What's your brisket secret? Go simple, or jazz it up for Passover
Amelia Saltsman's brisket is, to put it simply, the “anti-Lipton soup version” of the beloved classic. The Santa Monica, Calif., cookbook author has been making it “pure and simple” for over 40 years, so the “essence of pure meat flavor” shines forth.
But you know there are always going to be those hungry to jazz it up with all sorts of things, even that iconic onion soup mix. Nothing wrong with that; the results can be delicious, and the funnier fixings can pass into family lore.
Whether you cook your brisket plain or dressy for Passover, which started at sundown Friday, here's how to do it. Follow Saltsman's roasting then braising recipe, or your own method. Then flavor the braising liquid with one of our variations.
Prep: 10 minutesCook: 4 to 5 hoursMakes: 12 servings1 beef brisket, 6 pounds, about 8-by-12-by-3 inches thick, including at least some of the point2 large onions, chopped, about 3 cups6 cloves garlic, unpeeled3 bay leaves4 cups homemade beef stock or 2 cups canned beef broth diluted with 2 cups water, heatedTrim excess fat from the brisket, especially around the point, or cap. Leave a layer of fat no more than ¼ inch thick. Place the meat, point side down, in a large roasting pan; roast in a 475-degree oven, turning halfway through cooking, until thoroughly browned and crisp on both sides, about 1 hour. Add onions, scattering them around the brisket. Stir to coat the onions with drippings, and scrape up browned bits. Roast until the onions are soft, about 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven; reduce the heat to 350 degrees.Add garlic and bay leaves to the pan. Turn the brisket point side up. Pour in stock to reach about 1 inch up the brisket sides (about 2 cups), and stir to scrape up brown bits. Cover the pan tightly with a lid or heavy-duty foil; return it to the oven.Braise until very tender, about 3 hours, checking the meat every 30 minutes. Add stock to keep the simmering juice about 1 inch deep and to prevent burned onions. You may not need all 4 cups of stock; if you run out of stock, add water.Remove the pan from the oven; transfer the brisket to a shallow pan or platter. Pour the pan juices and onions into a glass container. Add a little water to the pan, stir over medium heat and scrape up the browned bits. Add these drippings to the container.Let the meat and juices cool, covered tightly in the refrigerator. For serving, lift and discard the congealed fat from the juices. Spread spoonfuls of the meat juices and onions over the bottom of an ovenproof rimmed platter or shallow baking dish. Slice brisket; lay the slices, overlapping, on a platter.Scatter a few spoonfuls of the juices and onions over the meat and reheat, tightly covered, in a 325-degree oven until the brisket is heated. Warm the extra pan juices and onions separately. Spoon some of them over the warm meat, and serve the remainder at the table.
