“Not your Bubby’s” Pesto Brisket

Published On 13 October, 2013 | Dairy Free, Dinner, Gluten Free, KOL Foods, Kosher

When I say brisket, you’re either thinking BBQ or Bubby.  This is not going to be a pit-master’s go to recipe, and this certainly isn’t your bubby’s brisket.  My latest KOL Foods creation is tender and aromatic.  There’s no tomato sauce, onion or slow cooking here, just three ingredients, and now that I have served pesto brisket at my table, I’m thinking it’s time to put it on the menu more often. 

This pesto brisket has a tremendous fusion of flavors that compliment each other.  The olive oil, basil, garlic and pine nuts marry perfectly with the beef and tenderising the cut of beef let me roll it so that the flavors could penetrate deep into the meat.   If I were to have planned ahead a little more, I might have let the brisket sit in the pesto overnight, but there really is no need.

This post is another in my series of KOL Foods recipes, and although they kindly send me the meat at no cost, the choice of recipe and my review of the product is entirely my own.

This post is another in my series of KOL Foods recipes, and although they kindly send me the meat at no cost, the choice of recipe and my review of the product is entirely my own.

 Although not traditional at all, I wanted to roll my brisket, similar to the approach I took with my Lamb Wellington so it’s really good thing that my wife gave me one of these as an early birthday gift! The first step was to cover the meat with surround wrap so that you don’t have small pieces of meat flying around the kitchen.

KOL Foods Pesto Brisket Recipe

Once the meat was flat, I added a touch of BBQ rub — just a touch though — and then covered the meat in pesto before rolling it.  Ordinarily I would make my own pesto, but it was three hours later than I wanted it to be when I started cooking this brisket that I cheated and used a dairy-free pesto that I found at the store. 

KOL Foods Pesto Brisket Recipe

If you don’t feel like tenderizing the meat, you can also cut a pocket in the middle of the brisket and put pesto in the middle of the cut, as well as on both sides.  I was working with two 3lb cuts of meat, one rolled, and one with the pesto in a pocket in the middle.  Both were delicious.  It was into the oven at 350 degrees for two and a half hours.

If you plan to serve right away, you might want to keep cooking it for another 20-30 minutes so the meat softens a little more, but if you’re making this ahead like I was, let it cool then slice it and re-heat on a low temperature in the juices. 

KOL Foods Pesto Brisket Recipe 

Ingredients (serves six to eight people with sides dishes) 

  • 3 lb brisket
  • 1 cup pesto
  • 1 tablespoon BBQ rub 

I love how simple this dish is.  There really is nothing more to this recipe:

  • Tenderize your brisket if you plan to roll it, or cut a slit in the middle to create a pesto pocket.
  • Once it is flat, sprinkle a little BBQ rub on the meat.  No more than a tablespoon is needed. 
  • Cover your brisket in pesto.  If you flattened it, roll it and hold together with tooth picks or cooking twine
  • Roast, covered, at 350 degrees for two and a half hours.

Rolled pesto brisket

Now here’s a little bonus recipe for you… If you’re lucky enough to have leftovers, soak two slices of bread in the gravy that this brisket will create, then toast the bread slightly on a countertop griddle.  Add a touch of dijon mustard and a couple of slices of brisket for a heavenly toasted sandwich. 

You can buy this organic, hormone free and pasture raised brisket directly from KOL Foods and have it shipped to your door.  Order today and you can serve this dish alongside roasted sweet potatoes and beets later this week. 

Wine recommendation 

We had red and white wine on the table during this course, the Ben Ami Chardonnay that I served with the salmon played wonderfully on the basil notes from the pesto.  I also enjoyed a Hai Patriots Special Reserve Cab with this meat and would certainly recommend it. 

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