From the story: Feasting with Friends and Gratitude for the Holiday.
My mother used to make the most delicious brisket, a recipe I inherited from my sister, who added her own twist to it. Now, I’ve added my own touch to the recipe, but it remains quite close to our mom’s original. This dish holds a special place in my heart—it’s a taste of home, likely passed down through generations. With the right technique, you can always achieve moist and tender brisket, and I’m sharing that secret with you in this recipe.
Mom's Traditional Beef Brisket, Carrots, and Potatoes with a Twist
Ingredients
- 5 pound beef brisket leave a thin layer of fat on top
- 1 to 2 cups ketchup your favorite brand or homemade
- 1 packet onion or beefy onion soup mix Lipton's or your favorite
- 1 to 2 medium onions, very thinly sliced
- to taste garlic powder
- 2 cups wine (Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon recommended)
- Water, enough to cover the brisket halfway in the pan
- to taste kosher or Celtic sea salt
- to taste black pepper
- 3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
- 1 pound carrots, quartered
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 500℉. (You will turn it down to a simmer at 250℉ once the water begins to boil.)
- Place beef brisket into a large, deep roasting pan with the side with the fat side up. Set aside.
- Boil water on the stovetop. Add the onion or beefy onion soup mix to the boiling water, then pour this mixture into the roasting pan over the brisket, ensuring that the liquid reaches almost three-quarters up the side of the brisket (no more and no less).
- Sprinkle black pepper, salt, and garlic powder over the brisket. Place the sliced onions on top, and then pour the ketchup over it, making sure it covers the entire top of the brisket.
- Place the uncovered roasting pan with the brisket into the oven at 500°F, but only for a few minutes until the water begins to boil again. Once it boils, turn the oven down to 250°F and cover the pan. This low and slow cooking is the key to a tender brisket.
- Check the water level at one hour and ensure that it's simmering. If the liquid has dropped below the three-quarter mark, it's time to add the wine. If not, continue checking intermittently and add the wine when the water level becomes lower. (If the sauce is not simmering, turn the oven back up to 500℉ and wait until it begins to boil. At that point, turn the temperature back down to 250℉ and cover the pan again.)
- Continue simmering the brisket at 250°F for an additional 2 hours. After this time, remove it from the oven and place the brisket onto a cutting board. Set the roasting pan with the liquid back into the oven to maintain heat. Slice the brisket into individual slices against the grain, choosing your preferred thickness. Remove the pan from the oven again and add the slices to the sauce, ensuring they are completely covered with liquid. If you haven't already added the wine, do so now. Additionally, taste and adjust the seasoning with more spices to suit your personal preference. Continue simmering at 250℉, covered.
Potatoes and carrots.
- While the brisket is cooking, boil water and briefly blanch the potato and carrot slices until they become just barely soft. Drain and add them to the roasting pan, making sure they are completely covered by the sauce. If the sauce has evaporated to the point where it no longer covers the meat, potatoes, and carrots, you can add a little more water and wine. Boil the water on the stove before adding it to the roasting pan. Be sure to adjust the spices.
- Cover the pan and continue cooking at 250℉ for the remaining 8 hours from the time you put it into the oven. The beef should be tender, and the potatoes and carrots should be thoroughly cooked.
Notes
While this dish takes a long time to cook, it's relatively simple to prepare, with most of the time spent in the oven. I usually make it in the morning, tending to it throughout the day intermittently so that it's ready by dinnertime. You'll have plenty of flavorful gravy for the potatoes and brisket. Enjoy!
