So, I’ve been making variations of the same Jewish brisket- that I grew up eating and loving- for the last 40 years. My kids love my brisket, my parents loved my brisket, my brother Kenny and his family love my brisket, and I love it. That homey, Jewish flavor is so nostalgic of my childhood. I learned how to make brisket from my mother, but I improved upon her recipe by adding elements from my Aunt Florence’s recipe. As a child, brisket was probably my favorite dish, and every year at Passover, on the first Seder, I awaited the moment my Aunt Florence would carry her glorious brisket from the kitchen over the beautifully set table, hoping she would place the dish in front of me (which never happened). The recipe that I currently make which is easier to make than my Aunt Florence’s original, but comparable in taste is this one: http://judysrecipeconnection.com/judys-best-brisket/ I’ve noticed over the years that while my daughter Randi and her husband Dan really love my traditional brisket, my grandkids, Noah, Ezra, and Hannah, are not too crazy about it. Knowing how much they love the flavor of barbecue sauce, I decided to finally branch out, go out of my comfort zone, and make some barbecue style brisket. Well, to say that it was a success is an understatement. Last week, I delivered a “shissel” of this brisket to their house, and Randi face-timed me to show me the licked clean plates of the kids. In fact, I got to watch Ezra licking the last drops of sauce off his plate. That vision is what I live for! Before I left my house to make the food delivery (we’re in the midst of Covid-19), I allowed my son Benji to eat 3 slices of it, and between his facial expressions and sounds of ecstasy, you could say he liked it! So, I’ll make it again soon for everybody- including Danny (other son)- and even allow Benji to have more than 3 pieces.

Ingredients:

one 3 1/2 lb. to 4 lb. brisket to even a 5 1/2 to 6 lb. brisket

kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder

1 medium to large onion, sliced (optional)

barbecue sauce: 1 cup ketchup, 1/3 cup white vinegar, 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar, 16 oz. hot water mixed with 2 teaspoons Better than Bouillon Chicken Base OR 16 oz. chicken broth (I use the 2 teaspoons Better than Bouillon with the 16 oz. water)

Secret Ingredient: S & F Sweet Bay Barbecue Sauce (I’ve only found it at Whole Foods so far)

1. Season both sides of brisket with kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. Place in roasting pan, fat side up.
2. Mix ingredients together in a bowl for the barbecue sauce (above), and pour it around the brisket in the pan.
3. Slice onion (I’ve used it or not used it, and it really doesn’t make much of a difference).
4. Cover tightly with heavy duty aluminum foil.
5. Bake in 325 degree oven for 2 hours. Then take out, uncover, and add the secret ingredient: S & F Sweet Bay Barbecue Sauce (from Whole Foods). Schmear about 1/4 cup of this sauce over the top of the brisket. Then measure 1/2 cup more and pour it into the sauce in the pan- mix a bit to blend. Recover tightly and place back in oven for another 1 1/2 hours. Take out. If fork goes in easily, it’s done. If fork doesn’t, then recover and cook another 30 minutes. If fork still doesn’t go in easily, cook for another 30 minutes. It should be done after 4 hours total.
6. Take meat out of pan, and let cool in fridge. It’s much easier to slice when it’s cool or cold. Take out, cut off fat, and slice against the grain- slices should be about 1/4 inch thick. Place slices either back in the same pan you roasted the brisket, or in whatever casserole dish you plan to heat it up in. If you are using a different dish, then pour the barbecue sauce from the roaster into the pan with the sliced meat.
7. Cover with aluminum foil, and either refrigerate till you plan to use it, or heat it up (covered with foil) in the oven for dinner.
8. Note: If you did use a sliced onion, you may want to discard it before serving. If my grandkids saw those onion slices, that would turn them off to the dish.

This recipe was adapted by me from my Aunt Florence’s brisket recipe.  I loved brisket growing up.  Although I liked my mother’s brisket a lot, it didn’t hold a candle to my Aunt Florence’s, which I was lucky enough to eat every Passover at her house.  When I saw that platter of brisket arriving at the table, my mouth was watering.  The meat was such a dark brown, rich color, and the flavor of the meat when it hit my tongue was heavenly; there really are no sufficient words to describe how good that brisket tasted to me.  I was always worried there wouldn’t be enough for me.  Luckily, there usually was.  Anyway, I started making this brisket around 1978 right after I got married.  I couldn’t wait to start making my aunt’s amazing brisket.  I followed my Aunt Florence’s recipe, but I did change the cooking method.  She cooked the brisket in a pot for the whole cooking time.  But I decided to start the cooking on the stove, and then transfer the pot into the oven for a few hours.  This method resulted in the brisket having the same incredible dark brown color and rich taste, but the meat was much more tender.  My brisket became the talk of the family.  I had achieved great heights in cooking when I mastered my aunt’s incomparable brisket!

• About 5 pounds brisket, first or thin cut- you can use 1 big piece or 2 smaller pieces
• About 5 lbs of onions, for a 3 lb. piece of meat use about 3 lbs.
• oil
• About 2 fat or 4 thin carrots cut into very skinny sticks
• Kosher salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika
• about 3 tablespoons tomato paste- half a can (for 3 lb. brisket, use 2 T.)
• water

Season both sides of the meat pretty heavily with salt, pepper, and garlic powder and lightly with paprika. Chop onions pretty finely by hand.  Put about 2 T safflower oil or other neutral oil on bottom of large dutch over.  Put the onions on the bottom of a large dutch oven or very large oven-proof pot.  Then, slice the carrots into very thin sticks and put them  onto the top of the onions in the dutch oven. Sautés till onions are just starting to brown.  Place the seasoned meat on top of the onions and carrots fat side down. Pour about 1 cup of cold water around the meat.   Put the heat on medium, and bring the water to a boil.  Cook on a high simmer about 15 minutes with the cover on. Lift the meat up a few times and scrape the browned onions around.   The onions and carrots and meat will start to brown.  Lift the meat up with a strong metal spatula and mush the vegetables around.  Turn the meat and brown on other side- about 5 min.  If all the water has evaporated, add another cup. You are looking for the gravy that’s there to be medium brown.  Flip the meat again so it is fat side up.Then take about 2 Tbls tomato paste, and schmear it on top of the meat. Cover the dutch oven, put it into a 325 degree oven, and cook it for about 1 hour. Take it out, and add more water if water has evaporated. If you notice that the liquid is boiling vigorously when you take the cover off, then lower the oven temp to 300 or even 280 degrees for another 2 hours. Take out. Check meat. If fork goes in very easily, it is done. If it doesn’t then put it back in oven for another hour. Take meat out of pot, place on a plate, refrigerate . Once meat is cold, it is much easier to slice. I use a sharp chef’s knife. Put sliced meat back into the pot, or pour all your gravy in an aluminum tin. Place meat on top of gravy, and refrigerate or freeze.

I am famous for my brisket. I have a few different recipes that I use, but this is one I developed because I wanted a recipe that would be less involved and easier to make. I make this often because it is so easy to make, and very delicious. I make this for Thanksgiving, Rosh Hashana, Passover, and whenever my family requests it. Cooking brisket is not hard to make if you follow the steps. If you take your time, and have a little patience you will serve a dish fit for a king or more importantly for your family and friends!

Important note: Read this entire recipe through a few times to make sure you understand it before you start.

• About 4-5 pounds of thin cut brisket of beef (one large or two smaller pieces)
• Kosher salt, pepper, good garlic powder (I use McKormick), paprika
• 2 very large onions or 4 large onions (about three pounds)
• 2/3 of the tomatoes in a 28 oz can of whole plum tomatoes, or 2/3 of a can of tomato puree or my latest preference- about 2 tablespoons out of a small can of tomato paste)
• water
• 5 large carrots, cut into chunks (optional- I haven’t used them the last few times)
• 1 envelope of Lipton’s Onion Soup Mix -optional- see explanation below (If you think you’ll be using onion soup mix, then use less salt when seasoning your meat.)

Preheat over to 350 degrees.

Season brisket on both sides with Kosher salt, pepper, garlic powder, and  paprika.

In bowl of food processor fitted with the metal blade, pulse the onions until they are the consistency of apple sauce. Pour the onions into the bottom of a roasting pan or a very large dutch oven.

Rinse out the bowl and metal blade of the food processor. If you are using canned tomatoes rather than tomato paste, place the metal blade back in, and put about 2/3 of the tomatoes into the bowl (You will not be using any of the juice or puree in the can). Pulse the tomatoes until they are pureed. Pour the pureed tomatoes into the onions in your pan. Add about 1 cup of water, and mix it in with a spoon. If you are using the tomato paste, then just spoon it in dollups on top of the onions, mix it in with the onions- I don’t add any water when I use the paste.

Place your seasoned meat on top of the onion mixture fat side up.  Peel and cut the carrots into thick slices, and place them around the brisket . Cover the roasting pan tightly with heavy duty aluminum foil. If you are using a dutch oven, then place the top on. Put in preheated oven for about 3 hours. Take the pan out. Uncover the brisket carefully so you don’t get burned by the steam. Open the one packet of onion soup mix, and strain the powder in the mix, and discard the onions. Pour the powder into the liquid in the pan, and mix with a spoon to dissolve the powder. Your brisket will not be done yet. If your liquid or gravy has evaporated, then you will need to add more water. If there is plenty of liquid, which there may be at this point, you’re fine. Just check the tenderness of the brisket by putting a fork into the meat. If the fork goes in very, very easily, then your meat is done. But I’ve never cooked my brisket for less than 3 1/2 hours. Recover the pan. If your foil is too loose, add new foil. Cook for another half hour to hour, and then take it out. Check it again. If you don’t think the fork goes in easily enough, cook your meat for another 1/2 hour, and check. You may still need to cook it more. If you do, cook it for another half hour, and check again. I would say that I usually cook my brisket for about 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours altogether. When your meat is tender, take it out using a sturdy spatula. Put it on a cutting board to cool for an hour or so.

I like my gravy to be very rich.  So at this point, I take all the carrots out of the roasting pan and set aside.  Then I put the pan with all the gravy- onions and water and place it back in the oven in the middle of the oven under the broiler element.  Every 15 minutes, I take out the pan, mix everything around, add more water.  Each time, the onions become darker, and the gravy gets darker.  The browned or even somewhat burned bits will not hurt your gravy.  I do this for 45 min. to an hour, until my gravy is really rich and dark.

Then slice the meat against the grain with an electric knife. Your slices should be about 1/4 inch thick. Cut off any fat after you slice the meat. Place the slices of meat gently back in the gravy, and smush/squeeze the gravy into each slice as you go. I suggest that you transfer your gravy into a large oval or rectangular ovenproof baking dish with 2 inch sides, before you start placing your slices in the gravy. This way, when you heat the brisket up for serving, you can heat it in the same dish you will serve it in. The alternative- which is fine – is to transfer the gravy and carrots into a disposable aluminum roasting pan before you slice the meat. Then slice the meat and place your slices into the gravy in the disposable aluminum pan. When you are preparing your meal, you will heat the brisket up in the disposable pan, and then you will have to transfer the meat, the gravy, and the carrots to a serving platter.

Note: I usually make this 1 to 2 days in advance of serving it, because the meat becomes more tender and and the flavor will intensify as the meat sits in the gravy in the refrigerator. When I reheat the meat for serving, I let it sit out on the counter at least 1 – 2 hours to bring it closer to room temperature. Then I heat it covered for about 40-50 min. at 350 degrees until it is hot.

Newest variation:

If you don’t  like the idea of using the onion soup, add an extra 2-3 more onions instead.  Using the tomato paste is much easier than using the tomatoes, and the result is the same..  When I took the meat out of the pan and put it on a cutting board, I then put the roasting pan back in the oven under the broiler element- with the element on the low setting.  Every 20 min. or so, I took out the pan, and mixed the onion mixture.  The idea is to let the onions get really browned, almost burned, and then to mix it up with the liquid in the pan.  I did this for at least an hour until my gravy and the onion mixture was quite dark.  Then I took the pan out of the oven, and added some water, scraping the sides to mix in all the burned stuff.  I liked the results.