Sous Vide Sweet-and-Sour Brisket

Cooking brisket sous vide offers a variety of options for texture and flavoring. This sweet-and-sour version is one of my favorite, balancing the unctuous richness of the well-marbled meat with sweet-and-sour brightness. If you can find a point cut of brisket, you’ll enjoy supreme marbling, but even the flat cut turns out moist and tender with the Anova Sous Vide Precision Cooker. This is the perfect centerpiece for a holiday dinner or hearty winter meal.

Author

Jeff Akin

Founder of Feed Me Creative, a culinary content studio in Kansas City, MO. For more information, visit www.feedmecreative.com or find us on Instagram @feedmecreative.

Prep Time: 01:00

Recipe Time: 48:00

Temperature : 155F / 68.3C

Ingredients

• 6-pound beef brisket
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 large shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup apple cider
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 2 cups Dr. Pepper
• 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 2 dried allspice berries
• 2 dried whole cloves
• Kosher salt

Directions

1. Set Anova Sous Vide Precision Cooker to 155°F (68.3°C).
2. In a large cast-iron skillet, heat the olive oil over high heat until just beginning to smoke. Season brisket generously with salt and sear in pan until golden brown on both sides. (Depending on the size of your brisket and pan, you may need to cut the brisket in half to sear.)
3. Remove brisket and set aside. Add shallots and garlic to pan, reduce heat to medium, and saute until tender and caramelized, about 10 minutes.
4. Whisk together vinegar, apple cider, ketchup, honey, mustard, Dr. Pepper, peppercorns, bay leaves, allspice, and clove. Add to shallots and garlic and remove from heat.
5. Add brisket and sauce to large vacuum or Ziploc plastic bag, seal, and cook for 48 hours.

Finishing Steps

1. Remove brisket from bag and pat dry, reserving cooking liquid. Place brisket on roasting rack and broil until top is golden brown, about five minutes. (Watch carefully to make sure it doesn’t burn.)
2. Add cooking liquid to large saucepan and simmer over medium-high heat until reduced by two-thirds, about 10 minutes.
3. Remove brisket from oven, slice, and serve with sauce.