Black Bean Brisket
Serves: 4-6
The fall holiday season is upon us and everyone is asking for my recipe for The Perfect Brisket, which I learned about from a friend. This posed a challenge, one I gladly took on: how to make a whole food, plant-based version that will be as good, or even more delicious, and just as satisfying as the real thing. ‘By George’ I think I got it!!!
Not only does this plant-based version look like brisket, it has the same taste! The sauce is made with the same ingredients used in the Perfect Brisket recipe, except I replaced the beef stock with a very “meaty” tasting homemade mushroom with caramelized onions (sans oil) broth. No salt is added, or needed, as the variety of spices used to season the black bean “brisket” are so flavorful. This dish is so good, even your Carnivore friends will love it!
The fall holiday season is upon us and everyone is asking for my recipe for The Perfect Brisket, which I learned about from a friend. This posed a challenge, one I gladly took on: how to make a whole food, plant-based version that will be as good, or even more delicious, and just as satisfying as the real thing. ‘By George’ I think I got it!!!
Not only does this plant-based version look like brisket, it has the same taste! The sauce is made with the same ingredients used in the Perfect Brisket recipe, except I replaced the beef stock with a very “meaty” tasting homemade mushroom with caramelized onions (sans oil) broth. No salt is added, or needed, as the variety of spices used to season the black bean “brisket” are so flavorful. This dish is so good, even your Carnivore friends will love it!
Ingredients
- (2) 15-ounce cans black beans, no salt added, (drained, rinsed & dried with a paper towel
- 1-½ cups finely chopped white or yellow onion (1 large onion)
- 1-½ cups red bell pepper, diced ¼ inch pieces (1 large bell pepper)
- 5 garlic cloves, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
- ½ tablespoon ground cumin
- 1-½ teaspoons pure chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked sweet paprika
- ¾ cup oat flour
- ⅓ cup cooked and mashed sweet potato flesh
- 2 large onions thinly sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced (1 tablespoon)
- 3/4 cup dry red wine
- 5 ounces salt free tomato paste
- ½ cup Black Currant fruit spread (no added sugar)
- 3 cups reduced mushroom stock
Preheat oven to 350℉
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- Place the black beans on a parchment lined sheet pan and bake for 12-15 minutes or until black beans have dried out. Remove from the oven and let cool. Keep the oven on.
- Heat a 10” sauté pan over medium high heat for 1 minute, add chopped onions, bell peppers and garlic, and stir quickly to keep the vegetables from sticking to the pan. Lower heat to medium low, cover the pan and let steam for 1-2 minutes. Remove cover and stir until onions are translucent and bell peppers have softened.
- Add cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika and garlic powder to the onion mixture, and stir to coat the vegetables and to toast the spices, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat.
- In the bowl of a food processor, add prepared black beans, onion mixture, oat flour and sweet potato. Pulse until well combined but not puréed. You want the mixture to have texture.
- On a parchment lined sheet tray, spread the black bean mixture into the shape of a brisket, about 1-½ - 2 inches thick, with a point on one end (see picture–on current website). Place the sheet pan in the preheated oven and let roast for 10 minutes. The “brisket” should be brown and a little crispy. Remove the pan from the oven. Flip over the “brisket”—place another piece of parchment paper on top of the “brisket” and another sheet pan on top of the parchment paper covered brisket, and flip over. Peel the parchment paper off of the now top of the brisket and place back in the oven. Cook for another 10 minutes, or until lightly browned and a bit crispy. Remove from the oven.
- In a large (4 cup) glass measuring cup, mix mushroom stock, tomato paste and currant spread. Whisk to combine. Reserve.
- Heat a 10” saute pan over medium high heat, add sliced onions and garlic. Stir quickly and lower heat to medium low. Cover the pan and let the onions release their oils and juices. After about 1-2 minutes, remove the lid and continue to sauté until onions start to color, about 3 minutes. Add wine and increase heat to medium high. Reduce the liquid, stirring constantly until the liquid is completely absorbed and has evaporated.
- Pour in the mushroom stock mixture, and stir to combine. Cook for another 2-3 minutes to meld the flavors.
- Place the black bean brisket on a cutting board and slice on the bias from the “corner” of the “brisket,” slicing diagonally into ¼ inch pieces. (see picture).
- Place in a warmed serving dish and pour sauce on top and all around.
- Serve immediately, or it can be kept warm in a very low oven 150℉, for 20-30 minutes before serving.
Directions
Cook's Notes: To make in advance:
- Mushroom stock can be made and refrigerated 3 days in advance, or frozen up to 1 month in advance.
- Black Bean Brisket can be made two days in advance, formed, covered and refrigerated. Cook the day you want to serve it.
- The sauce can be made 2-3 days in advance. Just reheat over low heat before pouring over the black bean brisket.
