Mom's Special Holiday Beef Brisket

I have to say, mom wasn't much of a cook. Her tastes ran to the extremely well done and over cooked. In the case of this recipe, her diligent cooking efforts paid off because the longer it cooks, the better it is. Though not one of her favorite recipes because the ingredients list seemed rather long and daunting to her and she considered it a potchky or too much work, it was always one of my favorites and I've made this every year on a variety of holidays. I've made some changes and updated mom's classic recipe to reduce the carbohydrates. It was loaded with dried fruit, lots of dark beer and sweet, sugary jelly in its original form. I've been able to figure out the right substitutes to balance it out, lessen the sugar but keep the flavor. I hope you enjoy.

Mom's Special Holiday Beef Brisket

Ingredients:

2 lb. to 2 1/2 lb. beef brisket, flat cut, trimmed of all visible fat

1 cup dark ale (Guinness is fine)

3/4 cup + 1 Tbsp. no salt added tomato sauce, one small can

1 cup dry red wine

1/2 cup low sodium beef stock

2 Tbsp. sugar free blackberry jam (Smucker's is fine)

2 Tbsp. Splenda

1 tsp. molasses

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 cup onion, diced

4 Tbsp. sugar free apricot preserves (Smucker's is fine)

Place the beef brisket in a large zip top bad and add the dark ale. Marinate the brisket overnight, turning bag every so often.

The next day. Preheat oven to 350'

Combine all the ingredients, except the apricot preserves in a small bowl. Place the brisket in a large roasting pan, along with the ale, and pour the mixture over the beef. Dollop the apricot preserves  across the top by teaspoonfuls. Bake for at least 2 hours, or until fork tender, covering the pan with aluminum foil if needed. When the brisket is tender, remove from pan and rest for about 10 to 15 minutes. Slice brisket against the grain and return to the sauce to serve.

Nutrition Facts

8 Servings of 3 ounces cooked brisket and 1/4 cup sauce

Amount Per Serving

Calories 167.1

Total Fat 3.3 g

Saturated Fat 1.2 g

Polyunsaturated Fat 0.2 g

Monounsaturated Fat 1.4 g

Cholesterol 34.9 mg

Sodium 112.0 mg

Potassium 447.0 mg

Total Carbohydrate 10.3 g

Dietary Fiber 1.1 g

Sugars 1.8 g

Protein 19.2 g