Few things are worth cooking all day…but brisket is one of them. It cooks for hours, smells amazing and is never disappointing.
Most people in the south think of brisket as something you order at a bbq joint. It gets smoked and bathed in sauce, which is delicious, but not easy to recreate at home. What IS easy to do at home is braised brisket. Old Jewish grandmother style.
This recipe is from Saveur.com and was originally written by someone’s grandmother, Lil. I have changed a few details, but not too much. Lil knew what she was doing.
Braised Brisket
Adapted from Lil Pachter’s Jewish-Style Braised Brisket (Saveur.com)
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 tsp paprika (Funny story- One time I accidentally substituted cayenne pepper for the paprika. Almost killed us both from the pepper fumes. Had to frantically air out the house before party guests arrived. I do not recommend this.)
1 tsp dried oregano
2 1/2 lb. flat cut brisket (If they do not have this out at the store, just ask them to cut it for you. I almost always have to ask for this size.)
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 14-ou can low sodium chicken broth
1 14-ou can beef broth
1 14-ou can stewed tomatoes
2 bay leaves
2 small yellow onions, sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
Mix together the salt, pepper, paprika and oregano. Rub on the brisket.
Heat the oil on medium-high heat in a dutch oven. Brown the brisket for about 7-8 minutes on each side. It may look a little burnt, but that is ok, the crust adds flavor and texture.
Add the chicken broth, beef broth, tomatoes (first cut them up with scissors while still in the can) and bay leaves. Sprinkle the onions and garlic over the meat.
Cover and cook in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour. Then, remove the cover, baste the meat and cook another hour.
Re-cover and continue to cook and baste at 30 minutes intervals until the brisket is tender, usually about 2 more hours (or 4 hours total cooking time). Slice and serve with mashed potatoes. Drizzle some of the braising liquid on top.
