Cumbrae’s Wagyu Beef Brisket And Beef Meatball Hotpot

by Chef David Lee

Similar in look to an Asian hotpot, this dish has a definite French taste. Wagyu beef is available in limited quantities and is tender and fattier than regular beef. Use regular beef if Wagyu is not available.

Brisket:
1 Wagyu or regular beef brisket
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons canola oil

Meatballs:
1 pound ground Wagyu beef
2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
1 teaspoon finely chopped thyme

Garnish:
4 cups chicken stock
2 carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch rounds
2 turnips, peeled and cut into ½-inch rounds
2 leeks, white part only, cut into ½-inch rounds

Preheat oven to 325 F.

Season brisket liberally with salt and pepper on all sides and coat with canola oil. Double wrap brisket in tinfoil. Place on a baking sheet. Poke a few air vents through the tinfoil and bake for 5 to 6 hours or until meat is tender and can be pulled apart with a fork. Cool.

Combine ground beef, garlic and thyme, and season with salt and pepper. Cook a small portion of the meatball mix to check for seasoning, adding more as needed. Form ground meat into 1-inch balls. Refrigerate until needed.

Bring chicken stock to boil in a large pot. Reduce heat to a simmer, add carrots and turnips and poach for 7 to 9 minutes or until tender. Remove with a slotted spoon. Add leeks and poach another 3 to 4 minutes. Remove and reserve all vegetables.

Add reserved meatballs to stock and poach for 6 to 8 minutes or until fully cooked. Reserve poaching liquid for hotpot.

Reheat vegetables and meatballs in stock. Place ½ cup poaching liquid, 2 meatballs and some of the garnish vegetables in a serving bowl.

Slice brisket across the grain into ½-inch to 1-inch slices and place over vegetables and meatballs. Sprinkle meat with Fleur de Sel or Maldon sea salt just before serving.

Wine pairing by Beppi Crosariol:

Wa means “Japanese,” gyu means “cattle.” Together they refer to several breeds of cow with intensely marbled flesh that is especially prized in Japan. Cumbrae’s, an Ontario meat purveyor with two stores in Toronto and one in Dundas, gets its foie-gras-like meat from a local herd. Here’s an interesting yet deftly unencumbered preparation that lets the luxuriously fatty meat do the talking. Take it as your cue for the wine: Keep it subtle. Some bright acidity could help, too, as in a top-grade Beaujolais from such French villages as Morgon, Fleurie or Moulin-à-Vent, or a pinot noir from Ontario. A moderately tannic cabernet or red Bordeaux would work, too. International choices: Louis Jadot Moulin-à-Vent Chateau des Jacques from France ($32); Château Pey La Tour from France ($23). Canadian choice: Le Clos Jordanne Le Grand Clos from Niagara ($65).