Alison Roman’s Soy-Braised Brisket with Caramelised Honey and Garlic
This beef brisket from Alison Roman is cooked slowly in a delicious broth seasoned with honey and spices. It is the perfect balance of sweet and savoury flavours, and it pairs perfectly with a bowl of noodles or rice.
Introduction
Not to sound like too delicate a flower, but I tend to find most braised meat, especially beef, a little much for my liking. Too savoury, too sweet, too heavy, too – just too much. As a general rule, I don’t order it in restaurants, but the exception is the tangy, spiced braised beef noodles available at a few of my favourite Chinese restaurants around New York, which I’ll order nearly every time. While not a replication, this brisket is my interpretation: salty from soy sauce, sour from vinegar, lightly spiced from a few pantry all-stars. I love cooking large cuts in a super flavourful liquid low and slow enough until it’s impossibly tender but not falling apart, so that it can be sliced rather than shredded, almost like a smoked brisket from a barbecue spot. Served over springy noodles with its brothy cooking liquid ladled over, scattered with an absurd amount of mixed herbs (it’s a salad!), and not only is it not too much, but also it’s really never enough.
Ingredients
| 1.5–1.8kg (3½–4lb) | boneless beef brisket, fat trimmed |
| kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper | |
| 2 tbsp | canola oil |
| 115g (4 oz/⅓ cup) | honey |
| 2 | garlic bulbs, halved crossways to expose the cloves (it’s fine to leave the papery skin on) |
| 2 large | yellow onions, quartered |
| 1 | cinnamon stick |
| 3 | star anise |
| 7.5cm (3 inch) | knob of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced |
| 4 | chiles de àrbol, or ½ teaspoon chilli flakes (plus extra for sprinkling) |
| 2 | dried or fresh bay leaves |
| 1 litre (34fl oz/4 cups) | beef or chicken stock |
| 310ml (10½fl oz/1¼ cups) | salt-reduced soy sauce |
| 125ml (4fl oz/½ cup) | rice wine vinegar |
| 2 tbsp | fish sauce |
| 4 handfuls | coriander (cilantro), mint and/or basil, tender leaves and stems |
| 3 tbsp | thinly sliced chives or spring onions (scallions) cooked rice noodles or plain rice, to serve (optional) |
Method
Season the brisket with salt and pepper. Do this as far ahead as possible; somewhere between 5 minutes and 48 hours is great.
Heat the oil in a large flameproof casserole dish (with a fitted lid) over medium–high heat. Add the brisket, fattiest side down; if there is not a clear winner, any side will do. Sear, occasionally pressing with tongs to ensure even contact with the pot, until deeply golden brown, 8–10 minutes. Flip the brisket and sear on the other side until similarly, deeply golden brown. Sometimes a brisket will have a third (or even fourth) side, depending on the shape and cut, so sear it on all sides if applicable.
Transfer the brisket to a plate or platter. Drain the pot of any residual fat into a heatproof container (no need to wipe it out). Return the pot to medium–high heat and add the honey. Let it sizzle and bubble and start to caramelise, about 2 minutes. (If the pot is dark and you can’t see the honey, don’t worry, you’ll smell the honey. It will smell like a rich, deep caramel.)
Reduce the heat to medium–low and add the garlic, onion, cinnamon, star anise, ginger, chillies and bay leaves. Stir to coat the spices in the caramelised honey, and cook until they take on some colour and soften a bit, 2–3 minutes.
Add the stock, soy sauce, vinegar and fish sauce. Return the brisket to the pot, nestling it in there. If the brisket isn’t at least three-quarters covered, add more stock or water until it is.
Bring the liquid to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium–low and cover. Simmer gently until it’s totally, completely, impossibly tender, 3–3½ hours – peeking only when you absolutely can’t stand how good it smells and need to check on it to make sure it’s not ready (it’s not).
Using tongs or two spatulas, remove the brisket and transfer to a cutting board, reserving the braising liquid. If you like, use a slotted spoon or strainer to remove and discard the vegetables and spices from the pot (this is unnecessary, but a nice touch if you don’t want to fish them out later).
Slice the brisket and return it to the pot with the liquid; you could also shred it, if that is your preference.
Toss the herbs and chives together in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
Serve the brisket out of the pot, or inside a shallow bowl, ladling some of the braising liquid over. Top with the herbs and maybe a pinch of chilli flakes. Serve with additional braising liquid for spooning over or drinking, and with rice noodles or rice, if you like.
Do ahead: Unsliced brisket can be made up to 5 days ahead, stored in its liquid, covered and refrigerated. Rewarm gently over medium heat to bring it to a gentle simmer and heat all the way through.
Reviews
Have you tried this recipe? Let us know how it went by leaving a comment below.
In the case of any queries, our team will aim to respond as soon as possible.
Please note: Moderation is enabled and may delay your comment being posted. There is no need to resubmit your comment. By posting a comment you are agreeing to the website Terms of Use.
