One Pot of Comfort

“Winter” seems to finally be creeping in on the Northeast. Consequently, I haven’t been in the brightest of moods. More frequent are the days when I crave something comforting. Something brisket-y.

One-pot meals not only warm the soul, they lend themselves to any creative genius you’ve got lurking within. They’re like that kid at recess that really does play well with others. Good thing, because I was in the mood for a freestyle kitchen day last week.

After some debate, I decided on a brisket chili. I’d go to the store and choose the other ingredients – I like picking out what looks best, not what I’m told to pick out by some bossy recipe writer. The poblanos and yellow peppers looked beautiful, so I decided that, along with the standard mire-poix (onion/carrot/celery), they’d be the vegetal base for my chili. I like a little heat, so I threw in a jalapeno for good measure. 

Vegetable Base

2 yellow onions, medium dice

2 carrots, medium dice

2 stalks celery, medium dice

1 bell pepper, medium dice

1 poblano pepper

1 jalapeno, small dice

3 cloves garlic, minced

1- 12oz bottle of beer (any will work, but a winter ale seemed appropriate)

1- 28oz can diced, unsalted tomatoes

1- 8oz can tomato sauce

2 TBSP paprika

2 TBSP sriracha 

Plenty of salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 350.

Roast the poblano pepper over an open flame until almost completely charred, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and immediately seal with plastic wrap. Set aside.

Place a dutch oven with a small amount of olive oil over medium heat and add the first 4 ingredients to the pan. Season with salt & pepper and cook until the onions begin to turn translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Add the jalapeno, paprika and garlic, stir, and cook another minute. Transfer vegetable mix to a bowl and set aside. 

Remove the skin and seeds from the roasted poblano. Dice and add to vegetable mix. 

Set dutch oven aside; you'll use it to prepare the brisket.

For the Brisket

2lb. Beef brisket, cut into 2" cubes

2 cups AP flour

2 TBSP salt

1 TBSP pepper

2 tsp cumin

2 tsp paprika

Mix the flour and seasonings together and place in a shallow dish. Dredge each piece of brisket in the flour mixture, and set aside.

Reheat the dutch oven over medium high heat with 2-3 TBSP olive oil. Sear the meat, in batches if needed, until golden brown but not cooked through, about 5 minutes total. 

Reduce heat to medium low and add the beer. Using a wooden spoon, scrape the bottom of the pan to remove any drippings that have stuck to the pan. 

Add any remaining meat, the vegetable mixture, the diced tomatoes and sauce, and the sriracha. 

Cover and transfer pot to the oven and cook 2-2.5hrs. Remove from oven, taste and adjust seasoning as needed.  Continue to cook in oven, uncovered, for another 2 hours. Be sure to monitor the liquid levels every 30 minutes, adding beef stock or water as needed and stirring pot to prevent scorching. 

Remove from oven and allow to sit for 30 minutes.

Remove the brisket pieces from the chili and transfer to a large mixing bowl.  Using two forks, shred the brisket, then add it back to the chili. 

For the Garnish

Sour cream

Cheddar cheese, grated

Scallions, sliced

Cilantro, chopped

These are just things that I used, but feel free to go nuts. Tortilla chips? Diced jalapenos? Your chili, your call.