PRINT THIS RECIPE
Mark Strausman’s Mother’s Brisket
Prep time: 45 minutes to 1 hour
Cook time: 3-3-1/2 hours
Yield: 6-8 servings
Ingredients
- 1 5-6 pound brisket (2.3 to 2.7 kilos), trimmed of excess fat
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste
- 1⁄2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or more to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 carrots, cut into small dice
- 2 celery stalks, cut into small dice
- 1 onion, cut into small dice
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 bottle (750 ml) dry red wine
- 3 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup (240 ml) lightly crushed canned Italian plum tomatoes, preferably San Marzano
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 tablespoons chopped rosemary
- 2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
Instructions
- Place the oven rack is placed in the center of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees (165˚C).
- Season the brisket with the salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Starting on the stovetop, warm the olive oil in the Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the brisket and brown well on both sides, about 10 minutes. Remove to a plate and set aside.
- Add the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic to the pot, reduce the heat to medium, and cook, scraping up any browned bits, until all the vegetables are almost soft and the onion is golden, about 5 minutes. Add the wine, stock, tomatoes, bay leaf, and rosemary, then add the brisket and any juices. Raise the heat to medium-high, and bring just to a simmer.
- Cover the pot and transfer carefully to the oven. Cook for 3 to 3-1/2 hours, turning the meat over after the first hour of cooking. The brisket is ready when it’s fork tender.
- Remove from the oven and transfer the meat to a cutting board. Lightly cover with aluminum foil and let stand for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, spoon off the accumulated fat from the surface of the sauce. Taste the sauce and add more salt and pepper, if desired. Stir in the parsley.
- Slice the meat and serve with the warm sauce on the side.
- (Alternatively, slice the meat, return it to the pot, and refrigerate overnight. Remove any solidified fat from the surface of the sauce and reheat, covered, in a 300-degree [150˚C] oven until piping hot.)
