INSTANT POT BRISKET (nightshade free, gluten free, dairy free)
/(Nightshade, gluten and dairy free)
Ever since I was treated to a Hanukkah brisket about 10 years ago at a friend’s house I have been wanting to make it myself. Years went by and I never bit the bullet to take it on. And now, I’m avoiding nightshades due to some inflammation issues which means the very traditional tomato is off limits as an ingredient. So the difficulty factor has increased but I finally felt ready to try after seeing an amazing brisket at Applestone Butcher. We got it without a plan and were going to figure it out.
I researched a few recipes and landed on combining a few, and using my still somewhat new Instant Pot. I am pleased to report that the end result was beyond my expectations and completely nigthshade free! Part traditional brisket, part pot roast, 100% tasty.
For those of you in NYC, my favorite sustainable butchers are Hudson & Charles in the West Village and Dickson’s Farmstand in Chelsea Market.
Chopped carrots, celery and Beets. Note: I didn’t use all of the beet, only about 3/4 of what is in the photo.
onions cooking in the same pan used to sear the beef = extra flavor and fewer dishes
Spice mix. Pre-measuring into a bowl makes it a bit easier when putting everything together.
All in the pot! It is time to cook.
Seared beef in the pot in as close to a single layer as possible
Time to remove the beef and skim the fat off what remains in the pot
Ingredients
*as usual, opt for organic whenever possible
~4 lb beef brisket (ideally grass fed and finished)
1 medium to large yellow onion cut into a large dice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp grass fed ghee or other high smoke point oil if avoiding ghee
2-3 medium carrots, lightly peeled (or just scrubbed well) and cut into a large dice
2 celery stalks cut into a large dice
1 Tbsp salt (preferably Celtic sea salt) [affiliate links]
3/4 cup beef bone broth (sub: chicken bone broth, or beef or chicken stock)
1/2 cup red wine
2 Tbsp dark brown sugar (can substitute coconut sugar)
1 medium red beet, peeled and diced
1 Tbsp garlic powder
3/4 tsp dried oregano
3/4 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp ground ginger
splash of apple cider vinegar
Directions
About 30-60 minutes before starting to cook, take brisket out of the fridge to take the chill off and let air dry. (If you forget, it will be ok) That’s a good time to cut the brisket into 3 pieces so it will fit nicely in the Instant Pot. Set aside until you are ready to start cooking.
As a little grass fed Ghee to a pan, heat and then sear the brisket pieces on all sides. If you miss a side, don’t worry about it.
Place the brisket pieces in the Instant Pot, in as close to one layer as possible.
In the pan you used to sear the beef, add the diced onion and a small pinch of salt (from the 1 Tbsp) and sauté on medium heat until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic to the onions and cook for another 2 minutes. Add in the carrot and celery and sauté for about 5 more minutes. Add the wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up all the little brown bits of flavor that might be stuck to the bottom. Add in the spices and brown sugar, stir and cook for another couple minutes.
Add contents of the pan to the Instant Pot working the mixture in between and around the brisket pieces, with some remaining on top. Add the diced raw beet, broth and splash of cider vinegar. Then give everything a rough mix to distribute in and around the beef.
Cook on high pressure for 1 hour and 45 minutes and leave on keep warm until you are almost ready to eat. If you happen to be home, press Cancel about 30 minutes before you want to eat for the pressure to naturally release. If time is of the essence, then manually release it.
Open the pot and taste a little bit of the beef to make sure it is tender enough (it should be!). If it isn’t, you can cook it for another 10 minutes. Once tender, put the brisket pieces on a plate or cutting board (preferably one with a drip catchment). Remove any fat globs from the beef for a leaner dish. Skim as much fat off the top as you can of what remains in the Instant Pot.
If you have an immersion blender, use it to blend the remaining contents of the Instant Pot into a thick and flavorful gravy. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can use a blender. I would suggest doing it in 2 or 3 batches and being very careful as it can release a lot of hot steam. Slice the brisket and return to the Instant Pot to take a bath in the newly blended gravy and it is ready to serve!
If you are not avoiding nightshades like me, I recommend serving with mashed or roasted potatoes. If gluten is ok, then some crusty bread would be the best with it! Sweet potato/Japanese Yam oven fries are also perfect (as pictured above)
I like to serve with roasted or sautéed brussels sprouts or broccoli or even simply chopping some greens like swiss chard or kale and letting it cook in the sauce for a few minutes. The tossing in some fresh greens approach is extra perfect when heating up left overs to add some freshness and increase the veggies all in one pot.