Brisket Braised in Porter

Ingredients

• 4  bay leaves 
• 2 teaspoons pepper black freshly ground
• 1 pound carrots peeled
• 1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt 
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar dark packed ()
• 2 teaspoons mustard dry (such as Colman's)
• 6 pound flat-cut brisket with some fat still attached trimmed
• 2 teaspoons sage fresh chopped
• 2 teaspoons thyme leaves fresh chopped
• 4 cups low-salt chicken broth divided ()
• 1 tablespoon malt vinegar ()
• 1 pound mushrooms sliced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil 
• 2.5 pounds onions thinly sliced
• 12 ounce porter 
• 6  prune- cut to pieces whole pitted
• 8  garlic cloves whole peeled
• 2 tablespoons grain dijon mustard whole

Equipment

• frying pan
• baking sheet
• oven
• whisk
• pot
• roasting pan
• aluminum foil
• cutting board

Directions

1. Position rack in center of oven and preheatto 350°F.
2. Mix first 5 ingredients in smallbowl. Rub herb mixture all over brisket.
3. Heat bacon fat in heavy extra-large wideovenproof pot over medium-high heat.
4. Addbrisket to pot and cook until deep brown,about 5 minutes per side.
5. Transfer brisketto platter or rimmed baking sheet.
6. Add 2cups broth to pot and bring to boil, scrapingup browned bits from bottom of pot. Stirin porter, prunes, bay leaves, and brownsugar; bring to boil. Return brisket to pot,fat side down; scatter onion slices over tocover meat, then add garlic.
7. Cover pot; place in oven and braisebrisket 1 hour.
8. Remove pot from oven;uncover and turn brisket over so that onionslices fall into liquid in pot. Return pot tooven and braise uncovered 30 minutes.
9. Add 1 cup broth. Cover and bake 1 hour 30minutes longer.
10. Transfer brisket to platter or rimmedbaking sheet; add 1 more cup broth toliquid in pot, then add mushrooms andcarrots. Return brisket to pot. Coverand return to oven; braise until meat andcarrots are very tender, adding more brothby cupfuls, if needed, to cover vegetables,about 45 minutes longer. Cool slightly.Refrigerate uncovered until cold, thencover and keep chilled at least 1 day andup to 2 days.
11. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spoon off anyfat from surface of brisket pan juices anddiscard.
12. Transfer brisket to cutting board.Thinly slice brisket across grain.
13. Placebrisket slices in large roasting pan. Bringpan juices with vegetables in pot to boil.
14. Whisk in mustard and 1 tablespoon vinegar.Season to taste with salt and pepper,adding more vinegar by teaspoonfuls, ifdesired.
15. Pour pan juices and vegetablesover brisket in roasting pan. Cover roastingpan tightly with heavy-duty foil and cook inoven until brisket slices and vegetables areheated through, about 1 hour 15 minutes.
16. Serve meat with vegetables and sauce.
17. Bon Appétit