For the last several years, if we know each other offline and you ask me what brisket you should make for Passover or another Jewish holiday and you seem a little concerned over the work of it all — because something not discussed nearly often enough is that it’s never just about the brisket, right? It’s starters and sides and desserts, plus table-setting, water carafes (there are never enough), procuring wine and someone (hopefully not me) needs to make sure the place is passably spic-and-span for guests — I will send you an email with the recipe for what I call Stupid Easy Brisket. I’m overdue to stop holding out on the rest of us, too, albeit with a less insulting title.
It’s not that either of the two brisket recipes I’ve shared before — the Tangy Spiced Brisket in the archives and Maya’s Sweet-and-Sour High Holiday Brisket in The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook — are difficult. But nothing loosens the tension knots in my brain like knowing I do not need to shop for basically anything I don’t already keep around just to make an utterly wonderful brisket, one that everybody wants the recipe for.
Plus, this one is a whole other level of easy. It’s adapted from the late, wonderful Nach Waxman, founder of the charming NYC cookbook store Kitchen Arts & Letters, who shared it in Stephanie Pierson’s 2011 The Brisket Book: A Love Story with Recipes where it gained a large cult following. How could it not? It has five ingredients (brisket, onions, garlic, tomato paste, and carrots) and honestly you can skip the carrots if they’re not your thing, bringing it to four. This isn’t the only thing that sets it apart from many traditional recipes. It has no sugar. It requires neither a bottle of sauce nor a packet of soup mix yet lacks for nothing in the flavor department, in an aroma so heady you will know instantly that you’re in the right place.
While I hew closely to Waxman’s ingredient list, I’ve adjusted the cooking process and braise over the years to my preferences — more saucy, so the meat doesn’t dry out, a steady cooking temperature, and, ideally, some rest time. I’ve also upped the amount of carrots, and tried to tighten up measurements on everything else including the seasoning so you’re at no risk of slicing into any disappointments when you finally serve it. I hope this recipe will be for the brisket category on the site what the Dry Brined Turkey with Roasted Onions is for Thanksgiving — low-effort, high-reward, and the last you’ll ever need.
Video
Simplest Brisket with Braised Onions
- Kosher salt
- One (6-pound or 2.75 kg) first-cut beef brisket
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Vegetable oil
- 3 pounds (1.35 kg) of yellow onions (about 8 medium)
- 6 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
- 4 tablespoons (65 grams) tomato paste
- 1 to 1 1/2 pounds (455 to 680 grams) thick carrots, peeled, trimmed, and cut into 1-inch chunks
Prepare your brisket: Place your total measured amount of salt [see Note] in a small bowl. Trim your brisket, if necessary, so that only a thin layer of fat remains — about 1/8- to 1/4-inch thick. Season it generously on top with salt from the bowl and many grinds of black pepper.
Brown your brisket: Heat a large Dutch oven (this is a 6.5-quart oval; see Note about size options) over high heat with 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil until very hot. Place the whole brisket (if it fits) or the first half of your brisket (if you need to divide it) seasoned side-down into the hot pan then season the second side (now facing up) generously with more salt from the bowl and pepper. Cook until crusty and well-browned on both sides, about 5 to 7 minutes per side, repeating with the second half of brisket if you needed to divide it. Transfer to a plate to rest.
While the brisket browns, prepare your onions: Halve and peel each onion, and slice a generous 1/4-inch thick. You can make quick work of this with your food processor’s slicing blade, should you have one.
Cook the onions: Add the onions to your empty pot, season with salt from the bowl and pepper, and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions have softened and developed a rich brown color, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
Prepare the braise: Remove the pot from the heat. If you need to transfer the onions and garlic to an ovensafe casserole dish, do so now. Place the browned brisket on the onions and pour any juices that accumulated on the plate over it, plus 1 1/2 cups (355 ml) of water. Spread the tomato paste over the top of the brisket as if you were icing a cake. Sprinkle the brisket with additional black pepper and any salt you have left over in your dish. Scatter the carrots in the pan. Cover the pot (or use foil if your pan doesn’t have a lid) and transfer to the oven.
Braise your brisket, choosing your next directions based on when you plan to serve it:
1st schedule: Braise your brisket to serve today: Let the brisket cook, untouched, for 1 1/2 hours then remove from the oven. Carefully transfer the brisket to a cutting board. Using a very sharp knife, thinly slice the brisket across the grain into approximately 1/8-inch to 1/4-inch thick slices. Return the slices to the pot, leaning them slightly so that you can see a bit of the top edge of each slice. If the liquid looks low — ideally, we’d like the liquid 1/3 to halfway up the meat — add another 1/2 cup (120 ml) water at this time. Replace the lid on the pan and return it to the oven for an additional 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours. The brisket is done when you can easily pull a slice apart with a fork.
2nd schedule: Braise your brisket to serve tomorrow or the next day: Let the brisket cook, untouched, for 3 hours then remove from the oven. If the liquid looks low — ideally, we’d like the liquid 1/3 to halfway up the meat — add another 1/2 cup water at this time. The brisket is done when you can easily pull a slice apart with a fork. If it’s not done yet, return it to the oven for another 30 to 60 minutes, i.e. check at 30 for doneness and add final 30 minutes only if necessary.
Chill brisket overnight, or for two nights: Transfer brisket, covered, to the fridge.
About 1 hour before you plan to serve the brisket: Heat oven to 350°F (175°C). Remove the lid from the pot and use a spoon to remove any solidified fat from the top of and around the meat. Carefully transfer the brisket to a cutting board. Using a very sharp knife, thinly slice the brisket across the grain into approximately 1/8-inch to 1/4-inch thick slices. Return the slices to the pot, leaning them slightly so that you can see a bit of the top edge of each slice. Place lid back on pot and warm in oven for 35 to 45 minutes, until slices are hot throughout and the liquid is bubbling.
To serve (either cooking schedule): Serve the sliced brisket, spooning onions and sauce from the pan over each plate.
Notes:
- Let’s talk about timing: Braised brisket is good on the first day but it’s excellent on the second and third days. I always make it in advance when I can. Serving it on the second or third day also allows us to easily de-fat the braise. However, I’m sharing here two schedules just in case you need to make it the day you’re serving it.
- Let’s talk about salt: There is nothing more crushing than cutting into a gorgeously cooked braise that’s filled your home with a meltingly good aroma and finding it bland and underseasoned. I don’t want this to happen for us. As we cannot taste the inside of the meat as we go, our best bet is to actually use a correctly measured amount of salt. I estimate needing 1 teaspoon of Diamond kosher salt per pound of brisket, plus about 1/3 of that extra to account for seasoning the sauce. If the brisket is 6 pounds, I’m probably using 8 teaspoons or 22 grams of salt total. If it’s 7 pounds, 9 1/2 teaspoons or 27 grams total. Using Morton or another brand of kosher salt: 4 3/4 teaspoons total for a 6-pound brisket. Using table salt or a fine sea salt: 3 3/4 teaspoons. Does this sound highly finicky? Yes. But underseasoning makes me sad, as it’s almost impossible to correct later.
- Find the right size pan: Ideally, you’ll want to use a large Dutch oven — here I’m cooking in a black 6.25-quart oval but larger would be welcome too. In the top photo, I’ve reheated about 2/3 of the total brisket in a smaller pan — this 2.25-quart casserole dish in gray. If you don’t have a large pan that can go from stove to oven, simply use your largest skillet instead and transfer to an ovenproof baking dish when you’re done on the stove. If your brisket is too big to fit across the bottom of your Dutch oven or skillet, cut it into two equal halves, as shown here.
- Choosing your brisket: The “first cut” or “flat cut” brisket is the leaner, larger portion of the brisket, often resembling a thicker, larger flank steak, and is located below the fattier “point” or “second cut.” In the UK, brisket is often sold rolled, commonly referred to as “rolled brisket” or “pot roast brisket.” You should unroll it before cooking it here.
- Leftovers: Will keep for up to 6 days from the day you started the braise. Reheat at 350°F (175°C) for about 30 minutes. If it ever looks low on liquid, add another 1/2 cup water.
- Make this brisket in an InstantPot or electric pressure cooker: For 75 to 90 minutes on the meat/stew or “high” setting. Let the pressure naturally release for about 15 minutes.
- Make this brisket in a slow-cooker: Cook it on low for 9 to 10 hours.
Previously
6 months ago: Easiest Cinnamon Rolls
1 year ago: Turkey Meatloaf for Skeptics
2 years ago: Bean and Vegetable Burritos
3 years ago: Banana Cream Pie and Simple Chicken Tortilla Soup
4 years ago: Hummingbird Cake
5 years ago: Carrot and White Bean Burgers
6 years ago: Extra-Billowy Dutch Baby Pancake
7 years ago: Sweet Potato Tacos
8 years ago: Punjabi-Style Black Lentils and Easiest French Fries
9 years ago: Churros, Nolita-Style Avocado Toast and Chocolate Peanut Butter Tart
10 years ago: Black-Bottom Oatmeal Pie and Potatoes with Soft Eggs and Bacon Vinaigrette
11 years ago: Broccoli, Cheddar, and Wild Rice Casserole and Double-Chocolate Banana Bread and Sizzling Chicken Fajitas
12 years ago: My Favorite Buttermilk Biscuits and Coconut Bread
13 years ago: Potato Knish, Two Ways
14 years ago: The Best Baked Spinach
15 years ago: Thick Chewy Granola Bars, Arroz Con Leche, and Baked Rigatoni with Tiny Meatballs
16 years ago: Thick, Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
17 years ago: Pasta with Cauliflower, Walnuts, and Feta
18 years ago: Mediterranean Eggplant and Barley Salad
My mother is allergic to black pepper. Would this recipe work as well without the black pepper? Is there something I can substitite in place of the black pepper?
My mom can’t stand much pepper. So i usually sub some sort of (not hot) paprika.
I’m surprised there is no liquid… isn’t that unusual?
“ plus 1 1/2 cups (355 ml) of water” is a somewhat hidden ingredient in the Prepare your braise step.
Can you add spice in other ways? Red pepper, etc?
Yes. Would the amount of red pepper be less than the black pepper though?
Yes, it’s usually spicy.
It has been drilled into my DNA that brisket for the jewish holidays should always be the second cut as the fat adds to the flavor while cooking and then one can trim while cutting before serving.
During your recipe testing, had you tried with the second cut and found that first works best with this preparation?
Change is hard!
In general, if I’m buying brisket, it’s not labeled first cut or second — it’s just the fairly lean kind. It’s all you need here. The fat isn’t going to melt away significantly, like if you were smoking it for barbecue.
I haven’t tried that.
Pretty close to Laurie Colwin’s “Aunt Gladys” pot roast. Which I believe there is a version of on this site.
Sorry, but your tangy spiced brisket is already perfect! Not messing with perfection!!!
I’m with you there, S. It’s not that I don’t want to try this recipe, or that I don’t think I’d like it too. It’s just that when in presence of a brisket, the tangy spiced one is the obvious thing to do with it..
ok, i for sure will be making this version for passover this year. i’m curious, when you make this do you do this stovetop/oven or slow cooker like the previous brisket recipes?
also! what else are you serving? i still haven’t decided and could use the inspiration.
There are slow-cooker and InstantPot directions in the notes under the recipes. If we’re serving this for Passover, we have other traditional foods on the table, usually, like chicken liver. We’ve usually had matzo ball soup first. I always make a couple kinds of salad and usually another vegetable.
Deb help! I misread your instructions and added 8tbs of salt to the recipe rather than 8tsp. Is it possible to save the dish? It has an hour left in the oven and I am serving it in two days. I’d hate for my first try at brisket to fail :(.
Oof, I think you’ll just have to taste and see. I’m crushed for you! I would say if it’s really just the sauce that’s awful, you can perhaps sauté some additional onions, add a little tomato paste, some beef broth — basically stretch it with an unsalted broth or swap half with this and see if it does the trick.
Thank you so much for your quick reply, Deb! I tasted it when taking it out of the oven and discovered that the meat was actually pretty good, the sauce just a little too salty. I served it today reheated, added a little bit of water to the broth and my friends LOVED IT. Said it was the best brisket they ever had. Not a drop of meat remained ha! I think I might keep the salt levels high for future cooks :). I served it with your challah recipe too which has always been such a winner. Thank you for being a key part of my Shabbat!!
Can you tell us what sides you would traditionally serve with the brisket? Love the sounds of this recipe but I often live for side dishes as well :)
Do you mean for Passover? Or if you were just making this for friends? Regardless, I’d say some roasted or mashed potatoes, a big salad, maybe another vegetable.
If making in the slow cooker the day before — do we just follow the slicing and de-fatting steps and reheat in the slow cooker? If so, just bring it to warm? Love the idea of freeing up the oven for all the other things I make (such as your perfect potato kugel, the only kugel recipe I ever bother with anymore!
Yes, you can do exactly that but with the slow cooker pan instead.
Do you think you could use a braiser for this instead of the Dutch oven? Or do you think you need the high sides?
No, the braiser is fine if your brisket and the liquid fits. The 4-quart I partner with Staub on won’t fit this recipe, sadly.
As a non-Jewish West Coast reader with Texas roots, I am utterly fascinated by your recipes for brisket, because they sound so incredibly comforting but I also have zero cultural context for “what should this taste like”.
All that to say, I’m fascinated, and have earmarked this to make at some point. Given the holiday nature of the recipe, would it be better if I made the recipe as written and freeze half for later, or just halve it and make a smaller amount of food for 2 adults and 2 tyrannical critics?
You can totally freeze half for later.
Would olive oil or avocado oil be acceptable in place of vegetable oil?
Yes, that’s fine. It needs to not smoke at high heat.
My two cents on second cut v first cut brisket. If you’re cooking with kosher meat, (in addition to ritual slaughter and extra health standards) the meat has been kashered. This means that the meat has gone through a process of being salted and soaked, to draw out blood. I’ve never cooked non kosher meat. But I think that the kashering process makes the meat drier, hence a definite preference for second cut brisket when preparing kosher meat.
Agreed. But this year I wasn’t able to find a second cut brisket of the size I need. And I don’t have a Passover large Dutch oven or instant pot so I plan to brown my brisket in 2 or 3 pieces and then braise in a large roasting pan covered in heavy duty foil. And I may add extra oil.
Would you decrease salt if using a kosher brisket? If so, about how much?
I always reduce salt in beef and chicken recipes, since I only cook with kosher meat. Generally I’d reduce by ⅓ or so, but also depends on what other ingredients are included and their ratio to the overall recipe.
I love your recipes!
Should the side with the fat be up or down when baking in the oven?
Thanks!
I usually do down but it’s not that important.
I always do fat side up to help keep meat moist..
Agreed- fat side up! I make it a day or two ahead and get rid of a lot of the hardened, chilled fat or obvious pieces out the next day when I slice it the day before and before reheating in the juices. And I’ve used both the first and the second cuts and the whole brisket at different times. The second cut is delicious and may well be moister, but the 1st cut is easier to slice. I’m always happy for my electric knife when I get to the slicing as it seems to take longer than it should.
I haven’t tried this recipe yet, but will. I’ve previously used a Waxman inspired recipe. For reheating, just be sure you’ve kept all the juices so the slices don’t dry out during storage or reheating.
This looks good, but actually a lot more complicated than the “Maya’s” version in your cookbook, which I’ve made many times. When I make the “Maya’s” version, I slice a bunch of onions and put them in the dutch oven under the meat (I omit the onion powder) bur I don’t bother cooking the onions first. And the “Maya’s” version doesn’t require browning the meat. Plop the meat on the onions, pour on the sauce, put it in the oven, done. Browning the meat and pre-cooking the onions, as this recipe calls for, seems like it just adds extra work.
Can’t wait to make this recipe for Passover this year! Do you recommend Diamond Kosher Salt or the Salt Flakes? Thank you!
It doesn’t matter one bit what salt you use, just the measurement. If using flakes, you’ll need more or you can weigh the salt.
Why is there no liquid? Seems unusual.
In the text/instructions
Prepare The Braise > “plus 1 1/2 cups (355 ml) of water”
Do you have a recipe for matzoh Farfel stuffing turned into a kugel? Thanks so much.
Marcia
I’ve never tried it!
Farfel Stuffing
Simple version (can be customized):
• Ingredients:
• 1 box Passover farfel or crushed matzah
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2–3 stalks celery, chopped
• 2–3 tbsp olive oil or schmaltz
• 2 eggs, beaten
• Broth (chicken or veggie), about 1–1.5 cups
• Salt, pepper, optional herbs (parsley, thyme)
Instructions:
1. Sauté onion and celery in oil until soft.
2. Mix farfel with sautéed veggies in a large bowl.
3. Add eggs and broth until just moist but not soggy.
4. Season well and mix thoroughly.
5. Transfer to a greased dish and bake at 350°F for 30–40 minutes, uncovered.
Is there no liquid in this brisket recipe?
In the text/instructions
Prepare The Braise > “plus 1 1/2 cups (355 ml) of water”
I seriously had the world’s wickedest stepmother but she made an excellent brisket: after browning it, she placed it on a bed of onions cut in half moons, a lot of whole peeled garlic cloves, salt and pepper, and a bay leaf. She then mixed beer and catsup 1:1 and poured it over the top, then covered it and baked low and slow.
I like to replace 1/4 to 1/3 of the water with red wine. Do you ever do that?
I haven’t but you can, it will work.
Applied this method to a grass-fed chuck roast baked at 275, eaten as French dip with carrots on the side, delish! Onions are such an amazing staple.
Hi, Deb —
I love your recipes and am very tempted to try your tangy brisket recipe this year. The one problem is that I usually make my brisket a week ahead and then freeze it — and reheat it on the day of the Seder. Could I do that with yours? And yours does make plenty of sauce as it cooks, right? (I’m also making a 13-plus pound brisket and would have to do this in two batches, to fit it into a pan on the stove.)
Thank you so much!!
If you’d like a lot of sauce, you can always add more water or broth as it’s cooking if it looks low. As written, it’s a moderate amount. Happy cooking!
This looks so amazing. I already have the tangy spiced brisket ready to go this year but will try this next year!
I make my brisket somewhat similar in that I don’t brown my meat or onions and I use canned crushed tomatoes instead of the tomato paste. I don’t measure how much salt and pepper I use, but I season until it feels like too much salt and pepper (it is so hard to overseason brisket). And cooking in advance, even parking it a few weeks in the freezer, really helps to develop the flavors.
Just a cautionary note:
Every now and then, maybe 1 brisket out of ten I find that the meat isn’t tender at the of the advised cooking time. I stick a fork into it and it is clearly not yet tender. So I never end the cooking of the brisket until it is fork tender. I cover the pan and keeping baking at a lower temperature until it becomes fork tender, no matter how long that takes. Otherwise, this recipe is perfect.
Could I halve the recipe? I only have 2.5 lb brisket. How would I adjust cooking times?
I just cooked this recipe using about a 2 lb cut of brisket, and I used maybe half the quantity of onions, carrots, and tomato paste, and the full amount of garlic and water. It took mine about the full amount of time to cook, using the two-day method (although my oven died about 2 hrs in on day 1, so I needed to do the rest of it on a low stove!). It was delish!
The 2nd schedule calls for testing for doneness by pulling apart a slice with a fork, but the recipe doesn’t call for slicing the meat until an hour before serving.
You can still check for doneness by pulling at the meat with a fork.
I love a good brisket, but I live alone and I don’t celebrate Passover. Not long ago I made a brisket that was just under 2 pounds, and it turned out heavenly. Will this recipe work for a much smaller brisket if I just reduce the other ingredients accordingly? Or do I need to adjust cooking method, temp, or ingredients in some other proportion? Thanks!
I have this same question- my brisket is 2.3 pounds- do I need to adjust cooking time?
Thank you!
Usually the cooking time is about the same, but you can check it at 2 hours 45 minutes (instead of 3 hours) to start, just to be extra safe.
I just went ahead and did three hours- it’s perfect (currently cooling on the counter before I put it in the fridge for tomorrow night).
This looks really good. Any chance I can leave the tomato paste out? My daughter is allergic to cooked tomatoes. Any other 5hing(s) to add instead?
While theoretically red peppers can sometimes swap for tomatoes, I think it’s risky making a big ingredient swap when there are only 5 ingredients here. The Tangy Spiced Brisket contains ketchup, not tomato sauce or paste. Would that be ok
There is a bar b q sauce I can use I know she is ok with. Ketchup she cannot have. Thank you for taking the time to reply.
I am definitely going to try this! I usually cook a 6-7lb brisket for Passover a few days ahead of the holiday. I cook it low and slow, 250°, overnight (roughly 11p-6a). Always perfectly tender.
I will add, I have never made one of your recipes that hasn’t come out delicious! Your website is my favorite go to of all time!
Would this fit in a 5 qt dutch oven? It’s the largest I have.
It will probably be too snug.
Can you make this without onions? My daughter in law gets migraines if she smells onions!
I would make a different brisket recipe, such as this Tangy Spiced Brisket. Since there are only five ingredients here, to leave one out will leave it without a lot of taste.
First, I am a big fan, having made so many of your recipes over the years and hope I can write this, respectfully, for a few generous thoughts.I have been making a family recipe brisket for years, but it does contain bottled dressing, powdered soup mix and sugary liquid. It’s delicious but time-consuming and highly processed. Your recipe intrigues me for all the right reasons, save one – lots of carrots. Have they been amped up to increase the sweetness in the absence of sugary bits. Have you ever grated them so they dissolve into the braising liquid like the onions – allowing for them to even be blitzed up (with a stick blender?) to thicken the sauce without big carrot bites. TY and Happy Passover.
Hi, the carrots and cooked onions add a nice bit of sweetness, and the carrots themselves are then *delicious* to eat. If you don’t like big chunks I see three ways around it – go bigger and then remove the carrots, or go smaller in to pieces that are eaiser to avoid, or just use less. I would not omit or bend in. I fear if they are grated it would make an odd texture to the liquid or having that much surface area/”melt” factor would increase the taste of carrot rather than decrease. It’s easy to remove the peices after cooking. For the last hour of baking I often add quartered purple potatoes into the pot and those get soft and delicious, too.
Could you make this recipe in a round dutch oven instead of an oval? And if using a larger piece of brisket, say 7 pounds, how large an either round or oval dutch oven would be needed. thank you!!
You can use any shape you have. You’ll probably need to split and stack the halves. You’ll want a 6.5- to 8-quart dutch oven.
Thank you so much for your reply. Do you think the meat will cook just as well if stacked rather than single layer?
Yes, absolutely. If you’re nervous, you can always switch their positions midway in the cooking.
I’d really like to hear your ideas about charoset. Do you make a traditional uncooked Ashkenazi apple-walnut version? Do you use Manischewitz wine-or can you get away with something, shall we say, better? We’re usually so hungry by the time we get to the Matzo sandwich that we’d eat anything, but with all the prep i’d love to come up with something better
I make both. Apple walnut, I don’t use a recipe. I also make Sephardic charoset, adapted from the Kurdish Charoset in Leah Koenig’s The Jewish Cookbook. They’re like date snack bites; amazing. I also always make my own horseradish, which will clear all pollen allergies from the room.
Thank you for this recipe. I’ll put in a vote for Julia Childs recipe, which has a lot of similarities but I think is even easier. You mash together garlic, salt and oil, then spread on a brisket. I trim only egregious fat but take most off later. Top with sliced onion and fresh tomato rather than paste and refrigerate overnight, covering with parchment then foil. Cook for 3-4 hours the next day. Rest a day or two, then remove fat from juices and trim fat off cold cooked brisket. A couple hours before, slice and put in crockpot and/or large pan. It never disappoints.
I am planning to make the brisket using the 2nd schedule. Can I slice first and then chill? I always feel like the brisket is so hard to slice after I let it sit for a day or so? Any downside to doing this?
I wait to slice it to get cleaner, sharper slices. But if you find it too difficult to slice cold, warm is fine.
I ended up making the brisket the same day and it was the most delicious brisket I have ever made! And I loved slicing it midway through the cooking as my work was done when I pulled it from the oven. Brilliant! The meat was flavorful and tender. Thank you!
Thanks for the inspiration, Deb. I’m going to make this for Saturday’s Seder and have a couple questions: 1) the recipe says to start the carrots with the brisket (as opposed to throwing them in later, which is my practice)- thoughts on this?; and 2) the recipe calls for reheating at 350 as opposed to 300 that I’ve seen in other recipes. Will this make much of a difference? Thanks for your help!
It’s written the way I’ve tested it to work best. I don’t find the large carrots to fall apart but you’re welcome to add them later if it’s your preference. You can reheat brisket at 300 if you prefer; it simply takes longer.
i am attempting to cook it last minute for the Holidays. if I half the size of brisket, should i half the cooking time?
Thank you for the great recipe. Followed the recipe exactly and the second cooking option, making the evening before the first night of Passover with a 7.5lb Costco brisket. My brisket had a ton of fat that I carved off before searing, and I had to cut in half to fit in my Dutch oven. Personally I thought the one day rest was essential to have an opportunity to skim the fat from the braise (so much fat!) and to develop the flavors in the meat. Needed the extra half hour in the oven.
I made this for our Passover seder following the “2nd schedule instructions.” I don’t eat meat, but our guests said it was delish (and I could tell the consistency was perfect). I ran into a bit of a glitch, though. After chilling and skimming the fat, I also trimmed some of the excess fat off the top of the brisket (even though my butcher trimmed the fat as suggested in the recipe) because I know it would have been unappealing to my family. When doing so, I also had to remove some of the beautiful, seasoned tomato paste glaze. I was concerned that impacted the appearance and the flavor. Do you serve the brisket with the 1/4 – 1/8 inch of fat at the top? I remedied this by warming and seasoning tomato paste in a pan, then added some sauce from the cooked brisket, which I then poured back into the pan with the brisket. It looked okay, but I would have liked to have had the glaze present on top all of the brisket when serving.
I made this for dinner tonight, and it got an enthusiastic thumbs up from my husband (he went for seconds immediately after finishing his first plate). I was a bit worried about cooking times, since i used a very lean, smaller 3lb first cut piece, but i went with the shorter second cook (90 minutes) and it turned out fabulous. Even though this isn’t an explicitly “sweet and sour” type recipe, i found that the caramelization of the onions and carrots + the acid from the tomato gave it a wonderful sweet and savory note. I appreciate the simplicity of the recipe as well. Will definitely make again!
This is the best brisket I have ever made! The meat was very tender and flavorful. Thank you so much! I believe it is the salt measurement that made the difference.
Can you spell out the slow cooker instructions from beginning to end?
Thank you!
I made this recipe this weekend. 12/10 recommend! If there was the equivalent of an EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony award) for recipes, this would surely win it!
This is the first brisket recipe I’ve ever made, and it very well may be the only one I ever make, it was that damn good. Huge hit at the Passover seder I co-hosted and well worth the cost of the meat itself. (The tangy braised chickpeas were also a hit!)
First time cooking a brisket and love the simplicity here, although in looking at other recipes almost all of them show a much lower oven temp (250-275). What are your thoughts on this?
I’m not Jewish but I made this recipe last week and it was a huuuuge hit. I used slightly less liquid since I only had a 3lb hunk of meat. The caramelized onions? *chef’s kiss*
Served over the course of several days over polenta, mashed potatoes, and egg noodles. Thanks, Deb!
I made this for our Seder the first night of Passover, and it was delicious! There were other comments asking about using a kosher brisket, here’s what I did. I had a 7.6 lb 1st cut kosher brisket. I had to cut it into three pieces to brown it in my cast iron Passover pot. I used much less salt than in the recipe (probably only 1/3) since I worry about over salting kosher meat. I used plenty of pepper. I increased the other ingredients due to the larger size but otherwise followed the recipe. I used a large aluminum foil pan from Costco, covered with two layers of heavy duty foil. I checked it at the three hour point and it wasn’t tender. At four hours it was tender and I put it back for 25 more minutes just in case, since I dread the not-tender-enough brisket. It didn’t need the additional 25 minutes, that made it hard to slice the next day. Everyone (except the lone vegetarian who wished she could have braised chickpeas but we aren’t a kitniyot family) loved it. I will definitely make it again!!
I made the slow cooker version. It was delicious, but next time I would stick to the oven version. I didn’t get caramelization of the tomato paste crust (not surprising with the slow cooker) and the carrot chunks stayed surprisingly crunchy. No issues with the liquid – there was lots (again, not surprising with the slow cooker). We really enjoyed it but I think the end result would be better in the oven. Next time!
I made this! It was really easy. I didn’t have black pepper so I put hot paprika instead. I didn’t chop the onions, just halved and peeled them. I baked it in my largest soup pot (5 litres). It came out well.
This was my first time preparing brisket, and I made this exactly as written; It was perfect and received universal compliments.
I scaled up for 10 pounds of first-cut brisket, cooked on a Thursday, sliced/reheated/served on Saturday; Morton’s kosher salt; seared in a big pan and transferred to a roasting pan.
I’ll note that searing first made a huge mess of splattered oil in my kitchen, but I don’t necessarily regret that. I also chopped all the onions/carrots/garlic the night before to make the cooking day even easier. I seasoned a little bit more than Deb wrote (using freshly ground pepper), and I would not do that again; it is perfect as written (but nobody complained).
I made this for Passover too! I used two smaller brisket pieces so searing took longer but I used my massive 10l pot so at least the mess was contained. I started the braise in the oven, but then needed it for other things so ended up cooking it in a regular pot on the stove, on a very low flame, and it still turned out great. I am not a meat lover so didn’t bother trying it fresh when there were other options, but tonight I actually tried some leftovers from the freezer, and they were really tasty! (And I can now vouch for this recipe freezing well, too.)
I can only imagine how good it would have been fresh. Will have to see when I next get a chance to make this again..
Brisket was great, thank you. I made day ahead with 3.5 lb meat and halved ingredients except liquid- used 1 cup bone broth and .25 cups water. After 3 hours, removed cover and there was barely any liquid so added 1 cup bone broth. Next day, when I went to slice most liquid was absorbed again, so I added another cup of bone broth before reheating, covered, for 45 minutes. Everyone loved it and gravy was flavorful…just glad I had the beef bone broth so I didn’t have to add water. PS thank you for exact salt measurements – I often omit it.
Stunning. My oven is running hot so the sauce had some extra caramelisation- a feature, not a bug. Made with your potato kugel (another absolute triumph) and greens, so much deliciousness! When combined with your lemon curd meringues, a Smitten Kitchen hat-trick, thank you so much xx
Just want to say that I respect and appreciate that you ALWAYS, without a doubt, give credit to the original recipe creator. ❤️
Grandma Gertie’s Brisket taught me brisket that doesn’t use ginger ale/coca cola. ;) Interestingly …instead of tomato paste, we use 1 can of condensed tomato soup + 1/2 can water. As an added upgrade in my grownup years, I now sautee sliced bella mushrooms before cooking the onions which helps deglaze the bottom.
I made this yesterday so easy and so good. I had a smaller brisket only about 4 lbs and followed the salt notes, using about 5 tsp of salt. Was perfectly seasoned. Will definitely make again.
I just put the brisket in the oven for Mother’s Day dinner. I made it for Easter and it was a huge hit! So easy, yet so flavourful. Thank you Deb.