OTTAWA -- If time permits, make this hearty comfort food a day ahead and refrigerate overnight. It will be easier to remove excess fat and slice before reheating in the sauce. Slice against the grain for a fork-tenderness that will almost melt into the sauce. Serve with mashed potatoes.

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time:10 minutes

Slow-Cooker Time: 6 hours on Low

Serves 8

Ingredients

  • 4 lb (2 kg) Ontario Beef Brisket
  • 2 tsp (10 mL) each salt and pepper
  • 2 tbsp (25 mL) vegetable oil
  • 3 cups (750 mL) thinly sliced Ontario Onions
  • 3 tbsp (45 mL) finely chopped Ontario Garlic
  • 1 cup (250 mL) sweet-style chili sauce
  • 3/4 cup (175 mL) Ontario Honey
  • 1/2 cup (125 mL) raisins, finely chopped
  • 1/3 cup (75 mL) red wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp (15 mL) Dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp (15 mL)
  • chili powder
  • 1 tsp (5 mL) ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp (2 mL) ground allspice
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1 tbsp (15 mL) finely chopped fresh Ontario Parsley

Pat brisket dry; season both sides with salt and pepper. In large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat, brown brisket on all sides, about 5 minutes per side. Add half of the onions and half of the garlic to slow-cooker; top with brisket.

Discard fat from skillet; return skillet to heat. Add chili sauce, honey, raisins, vinegar, mustard, chili powder, cinnamon, allspice and bay leaves; stir until just boiling, scraping up any browned bits on bottom of skillet. Pour over brisket; top with remaining onions and garlic. Cover and cook on Low for 6 hours, or until brisket is tender but still resistant when pierced with fork.

Remove brisket to cutting board; discard any fat from the sauce. If there are 2 layers of meat, separate them and discard centre fat layer. Slice brisket thinly against the grain. Serve sliced meat and sauce sprinkled with parsley.

Nutritional Information:

1 Serving

PROTEIN: 43 grams

FAT: 16 grams

CARBOHYDRATE: 40 grams

CALORIES: 478

FIBRE: 1 gram

SODIUM: 1080 mg