Beef Brisket with Caramelized Onions & Cherried Cabernet Sauce

I’ve been called a hearty dish of divine deliciousness. My deeply layered flavors of beef and Cabernet are harmoniously balanced with sweet, tart cherries and caramelized onions. I may be easy, it takes only one glass of Cab to get me simmering. Be prepared to spend some time with me.

Ingredients

• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 flat cut brisket, 4-5 lbs
• 2 T olive oil
• 1 ½ cups chopped yellow onion
• ½ cup diced carrot
• 2 cloves chopped garlic
• 1 (28oz) can stewed tomatoes with juices
• 2 cups Pech Merle Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
• 1 bay leaf

(For caramelized onions)

• 2 T olive oil
• 3 cups thinly sliced Bermuda or Vidalia onions
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 3/4 cup dried pitted cherries
  

Method                                

1. Preheat oven to 325
2. Season brisket on all sides. In an ovenproof pot with a tight-fitting lid, brown brisket in olive oil on all sides, stovetop. Transfer to plate. Add onion and carrot to pot, sauté until soft. Add garlic, sauté. Add tomatoes, 1 cup of Pech Merle Cabernet and bay leaf. Bring to boil. Return brisket to pot, cover and bake (baste occasionally) until tender. About 3 hours. 
3. Remove from oven and cool in juices. Remove brisket, cover with tin foil and refrigerate 2 hours or overnight. Pass pan juices through sieve into a bowl, set aside. Discard solids.
4. Caramelized Onion’s - Sauté sliced onions in olive oil over medium heat until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Season to taste.
5. Sauce – Bring to boil the remaining 1 cup of Pech Merle Cabernet with ½ cup cherries until reduced by half. Add the strained brisket juices and reheat. Season to taste.
6. To serve, cut the chilled brisket across the grain. Arrange on ovenproof platter, cover with foil and heat through for 15 minutes in the oven at 350. Pour warmed sauce over. Top with caramelized onions and remaining ¼ cup dried cherries.