Onion-Braised Beef Brisket

SERVES 6 TO 8 • TO PREP 4½ TO 5 HOURS • STORE UP TO 2 DAYS • TO FINISH 40 MINUTES

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: Brisket is the ideal cut for braising, as it takes hours of slow cooking to soften this otherwise tough-as-leather cut. Sadly, this patience is often rewarded with shreds of dry, chewy meat in dull, greasy sauce. Extending the preparation of our braised beef brisket recipe over two days solved several problems. After braising the brisket in an aluminum foil–lined pan, we let the meat stand overnight in the refrigerator in the braising liquid, which later became the sauce. This helped to keep the brisket moist and flavorful by allowing it to reabsorb some of the sauce, while creating a rich sauce that wasn’t too thin. As the sauce cooled, the excess fat separated from it and solidified on top, making it a cinch to remove the next day. The overnight refrigeration also ensured that the cold brisket could be sliced easily without shredding. And because most of the work was now done ahead of time, our long-cooking brisket recipe could be easily reheated for the perfect midweek supper. If you prefer a spicy sauce, increase the amount of cayenne to ¼ teaspoon. You will need 18-inch-wide heavy-duty foil for this recipe. Serve over mashed potatoes or buttered egg noodles.

1

(4- to 5-pound) beef brisket, flat cut preferred, fat trimmed to ¼ inch

Salt and pepper

1

teaspoon vegetable oil

3

large onions, halved and sliced ½ inch thick

1

tablespoon packed brown sugar

1

tablespoon tomato paste

3

garlic cloves, minced

1

tablespoon paprika

⅛

teaspoon cayenne pepper

2

tablespoons all-purpose flour

1

cup chicken broth

1

cup dry red wine

3

sprigs fresh thyme

3

bay leaves

TO FINISH AND SERVE

2

teaspoons cider vinegar

TO PREP

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Line 13 by 9-inch baking dish with two 24-inch-long sheets of 18-inch-wide heavy-duty aluminum foil, positioning sheets perpendicular to each other and allowing excess foil to extend beyond edges of dish. Pat brisket dry with paper towels and place fat side up on cutting board. Using dinner fork, poke holes in meat through fat layer about 1 inch apart. Season both sides of brisket with salt and pepper.

2. Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Place brisket fat side up in skillet (note that brisket will shrink as it cooks). Weight brisket with heavy Dutch oven or cast-iron skillet and cook until well browned, about 7 minutes. Remove Dutch oven, flip brisket, and cook on second side, without weight, until well browned, about 7 minutes. Transfer brisket to platter.

3. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet, add onions, sugar, and ¼ teaspoon salt, and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened and golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, until paste browns, about 2 minutes. Stir in garlic, paprika, and cayenne and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Sprinkle flour over onions and stir until well combined. Stir in broth, wine, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves, scraping up any browned bits. Bring mixture to simmer and cook until fully thickened, about 5 minutes.

4. Pour sauce and onions into prepared baking dish. Nestle brisket fat side up in sauce and onions. Fold foil extensions over and crimp to seal. Transfer to oven and cook until brisket is tender and fork slips easily in and out of meat, 3½ to 4 hours (when testing for doneness, open foil with caution as contents will be steaming). Carefully open foil and transfer brisket to storage container. Set fine-mesh strainer over container and strain sauce over brisket. Discard bay leaves and thyme sprigs and transfer onions to separate storage container. Let brisket and onions cool to room temperature, about 1 hour.

TO STORE

5. Cover brisket and onions and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

TO FINISH AND SERVE

6. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Transfer brisket to cutting board. Skim excess fat from surface of sauce, then transfer to medium saucepan and heat over medium heat until warm (you should have about 2 cups sauce without onions; if necessary, simmer sauce over medium-high heat until reduced to 2 cups). Slice brisket against grain into ¼-inch-thick slices, trimming and discarding any excess fat, if desired. Shingle slices into 13 by 9-inch baking dish. Stir vinegar and reserved onions into warmed sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour sauce over brisket, cover baking dish with foil, and bake until heated through, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve.