 5: Sauce ... Once the beef is done, remove to a cutting/serving platter and cover to keep warm; it needs to rest before serving. Scoop out the vegetables and transfer to a small bowl; and transfer the broth to a pot on the stove. Make sure to remove any of the bay leaves, and herb stems from both the vegetables and the broth. Then bring the broth up to a boil and reduce to medium heat, simmer 5 minutes. Then, add, the tomato paste, red wine vinegar, vegetables and butter to the broth and mix well. Puree, using an immersion blender or a standard blender - you want a smooth texture. Continue to simmer on medium heat for 5-7 minutes. Now, if you like a thicker sauce, mix a little corn starch with cold water (to make a slurry) and slowly add to the sauce. I don't think it needs to be thickened, but that is up to you. Once you add the corn starch, it only takes a minute to thicken.

• Step 6: Serve ... Serve the sauce over the brisket with mashed potatoes and a salad. ENJOY! You can also add some of the sauce to the brisket and serve on a hoagie roll with melted gruyere or swiss cheese for a fantastic sandwich.