On most Saturdays, you can find the Napkin Friends food truck slinging its latke-pressed sandwiches outside Stoup Brewing in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood. Chef Jonny Silverberg, the genius behind the sandwiches, does his own take on other Jewish classics like matzo ball soup and a beer-braised brisket featuring a special ingredient from the brewery the truck is parked in front of.
Robyn Schumacher, one of the three behind Stoup Brewing, explains that Silverberg uses their Mosaic pale ale in the deglazing stage of the recipe. The Mosaic hops used in the beer (and the name) hail from the Yakima Valley and have a distinct tropical and citrus aroma to them.
“It has that really kind of nice fruitiness to it,” Schumacher says of the beer. “It also has a kind of malt backbone so when it’s deglazed [in this recipe] it’ll leave behind a little bit of sweetness. It is one of our most popular beers just because that hop is so vibrant.”
The deglazing process grabs all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan packed with flavor and can be used to punch up any dish but especially this brisket, which will have you looking at your next pint in a whole new light.
Stoup Brewing Mosaic Pale Ale-Braised Brisket
Serves 6-8
5 pound brisket flat
Canola oil, for searing
5 garlic cloves, smashed
1 large onion, largely diced
4 stalks celery, largely diced
4 carrots, largely diced
12 ounces Stoup Brewing Mosaic Pale Ale
1 quart chicken stock
3 tablespoons deli mustard
2 bay leaves
½ cup fresh thyme
½ cup whole leaf parsley
Preheat the oven to 250° F. Season the brisket with salt and pepper. Heat a large sauté pan and coat it with canola oil. Sear the brisket on each side and place in large baking dish.
Add the garlic, onion, celery and carrots to the sauté pan and cook until caramelized. Deglaze with the beer then reduce the liquid by half. Add the chicken stock, mustard and bay leaves to the pan and bring to a boil. Pour the liquid over the brisket and top with the thyme and parsley.
Wrap the pan in foil and cook for 4 hours.
