Brisket Bruschetta
The following recipe and photography was provided by recipe developer and food photographer, Ashley Durand of Plate & Pen.
What’s better than brisket at the holidays? Whether you’re celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah, New Years, or anything in between, Heinen’s CARE Certified beef brisket is a succulent and satisfying wintertime protein for your table!
Most people have probably enjoyed brisket as an entrée, but this recipe proves it is just as delicious as an appetizer! Seared on all sides, immersed in a red wine broth with fresh vegetables, herbs, and spices, and cooked until tender in a slow cooker, this recipe is prepared almost identically to brisket entrée recipes. The difference is how the brisket is served once cooked.
Instead of serving the brisket in big slices beside the cooked vegetables, this recipe shreds the brisket and tosses it in a blended sauce featuring the red wine broth, cooked vegetables, and Two Brothers barbecue sauce. The shredded brisket is then served on rustic baguette slices with fresh bruschetta-inspired toppings, so each bite is balanced with meaty and vibrant flavors!
Easy to prep ahead and impressive to serve, make your holiday appetizer menu a little meatier with this Brisket Bruschetta!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s offers a new way to enjoy brisket. All of Heinen’s CARE Certified beef, including their beef brisket, comes from a single source family farm who upholds and exceeds Heinen’s standards for quality and animal welfare, so can rest assured that you’re serving quality meat to your family and holiday guests. Easy to cook and incredibly juicy and tender to taste, Heinen’s brisket is delicious as an entrée, but this recipe proves the versatility of this protein, so you can enjoy multiple times this winter season!
- It can be prepared in a slow cooker. The great thing about this Brisket Bruschetta is that you don’t have to light the oven. Simply sear the meat on the stove and transfer it to the slow cooker to cook all day! It’s as easy as that, and your house will smell amazing!
- You can prep it a day in advance. The day of a holiday gathering can be stressful! Check something off your mental “to-do” list by preparing the brisket and sauce the day before. All you’ll have to do on the day of your gathering is warm up the sauce-coated meat and assemble!
Brisket Bruschetta
Servings: 10-12
Ingredients
- 1 Heinen’s CARE Certified beef brisket (4-4.5 lbs.)
- Salt & pepper, to taste
- 2 Tbsp. flavorless oil (canola, avocado, vegetable, or sunflower seed)
- 3 cups red wine
- 1 Tbsp. Heinen’s dried oregano
- 1 tsp. Heinen’s paprika
- 2 Heinen’s bay leaves
- 2 rosemary sprigs
- 1 yellow onion, quartered
- 1 red onion, quartered
- 1 fennel bulb, quartered
- 4 carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
- 2 celery stalks, cut into 2-inch chunks
- 8 garlic cloves, peeled
- 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
- 1 bottle Two Brother’s barbecue sauce
- 1 Heinen’s French baguette, sliced thin
- 2 tomatoes, small diced
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped for topping
- Heinen’s crushed red pepper flakes, for topping
- Crème fraiche or a dairy free cream alternative, for topping
- Heinen’s extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Instructions
- Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium heat.
- While the skillet preheats, quickly rinse the brisket with water, then pat dry with paper towels.
- Coat the brisket with salt and pepper to taste.
- Once the skillet is hot, add in the flavorless oil.
- When the oil starts to lightly smoke, add the brisket. Sear the brisket on each side (including the thin sides) for 4-5 minutes.
- Set a slow cooker to “low” and add the seared brisket.
- Add the wine, oregano, paprika, bay leaves, rosemary, onions, fennel, carrots, celery, and garlic on top.
- Cook on “low” for 9 hours.
- At the end of the cook time, remove the brisket from the slow cooker and transfer to a non-wood cutting board. The brisket should be fat-side-up.
- Slice the fat off the brisket and discard, then slice the remaining brisket. To slice the brisket, hold the lean side and slice half-inch slices until you reach the thick side. Grab what is left of the thick side and turn it 90 degrees. Slice ¼-inch slices from the outside to the middle. Set aside to cool.
- Remove the leftover rosemary and thyme branches and bay leaves from the slow cooker. Use an immersion blender to blend the slow-cooked vegetables into the wine broth.
- Transfer half of this blended sauce to an airtight container and store in the fridge for use in other recipes. It is delicious over rice!
- Add the bottle of barbecue sauce to the remaining sauce in the slow cooker and mix well.
