The Garden Gate Recipe Collection

Oven Braised Beef Brisket 

 

12 to 15# beef brisket

Whole grain dijon mustard

Kosher salt

Coarse grained black pepper

Chicago seasoning blend or Montreal blend

2 or 3 large onions, sliced thick

3 or 4 jalapenos, pierced, but left whole

2 or 3 cups of beef stock (enough to have 1/2" deep, with meat in the pan) with a few dashes of Worcestershire and liquid smoke added

 

Set the onions in the bottom of a roasting pan.  Add the stock with Worcestershire and smoke. 

 

If the brisket has a large fat cap, you can trim it back some.  Leave a nice amount, though...it melts down and bastes the meat with flavor. Starting with the meat side, massage with the mustard.  Sprinkle liberally with the salt, pepper and seasoning blend. It's a huge piece of meat, it can take it! Set on top of the onions in the roasting pan, fat side up...

 

Massage the top cap of the brisket and the sides with mustard, coat as you did with the bottom, making sure to coat the sides. Season thoroughly, as you did with the bottom.  Wash your yellow hands! 

 

Cover the roasting pan tightly with a layer of plastic wrap.  Follow with a layer of heavy duty aluminum foil.  Roast at 325 for 3 hours, or until the brisket has an internal temperature in the thickest part (the deckle) of 190 degrees. Yes, 190.  At this temperature, the internal connective tissues have broken down, and the brisket will be not only edible, but so thoroughly tender!

 

Let it rest in its juices for at least an hour, if not overnight. I love the overnight approach, as it re-absorbs the meaty flavors, and chilling overnight in the fridge allows the fat to congeal on top of the au jus, so you can easily take it off the next day.  Otherwise, just spoon the fat grease from the surface, and strain, if you plan on saving the au jus for serving or making gravy. 

 

Slice against the grain, which you will notice does change as the meat goes from where it's flat (called 'the flat') to the fat end (the 'deckle').   To make it easy on yourelf, cut the brisket in half at this natural separation point before you begin the rest of the carving. 

 

Note:  If you've chilled it overnight, you'll be able to stand it on its side and get some beautifully even thin slices! 

 

Place the sliced brisket back into the strained au jus and reheat (if chilled) or keep warm. This is fabulous for serving sliced on the first day, but you can, also, chop the slices down for a chopped brisket BBQ sandwich. It's also great, leftover, in soups or casseroles! 

 

This is the recipe that demonstrates that a truly good brisket does not require a bbq sauce!