Deliciously tender braised beef brisket with onion gravy is the perfect holiday meal. This recipe includes my best tips and tricks for making a perfect brisket every time.
2medium parsley roots or parsnipsdiced small, optional
4sprigs thyme
1bay leaf
1 ½cupstomato sauceabout 14 ounce can
1cupred wine
1 ½tablespoonsapple cider vinegar
1heaping tablespoon honeyor packed brown sugar
waterduring cooking
Instructions
Make your brisket the day before serving for ultra tender brisket.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Adjust the oven rack to just below center.
Sprinkle 1 tablespoon salt and pepper on both sides of the brisket. Then spread minced garlic on both sides as well. Layer celery and half the diced onions, carrots, and parsnip (optional) in the bottom of a large, heavy roasting pan or roaster. Place brisket on top, fat side up. Place the other half of the onions, carrots, and parsnip on top of the brisket. Sprinkle the thyme and bay leaf on and around the brisket.
In a 4 cup measuring cup or medium bowl, make the braising liquid by mixing tomato sauce, 1 teaspoon salt, a few grinds of pepper, wine, vinegar, and honey. Pour liquid over brisket and vegetables. Liquid should come about ¼ to ⅓ the way up the side of the brisket.
Cook brisket covered in a 350°F oven for 3-4 hours. Use the roaster lid or cover tightly with heavy duty aluminum foil. Set a timer to check the brisket every hour and add a little water as needed. Cook the brisket until fork tender, about 3-4 hours. Stick a fork in the thickest part of the brisket and wiggle the fork slightly. Its ready when the meat feels soft and tender.
Take the brisket out and let cool slightly on a cutting board. Slice the fat cap off the brisket with a knife. Slice the brisket against the grain: your knife should cut across the lines of the brisket muscles. The cuts don’t have to be exactly perpendicular to the lines. Often times a brisket has sections with the lines running one way for most of the brisket, then there could be a section with lines running a different way, so check before you start to cut in case one section needs to be cut from a different angle. Taste the brisket with gravy on it now and the flavor should be delicious, but if it needs more seasoning, add it now. It will be even more tender tomorrow.
Reassemble sliced brisket in a pyrex or ceramic baking dish so the meat will fit fairly tightly and each slice will stay standing up. Pour vegetables and gravy over and between the slices. Gravy should go almost all the way up the brisket. Cover dish well with aluminum foil. Put any extra gravy in a storage container with a lid. Refrigerate brisket and gravy overnight.
Reheat and serve on day 2 for ultra tender brisket. Take brisket out of the refrigerator 1 hour before heating to come to room temperature. Remove any fat that has hardened on the top of brisket or gravy. Throw out the fat into the trash, not the sink, or it could clog it.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Reheat brisket covered with foil for about 20-30 minutes. Can take the cover off if you want to speed up reheating. Test a center slice to see if its hot. Gravy will be bubbling. If your brisket did not cook quite enough yesterday (like if today it is still slightly pink in the center or not quite tender) reheat a bit longer, about 45 minutes to an hour, so the brisket continues to tenderize in the gravy. Serve immediately with gravy.
Notes
Make ahead directions: This is a great recipe to make ahead of time. Make the brisket as usual, and let it cool slightly on a cutting board. Slice the brisket, and arrange in a small casserole dish, pouring the gravy over top. Cover and refrigerate until you are ready to heat and serve.
How to store: Store leftover brisket in an airtight container covered with gravy in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Have leftover brisket? It will go perfectly with these Shortcut Brisket Kreplach!
How to reheat: Take brisket out of the refrigerator 1 hour before to come to room temperature. Preheat oven to 350°F. Reheat covered (with foil) for about 20-30 minutes. Remove cover if you want to speed up reheating. Test a center slice to see if it is hot. Gravy will be bubbling. If you need to adjust the brisket (like if today it is still slightly pink in center or not quite tender), reheat a bit longer for 45 minutes or up to an hour.
Top tips:
Cook it until it is fork tender. Literally poke the thickest part of the brisket with a fork until it gives easily.
Braise the meat in liquid. Cooking the brisket in a liquid (especially a flavorful one) helps it maintain its juiciness. The liquid should come up the side of the brisket about one-third to one-quarter of the way. As you check on the brisket, add water if liquid evaporates.
Slice meat against the grain. Slicing beef against the grain (or lines) of the meat, helps it to be more tender. Your knife needs to cross the lines in the meat and must not be parallel.
Make the brisket the day before. This is one of those dishes that gets even better the next day. After cooking, cooling, and slicing, store the sliced brisket in a baking dish that fits the meat snugly. Pour gravy so that each slice is coated in gravy. Store covered in the refrigerator overnight. Reheat the brisket covered in the oven before serving for about 30 minutes at 350°F.