Ingredients
5
large soft dates (such as Medjool), pitted
4
large garlic cloves, peeled
5
tbsp olive oil, divided
2
pounds onions, thinly sliced
16
large shallots, peeled
2
1/2 cups low-salt chicken broth
1
4 3/4- to 5-pound flat-cut (also called first-cut) brisket, trimmed of all but 1/4 inch of fat
1
1/2 cups canned tomato puree
16
1- to 1 1/2-inch-diameter red-skinned new potatoes, scrubbed
Directions
1.
Preheat oven to 300°F. Puree first 4 ingredients in blender until smooth. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in large wide ovenproof pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and whole shallots. Sauté until onions are deep golden and shallots begin to brown, about 20 minutes. Transfer shallots to small bowl; reserve. Add chicken broth to onions; bring to boil, scraping up browned bits. Pour onion mixture into large bowl. Add 2 tablespoons oil to same pot. Sprinkle brisket on all sides with salt and pepper. Add to pot and brown well, about 5 minutes per side. Turn brisket fat side up. Return onion mixture to pot. Add tomato puree and orange juice mixture. Bring to boil, stirring to blend sauce.
2.
Cover pot; bake brisket 2 hours. Add shallots and potatoes. Cover; bake 1 hour. Uncover; bake until brisket is tender, occasionally spooning sauce over, about 1 hour longer. Let rest 30 minutes. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Chill uncovered until cold, then cover and keep chilled.)
3.
Scrape sauce off brisket. Transfer brisket to work surface; slice thinly across grain, trimming any fat, if desired. Overlap hot slices on platter or cold slices in 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Surround with shallots and potatoes. Rewarm sauce. Spoon some sauce over. Rewarm brisket, if necessary, in 350°F oven until heated through. Serve, passing remaining sauce separately.
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