Coffee’d brisket

Total time: About 4 hours, 15 minutes, plus overnight marination

Servings: 8 to 10

1/4 cup top-quality coffee beans, ground for espresso

3 tablespoons kosher salt

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon chipotle flakes or 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile pepper (or Italian hot red pepper flakes)

1 beef brisket, about 5 pounds, excess fat trimmed

2 large onions, sliced

4 carrots, peeled and cut lengthwise into 3-by- 1/2-inch strips

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

1/2 cup beef stock

1 1/2 cups strong brewed espresso

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. The night before cooking, combine the ground coffee, salt, sugar and chipotle flakes. Spread over both sides of the brisket. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

2. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

3. Spread the onions, carrots and thyme into a roasting pan just large enough to hold the meat. Rinse the coating off the brisket and lay it on top of the vegetables, fattier side up. Pour the stock and coffee around the meat. Cover tightly with a lid or with foil and bake 3 1/2 to 4 hours, until the meat is very tender.

4. Remove the meat from the juices and place on a rimmed carving board. Using a slotted spoon, remove the vegetables to a bowl. Pour the warm pan juices into a gravy separator.

5. To serve, slice the meat across the grain into very thin slices. Spoon some of the vegetables alongside. Season the warm defatted pan juices to taste and serve on the side.

Each of 10 servings: 316 calories; 47 grams protein; 6 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram fiber; 10 grams fat; 4 grams saturatedfat; 97 mg. cholesterol; 228 mg. sodium.