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1 first cut brisket or top of the rib-3-7 lbs.
At least one day before cooking, put slivers of garlic in slits all over the brisket. Rub it well with freshly ground black pepper and optionally, salt. Slice onions and arrange all over and under the roast. Marinate covered in the fridge overnight.
Day of cooking: Preheat oven to 500°F--that's 500°!
Put meat in a roasting pan with a cover and arrange the onion slices from the night before all around.
Squash either 3 medium fresh tomatoes or use about 4 canned egg tomatoes and squash them. DO NOT ADD THE JUICE FROM THE CAN. ADD NO OTHER LIQUID add a bay leaf or two.
Cover the pan and put it into the very hot oven. After 15 minutes turn down the oven without opening it to 350°F. Cook for approximately 3 hours. If you look in after 2 hours or so you will see a gray mass with lots of liquid. Don't worry. Just keep cooking.
When the water has disappeared and the meat and onions etc. are browned, but not quite burnt, and the meat is soft to a fork, it is done.
Remove the meat from the pan and make gravy by deglazing the pan with lots of water (more than a quart to start, it can always be reduced) and cooking it down until it tastes rich and nice to you. It should make plenty of gravy as the pan drippings are intensely strong.
Slice the meat across the grain and serve with the gravy. Roast potatoes or kasha go well with this.
This lends itself to preparation ahead of time and freezes well. When reheating, bring the sliced meat to room temperature and heat the gravy to boiling. Then pour it over the meat. Heating the meat in the gravy gives it a boiled rather than roasted taste and is not as good. It makes an excellent Seder meal as it can be prepared in advance.
Posted by Wendy Baker
Nutritional Info Per Serving: N/A
2-4 garlic cloves, peeled
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1-3 onions thinly sliced
3-4 fresh tomatoes (summer) or 4-5 canned plum tomatoes drained. Use juice for another recipe. Do not use more tomatoes
1-3 bay leaves