Perfect Brisket, 4 Ways

Roasted brisket of barbecued beef wrapped in banana leaf with dried fruit tsimmes, served with glazed baby carrots. "To my surprise 11 years ago, when I started with Rosa, I didn't realize how big the Mexican/Jewish community was. As I grew to learn how popular and special this time [Passover] was, it became apparent how important each dish was for us to honor the holiday. The brisket is one of my favorite dishes, as it's traditional to eat during Passover and because this version was inspired by a long-time Rosa Mexicano favorite called Mixiote de Borrego. The brisket is marinated is chili (guajillo and pasilla), garlic cinnamon, cumin, allspice and cloves. It is then wrapped with banana leaf and cooked slowly till tender,” says chef Joe Quintana of Rosa Mexicano.         

 Ingredients

• 4 pieces of Beef brisket, trimmed of fat and cut into individual portions of 14 ounces.

• 12 baby carrots, peeled

• 12 sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes

• 12 whole prunes

• 1 lb white onions, sliced thinly

• 2/3 cup blended oil

• 9 oz mixiote sauce

• 4 Banana leaves, cut into 8 inch squares

• 4 sheets Parchment paper, Dixie “yellow label”

• Kosher salt, as needed

• Ground black pepper, as needed

Barbacoa de Pecho de Res Directions

1. Season each piece of meat well with salt and pepper.
2. Heat oil in a rondeau.
3. Add meat, keeping space in between the pieces so as not to boil, to the hot oil and brown on all sides.
4. Remove meat from pan to 400 size hotel pan.
5. Add sliced onions to same oil in which meat was cooked.
6. Cook until nicely browned and tender.
7. Remove onions and drain the oil.
8. Ladle the mixiote sauce onto the meat and rub into meat.
9. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and cook in the oven at 350° for one hour. Remove meat from oven and open foil, allow to cool slightly.
10. Spread out one sheet of parchment paper and place a banana leaf in the center.
11. On the banana leaf, place three baby carrots, parallel to each other. Around that, place the sweet potato and the prunes. In the center of the vegetables, top with 3 tbsp of the caramelized onions. Place one piece of brisket on top of the vegetables and ladle 4 ounces of the juices from the pan into the package.
12. Draw up the corners of the paper and bring it all together. Tie with a piece of butcher’s twine. Continue this until all of the meat and vegetables are finished.
13. Fill a pan 1/3 of the way with water. Place a perforated pan in the larger pan.
14. Fill with the “mixiotes.” Cover tightly with foil and steam these packages for 2 hours.
15. Keep in the steamer to keep warm for service on a low flame. (keep covered).

Salsa para Mixiotes Ingredients

• ¾ lb. Guajillo chilies, stemmed, seeded, toasted

• 1/3 lb. Pasilla chilies, stemmed, seeded, toasted

• 1/3 lb white onion

• 3 oz. garlic cloves

• 1/3 oz. whole cumin

• 1/3 oz. dried oregano

• 1/8 oz. clove

• 1/3 oz allspice

• 1/3 oz. Mexican cinnamon

• 1/8th bottle Silver tequila 750 ML bottle

• 1 1/8 quart Water

Directions

1. Wipe clean all the chilies open and discard seeds and veins.
2. Toast them in the oven at 350° for about 4 minutes or until the inside has turned a tobacco color.
3.  Soak the chilies in plenty of cold water for 1 hour.
4.  Roast the onion and garlic.
5. Heat all the spices in a pan for 2 minutes do not toast them.
6. Blend all the ingredients together to a textured puree.
7. Label and store for future use.                            

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