Braised Brisket

Name: Braised Brisket
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 3 h 30 min
Total time: 3 h 50 min
Yield: 9 servings
Ingredients: 5 lb beef brisket, first-cut preferred; 2 clove garlic cloves, peeled and halved; kosher salt; freshly cracked black pepper; 3 medium yellow onions, cut into thick wedges; 1 15-ounce can diced or crushed tomatoes; 2 stalk celery stalks with leaves, roughly chopped; 1 fresh bay leaf; 1 sprig fresh thyme sprig; 1 sprig fresh rosemary sprig; 2 cup dry red wine, like Cabernet or Merlot; 7 carrots, peeled and cut into diagonal pieces; 0.25 cup fresh Italian parsley, roughly chopped

Red Wine Braised Brisket with Root Vegetables

This is brisket the way it was meant to be made — low and slow until it practically cuts with a fork. The meat bathes in red wine and aromatics for hours, developing layers of flavor that only patient braising can deliver. Better yet, it improves overnight, making it perfect for entertaining.

AmericanDinnerComfort FoodMeal PrepOne PotBraisingBeefFallWinter

Prep20 min

Cook3 hrs 30 min

Total3 hrs 50 min

Servings9

Difficultymedium

Ingredients

5 lbbeef brisket, first-cut preferred
2 clovegarlic cloves, peeled and halved
kosher salt
freshly cracked black pepper
3 mediumyellow onions, cut into thick wedges
1 15-ounce candiced or crushed tomatoes
2 stalkcelery stalks with leaves, roughly chopped
1 fresh bay leaf
1 sprigfresh thyme sprig
1 sprigfresh rosemary sprig
2 cupdry red wine, like Cabernet or Merlot
7 carrots, peeled and cut into diagonal pieces
¼ cupfresh Italian parsley, roughly chopped

Instructions

Set your oven to 300°F and let it fully preheat — this low temperature is crucial for breaking down the tough fibers without drying out the meat.
Rub the brisket all over with the halved garlic cloves, really working them into the surface. Season generously with 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper, then place fat-side up in a 9x13-inch baking dish. Scatter the onions, tomatoes, celery, bay leaf, thyme, and rosemary over and around the brisket. Pour the wine over everything — it should come about halfway up the sides of the meat. Cover tightly with heavy-duty foil, creating a good seal.
Slide into the oven and braise for 3 hours, basting every 30 minutes with the accumulated juices. Each basting keeps the exposed surface moist and helps the flavors penetrate deeper. The liquid should be gently simmering, not boiling hard.
⏱ 3 hrs
Add the carrots and half the parsley to the dish, nestling them into the braising liquid. Remove the foil and continue cooking for 30 minutes more, until the carrots yield to a knife and the brisket shreds easily when probed with a fork.
⏱ 30 min
Let the brisket cool completely in its braising liquid — this prevents it from drying out and makes slicing much easier. Transfer to a cutting board, trim away any obvious fat, then slice against the grain into ¼-inch thick pieces. Look for the direction of the muscle fibers and cut perpendicular to them.
Nestle the sliced brisket back into the dish with all the vegetables and sauce. Cover and refrigerate overnight — the flavors will meld and deepen, and any excess fat will solidify on top for easy removal.
Remove any solidified fat from the surface, then reheat covered in a 350°F oven for 20 minutes until heated through. If the sauce seems thin, pour it into a saucepan and simmer over medium heat until it coats a spoon. Taste and adjust seasoning, then spoon over the brisket and sprinkle with the remaining parsley.
⏱ 20 min