Braised Brisket
Servings: 8 servings
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Ingredients
- 5-6 lbs beef brisket, preferably from point end (see notes)
- kosher salt and pepper to taste
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 2½ lbs yellow onions, sliced
- 1 lb whole mushrooms, sliced in half lengthwise
- ½ lb celery, diced
- 2-3 heads garlic, unpeeled and sliced in half crosswise
- 1 cup dry red wine
- ⅓ cup catsup
- 1 can (14 oz) whole peeled tomatoes, hand crushed, with their juices
- 1 tsp dried thyme or 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300° F.
- Generously season brisket with salt and pepper on all sides.
- Using medium,-high burner, heat oil in a large oven and stovetop-proof pot or stainless steel roasting pan until shimmering.
- Add brisket and brown on all sides, about 5-6 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
- Add the onions, mushrooms, celery and garlic to the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, about 5-6 minutes or until lightly browned. Season with salt, add the wine and simmer while scraping up browned bits from the bottom of the pot or pan. Stir in the ketchup, tomatoes ,thyme and bay leaves. Put the brisket back in the pot or pan so that the vegetables are all around it.
- Cover pot or pan with foil and put in preheated oven. Cook until fork tender, about 3-4 hours.
- If serving within the hour: Remove the pot or pan from the oven, put the brisket onto a cutting board, tent a piece of foil over it and let it rest for about 30 minutes. While the brisket cools, skim the fat from the surface of the liquid, remove and discard bay leaves and (if using) fresh thyme sprigs. Season if necessary. Slice the brisket against the grain and put the slices back in the pot or pan, covering the meat with the liquid and vegetables as much as possible. Alternatively, you can also put the brisket, vegetables and liquid in a serving dish. Cover and keep warm for another 30 minutes or so before serving.
- If serving 1-4 days later: Remove the pot or pan from the oven and let it sit until everything is cool enough to handle. Remove the brisket from the pot or pan and slice it against the grain. Put it back into the pot or pan (or put everything into a serving dish) and cool completely. Cover with foil and refrigerate. To serve, preheat oven to 325° F. While it is preheating, skim the fat from the surface of the liquid and discard. Cover and reheat the brisket until warm: about 30-45 minutes if started at room temperature or 1 to 1-1/2 hours if started chilled.
Notes
For a 6# brisket, you will likely also have some flat part attached. That's fine, just don't trim any fat from that from that end. If you are only using the flat end of the brisket, do not trim off any of the fat.
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