Brisket in pomegranate sauce with sweet and spicy skhug

Ingredients:

Brisket

• 1 beef brisket (1.8-2.3 kg), preferably the flat part
• 3 tbsp. l. olive oil
• 2 Golden Delicious or Honeycrisp apples, cut into 2.5cm pieces
• 2 medium sweet onions, cut into 2.5cm pieces.
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 dried bay leaf
• 3 cups of pomegranate juice
• 1 cup dried cherries
• 1/4 tbsp. pomegranate seeds

Sweet and spicy skhug

• 3 medium jalapeños or serranos, stems and seeds removed if you want to tone down the heat
• 2 cups tightly packed cilantro leaves and tender stems
• 2 cups tightly packed fresh parsley leaves
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tbsp. l. pomegranate molasses
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 0.5 tsp ground coriander
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled

Preparation:

1. Brisket:
   
   Generously season the beef brisket on both sides with salt and black pepper and let it come to room temperature for 25-30 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 175°C.
3. In a 10x15-inch Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat, swirling to coat the bottom of the pan, until it begins to shimmer. Add the brisket, fat side down, and cook until browned and some fat has rendered, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side for about 4 more minutes. Remove the brisket from the pan, add the apples and onion, and cook, stirring occasionally and scraping up any browned bits from the bottom, until the apples are lightly browned and the onion is just beginning to soften, about 4 minutes.
4. Turn off the heat. Add the garlic and bay leaf to the roasting pan and stir. Make a small hole in the center and place the brisket, fat side up. Add the pomegranate juice; it will come about three-quarters of the way up the brisket. Cover the roasting pan with a layer of parchment paper, then cover tightly with foil (see Note). Roast for 90 minutes.
5. Remove the roasting pan from the oven. Carefully remove the foil and parchment from the far end of the roasting pan (not the side closest to you) to avoid being burned by steam. Turn the brisket over, fat side down, and scatter the dried cherries evenly around the meat. Cover tightly again and roast until the brisket is very tender but still falls apart when sliced, about 90 more minutes.
6. Carefully remove the brisket and place it on a cutting board. Using a slotted spoon, transfer as much of the fruit and vegetables as possible from the roasting pan to a large bowl. Strain the liquid from the roasting pan into a large saucepan and bring to a rapid boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has reduced by a third, about 10 minutes. You should have about 3 cups of sauce. Pour it into a large measuring cup and let it sit until the fat rises to the surface.
7. Meanwhile, prepare the skhug.:
   Yield: about 1.5 cups
   
   Place the chili peppers in a food processor, add the cilantro, parsley, olive oil, pomegranate molasses, cumin, coriander, garlic, and 1 teaspoon salt. Pulse until combined 4-5 times, then scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula and pulse until smooth, about 2 minutes. The sauce should have a pesto-like consistency. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
8. Slice the brisket across the grain and arrange it on a serving platter, arranging the apples, onions, and dried cherries around the meat. Skim the fat from the pan and pour it over the brisket, using about 1.5 cups of the sauce.
9. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds. Serve topped with the tol skhug and any remaining sauce from the roasting pan.
   
   Note
   
   Beef brisket consists of two parts: the flat and the pointed. The flat is slightly more compact and works best for this recipe.
   
   Before covering the roasting pan with foil, line it with parchment paper to prevent the pomegranate juice from coming into contact with the foil.