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Flat-cut brisket, trimmed of most visible fat
Cover the bottom of the pan with the chopped vegetables. Sprinkle with half of the seasonings.
Put the meat on top and sprinkle it with the rest of the seasonings. Roast without the lid for 15 to 30 minutes, then pour in the liquid, cover (aluminum foil works if the pan has no proper cover) and lower the heat to 200°F. (You can skip this step, put in everything cold and cover it at the start, and treat it like cholent.) If you have used just a cup of liquid, check it every hour or so and add hot water as needed to keep it from drying out.
You can also sauté or caramelize the onions beforehand. You can cook this in a slow-cooker (crockpot) as well, and can add potatoes and carrots and other root vegetables, and leave it all cooking there all day. In the oven, I put them around the meat. In the slow-cooker/crockpot, I put them on the bottom. But note that the carrots will add flavor but not vitamin A, which is fat-soluble; even trimmed, brisket is fatty. If you roast this in the oven and are at home, you can check it and add or subtract ingredients as you go along.
If you leave it in the oven long enough, it will be fork tender but hard to slice. I often take it out before it's done, slice it, and then put it back to finish it.
I have also let it cook at night while I slept and then put it in the refrigerator and reheated it later. If you let it stand like that for a day, the flavors marry.
Before you reheat it, you can puree the vegetables with the remaining liquid or add some more of it, and that makes a lovely thick gravy made without starch. You can also add beans to this, and paprika, and it's a Hungarian cholent.
Poster's Notes:
It takes some trial and error to get this just the way your family likes it, but it's worth the effort, because it's easy and healthy. It freezes well and the leftovers are wonderful.
Posted by Carolyn C. Gilboa
Nutritional Info Per Serving: N/A
Yellow onions, chopped to cover the bottom of the roasting pan
Celery, chopped (optional: it's high in sodium)
Fresh garlic, cut up, or garlic powder
Fresh or dried herbs or a combination of both, e.g. parsley, dill, marjoram,
allspice
Liquid, one cup or more or water, dry wine, low-sodium vegetable or beef broth, or yesterday's leftover gravy
Black pepper
This is good for everyone but especially for those of us who eat limited amounts of salt, sugar, and fat. Amounts depend upon the size of the piece of meat and one's taste.