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Braised brisket
Brisket (בריסקט): Ashkenazi slow-braised beef brisket with onions and carrots for the holidays
A slowly braised brisket is the centrepiece of the Rosh Hashanah and Passover table for many Ashkenazi families in Israel, from Ra'anana to Jerusalem's German Colony, often made two days ahead because it slices better and tastes deeper once it has rested in its gravy. The beef sits on a bed of sliced onions with carrots, garlic, tomato paste and a little sugar and vinegar, covered tightly, and cooks for hours until fork-tender, while the onions melt into a rich brown sauce. Serve with potato kugel, tzimmes or mashed potatoes. Slicing it hot and along the grain is the usual mistake: chill it, then cut across the grain into thin slices. Chef's tip: return the slices to the gravy and reheat gently so every piece soaks up the sauce.
- Total time
- 260 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
- 4 ⅜ lb beef brisketflat cut, trimmed leaving a thin layer of fat
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp sweet paprika
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 4 onionsthickly sliced
- 6 garlic clovessliced
- 4 carrotscut into chunks
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp cider vinegar
- 2 cups beef stock
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 325°F. Rub 4 ⅜ lb beef brisket all over with 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper and 2 tsp sweet paprika.
Step 2: Heat 3 tbsp vegetable oil in a large roasting tin or casserole over a medium-high heat and brown the brisket well on both sides, 5 minutes a side. Lift it out.
10 minStep 3: Add 4 onions and 6 garlic cloves to the fat and cook for 10 minutes until softened and lightly browned.
10 minStep 4: Stir 3 tbsp tomato paste, 2 tbsp brown sugar and 2 tbsp cider vinegar into 2 cups beef stock and pour over the onions. Add 4 carrots and 2 bay leaves, then lay the brisket on top, fat side up.
Step 5: Cover very tightly with foil and a lid and braise in the oven for 3 hours 30 minutes, basting every hour, until a fork slides in with no resistance.
210 minStep 6: Cool, then chill the meat in its sauce overnight. Next day lift off the set fat, take out the brisket and slice thinly across the grain.
Step 7: Lay the slices back in the sauce, cover and reheat at 325°F for 30–40 minutes until piping hot. Serve with the onions, carrots and gravy.
35 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 440 kcal
- Protein
- 46 g
- Carbs
- 12 g
- Fat
- 23 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does braised brisket take?
- About 260 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 240 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of sweet paprika?
- Smoked paprika, half the amount.
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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