Braised Coca-Cola Brisket with Parmesan Polenta

For the brisket:

In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Sprinkle both sides of the brisket with salt and pepper. Add the brisket into the Dutch oven. Cook the brisket for about 2 minutes on each side to sear it. Remove brisket from Dutch oven and set aside.

Add the chopped bacon to the Dutch oven and cook over medium heat until brown. When the bacon is brown, remove it from the pan with a slotted spoon and place it with the brisket.

Preheat oven to 325 F.

Drain all but about 2 tablespoons of fat from the Dutch oven. Add the onions and cook over medium to medium low heat for about 15 minutes, until they are tender and beginning to brown. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 -2 minutes until fragrant. Add the red wine or the beef broth to the Dutch oven and stir everything around to deglaze the pan. Be sure to scrape all the browned bits off the bottom of the Dutch oven. They are full of flavor!

Stir in the Coke, chili sauce, molasses and liquid smoke. Return the brisket and the bacon to the pan. Cover and bake in a 325 F oven for 3 1/2-4 hours or until tender. After about 2 hours I like to remove the brisket from the oven and turn the brisket over. When it has been in the oven for 3 ½ hours check the brisket by trying to shred a little corner of it with 2 forks. When you pull it apart it should be very tender. If not, place back in the oven and keep checking it every 30 minutes until tender.

When it’s done, remove from oven. Let brisket rest in the pan for 15 minutes or so. Remove the brisket from the pan and slice brisket across the grain and return it to the cooking liquid.

For the polenta:

Bring the broth to a boil in a large saucepan. Slowly whisk in the polenta and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook the polenta for a few minutes, stirring until it thickens. Remove from the heat and stir in the milk (or half-and-half), butter and grated Parmesan cheese.

Serve polenta with the braised brisket.

Enjoy!