4 lb First cut brisket of beef
3 cl Garlic; crushed
1 c Apple cider vinegar
1 c Black coffee; strong
1/2 c Water
3 cl Garlic; slivered
4 lg Onions; thinly sliced
1 1/2 tb Bacon fat
Salt & pepper; to taste
With a long thin, sharp knife, make slits in the meat and insert
the slivers of garlic. Place the meat in a bowl, spread 1 sliced
onion and the crushed garlic over the meat, and pour in the
vinegar. Marinate for 6 hours at room temperature or overnight in
the refrigerator, turning several times. When ready to cook,
preheat the oven to 350 F.
Heat the bacon fat in a deep, heavy skillet large enough to hold
the brisket. Remove the brisket from the marinade and discard the
onion and vinegar. Dry with paper towels. Brown the meat well on
all sides.
Remove brisket to a platter. In the fat remaining in the skillet,
saute the remaining sliced onions until deeply browned. Pour in
1/2 cup coffee. Bring to a boil, stirring and scraping the bottom
of the skillet to loosen the browned bits. Spread the onions and
liquid from the skillet in a shallow baking dish. Place the brisket
on the onions. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
Pour in the remaining coffee and water. Cover tightly with foil and
place in oven for 1/2 hour. Turn the oven down to 250 F and bake
for an additional 2 hours or until meat is very tender. Slice the
brisket thinly against the grain. Skim the fat from the pan liquid.
Return the meat slices to the pan. Serve at once or refrigerate for
later use.
