Holiday Brisket

 

This brisket has a mildly sweet and sour flavor, but it is not overpowering. This should be made a day or two ahead of time and then sliced and reheated before serving. This gives the meat a chance to get very tender.  It can even be frozen until needed! Serve with roasted vegetables, a salad and perhaps mashed potatoes* or for Hanukkah, latkes!

5-6 lb brisket

Sprinkle of Salt, pepper, 1 tsp each -garlic powder and onion powder, paprika

1-2 onion, thinly sliced

4 or 5 carrots sliced lengthwise

Vegetable oil

Sauce: one can cranberry sauce, jellied

1 bottle chili sauce 

2 TBSP brown sugar + extra to sprinkle on top

4-5 cloves garlic finely minced

¾  cup red wine

1 cup beef broth

1 TBSP balsamic vinegar. More if needed

3 tsp Worcestershire sauce, optional

 

Preheat over the oven to 300°.  Rinse brisket and pat dry. Rub generously with salt, pepper, onion and garlic powder, paprika. Let it sit for 10- 20 minutes.

Heat oil in large wide pan. Brown brisket for several minutes on each side. It may be too big for pan but just move it around until all is browned.

Mix sauce ingredients together.  Place onions and carrots in the bottom of a large roasting pan. If it is aluminum, place a piece of parchment paper in first to line the pan. Pour a bit of the sauce into pan and place brisket over then pour the rest of the sauce on top. Sprinkle with a bit of brown sugar. Cover with parchment paper ( to reduce reaction to foil) and aluminum foil.

Place in oven for 4-5 hours until brisket is tender or reaches internal temperature of 200 °. Remove from oven. Place brisket into a glass baking dish, reserving cooking liquid, and cover with plastic wrap. Pour sauce into another container. Discard carrots but keep onions with the sauce. Cool and refrigerate both brisket and sauce.    

To serve- heat oven to 350. Skim all the fat off top of the cold sauce. Heat sauce in deep pot on medium high heat to reduce for 15 -20 minutes. Add beef broth and salt if needed for taste. Trim away fat from brisket and slice brisket thin, across the grain and return to glass baking dish. Pour sauce over brisket, getting in between slices. Tightly Cover baking dish with aluminum foil. Heat for about 30-40 minutes until heated through.

* Dairy free mashed potatoes can be made by cooking potatoes in chicken broth and using a bit of non- dairy milk such as soy or cashew and margarine.