Today was the perfect day. I woke up late (partially due to losing a hour because of Daylight Savings, but who’s counting), enjoyed brunch at home, took a long walk (sans coat — yay!) around the neighborhood with my man, and came home to the scents of this braised beauty slowly cooking away in the oven. Ahhh…

While everyone — including myself — is certainly excited about spring being right around the corner, I am still very much obsessed with the Le Creuset Dutch oven I bought a few months ago. Its become one of my most-used cooking tools and I have no plans on retiring it during the warmer months. Besides, why would I want to when it cranks out amazing dishes like this one?!

Yes, I know — another beer-focused recipe. I’m sure you’re shocked (or not). In fact, someone recently suggested that I change the name of my blog to Fresh and Boozy and I’ve got to admit that I’m considering it. What do you think?

Beer-Braised Brisket (serves 6)

Slightly adapted from Cooking Light

What you need:

• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
• 2 pounds flat-cut beef brisket, trimmed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) pale ale (I used PBR since I had a ton left over from a condo board meeting)
• 4 cups lower-sodium beef broth
• 5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 6 carrots, peeled and cut diagonally into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 6 celery stalks, cut diagonally into 1 1/2-inch pieces, leaves reserved and chopped for garnish
• 2 medium onions, peeled and cut into 8 wedges (for a total of 16 wedges)
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup water
• Egg noodles, cooked according to package directions
• Freshly cracked pepper

How you do it:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Combine cumin, paprika, thyme and 1 teaspoon of salt in a small bowl, then rub the spice mixture evenly over both sides of brisket. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, swirling to coat. Add brisket and brown for three minutes on each side. Remove brisket from pan and add the beer, scraping the bottom of the pan to remove the brown bits, and bring to a boil. Add broth and garlic, return to a boil, and then put the brisket back into the pan. Cover and cook at 325 degrees for 1.5 hours. Turn brisket over and cook an additional 1.5 hours. Turn brisket over and add carrot, celery, and onion; cook an additional hour or until brisket is very tender.
3. Remove brisket and vegetables from pan using a slotted spoon. Bring cooking liquid to a boil over medium-high heat. In a small bowl, whisk together flour and water until smooth. Add flour mixture to pan, stirring until smooth. Return to a boil and stir constantly for two minutes or until the sauce has thickened. Season with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt.
4. Slice the brisket into half-inch slices. Serve with vegetables and egg noodles. Top with sauce, freshly cracked pepper and chopped celery leaves.