BYOB (be your own bubbe) Jewish Brisket
Brisket is a cut of beef that comes from the lower chest of the cow, and since that muscle holds up the majority of the cow’s weight there’s lots of connective tissue and the meat is tooouuughhhhhh. But as all of us brisket lovers know, this reasonably-priced cut is amazingly tender and delicious when slow-roasted (or smoked). A lot of people out there would argue that Texas Style BBQ brisket is the way to go, but if you ask me, which you didn’t (but you’re on my website so you SORT OF did), it’s best slowly roasted with lots of tart/sweet dried fruit.
There are a lot of bubbes (Yiddish for Grandmas) in the world, and each one has a favorite family-pleasing brisket recipe. I frequently encounter brisket slathered in ketchup or cooked with tomato paste and mirepoix (carrot, onion, and celery). Usually, these recipes include brown sugar because, well, sugar is delicious and balances a salty, savory dish, but I prefer the naturally sweet and tangy flavor (and texture) that dried fruit adds to brisket.
I can honestly say that I’ve almost never met a brisket I didn’t like. But this is the brisket my grandma made, it’s the brisket that my mom makes, and it’s the brisket that I absolutely love the most and will continue serving forever.
There are a few tricks to the brisket, so I hope you’ll read the directions carefully before starting your brisket adventure.
I am beyond thrilled to share this little piece of my heart with you!
The best way to cook a brisket is the day before you want to eat it! Ideally, you would do the initial long cook one day, and the slice and reheat step of the recipe the following day. You can combine the steps and cook your brisket and serve it in a single day, but the result is significantly better with the two-day method.
Once you’ve made the brisket be sure to check out my brisket sandwich and brisket pasta recipes for many days of brisket-eating bliss!
[SERVES 10]
Ingredients:
5 pounds beef brisket
1 tablespoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 carrots, cut into 2 inch rounds
2 celery sticks, cut into 3 inch pieces
1 onion, quartered leaving the root end intact
1 head of garlic, split horizontally
2 cups beef stock (or any stock you have on hand)
¾ cup dried apricots
¾ cup dried prunes
10 whole black peppercorns
3 bay leaves
2 cups red wine (a reasonably priced cabernet sauvignon is my favorite)
LET’S COOK:
Preheat your oven to 300°F and heat your largest pan on the stovetop over a high heat. Pat down the brisket with paper towels, cut it in half, and season it generously with the salt.
Sear the brisket, one piece at a time, with the fat side down until it’s got a nice deep golden color about 4 minutes per side. Transfer both pieces to a high-sided 9-inch x 13-inch baking dish with the fatty side facing up.
Turn the heat on the stovetop down to medium and add the olive oil, followed by the carrots, celery, and onion. Sauté for about 5 minutes until the onion is lightly browned, then add the garlic and cook for 3 more minutes. Add the stock and let it simmer for 5 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze it.
While the liquid is simmering, add the dried fruit, peppercorns, and bay leaves to the baking dish with the meat.
Pour the stock and vegetables over the meat, followed by the wine and cover tightly with tinfoil. Roast for 6 hours. If you don’t cook this cut long enough, it won’t be tender.
Remove the brisket from the oven and take off the tinfoil (open the tinfoil facing away from you to avoid a steam burn). Allow the meat to cool before storing it in the fridge overnight.
The next day preheat your oven to 350°F degrees. Remove the brisket from the fridge and slice against the grain into ½-inch slices. It’s much easier to cut without shredding it when it’s cold, and it’s also easier to trim off any excess fat this way.
Add the brisket back into the pan nuzzling it below all the delicious dried fruit. Cook the meat, uncovered, for another 45 minutes or until it’s hot all the way through and lightly crisped at any visible edges.