Brisket with Lemon Dates and Quince Pressure Cooker Recipe

Brisket With Lemon Dates And Quince Pressure Cooker Recipe

Ingredients

SERVES 8 – Cooker: 5- to 8-quart – Time: 55 minutes for brisket, 5 minutes for quince at HIGH pressure (plus 30 minutes in oven)

• 1 (4-pound) center-cut beef brisket (flat half)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sweet Hungarian paprika
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, sliced ½ inch thick
• 1 lemon, washed and thinly sliced, rind and all
• 2 large dates (such as Medjool) or 3 smaller ones, pitted and roughly chopped
• 2½ cups water
• 1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
• 4 or 5 saffron threads (optional)
• 2 large quinces or 3 large apples or firm-ripe pears

Method

1. Trim most of the visible fat away from the brisket and cut the meat into quarters
2. Season the meat with the salt, paprika, and pepper on both sides
3. In a 5- to 8-quart pressure cooker, heat the oil over medium-high heat until very hot
4. Add one or two pieces of brisket to the pot and brown, turning as necessary, about 3 minutes per side
5. As the brisket pieces are browned, remove them to a plate
6. Brown all the pieces
7. Add the onion to the pot and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring
8. Using tongs, transfer about two thirds of the onion to the plate with the brisket
9. Place a few lemon slices and date pieces on the onion left in the pot, then stack the brisket pieces on top, tucking some more of the onion, the dates, and lemon slices in between the pieces of meat and spreading the remainder on top
10. Pour in the water and add the cinnamon stick and saffron threads if using
11. Close and lock the lid
12. Set the burner heat to high
13. When the cooker reaches HIGH pressure, reduce the burner heat as low as you can and still maintain HIGH pressure
14. Set a timer to cook for 55 minutes
15. When the 55 minutes are nearly up, cut the quinces in half, remove the seeds, and core them with a melon-ball cutter or sharp paring knife
16. Peel the quinces, then cut the halves into ½-inch-thick slices, or use the ½-inch slicer disc on a food processor (frankly, this is a great way to cut all the hard fruit evenly and quickly)
17. Remove the pot from the heat
18. Open the cooker with the Quick Release method
19. Be careful of the steam as you remove the lid
20. Add the fruit, distributing it as evenly as possible over the meat
21. Relock the cooker, bring it back up to HIGH pressure, and cook for 5 minutes
22. Remove the pot from the heat
23. Open the cooker with the Quick Release method
24. Preheat the oven to 350° F
25. Carefully transfer the meat to a cutting board and slice it across the grain about 1/3 inch thick
26. Arrange the sliced meat and fruit in a casserole dish and top with the sauce, making sure that the sauce gets between the slices of meat
27. Cover with a lid or aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes
28. Serve with rice or couscous
29. Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator 4 to 5 days or the freezer up to 4 months
30. The fragrant quince is an ancient fruit, and today it is more appreciated in the Middle East, Europe, and Latin America than in the United States
31. In this country, the quince is almost completely eclipsed by its relatives, the apple and pear, which, granted, are easier to cut and core
32. Another difference is that quinces are inedible raw-they must be cooked before eating

Full List of Meat Recipes
Full List of Date Recipes