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38 Comments
Erica
December 9, 2015
Brisket is in the oven as we speak (and smells wonderful!) One concern: there is a LOT of liquid (the meat is swimming in it now) - I'm concerned because of the directions about adding water if it looks dry. Any advice?
karpenko
May 8, 2013
This is my go-to brisket recipe; I've made it dozens of times. It is the best!!!!!
KLL5
December 25, 2012
Didn't work for mom and me... but maybe we aren't brill cooks like the rest of you!
calfes
December 17, 2012
I also made this last night for friends (ie guinea pigs) and everybody loved it. I love a simple, unfussy recipe that come out great. By the way i am not a fan of stringy pot roast and this did not fall in that category at all..a happy compromised with my pot roast loving husband
marcellatp
December 5, 2012
I made this for dinner last night and it was so very delicious! My house smelled so good - like the best roast and french onion soup combined. Can't wait for the leftovers for dinner tonight.
isabelita
December 5, 2012
Brisket looks like a must do, however, I'm enjoying Amanda's fork from a previous (few years ago) article in the NYT featuring this fork and other utensils. Am I correct?
Kristen M.
December 8, 2012
Yes, that's one from Amanda's collection of handsome bone-handled forks. See here for more about them: http://www.food52.com/blog/535_fork_it_over
FAL
December 5, 2012
The comment mentions slicing the brisket 1/2 way thru cooking and then finishing the cooking process. I know every chef tells you to let meat and such rest after cooking so that the juices are not lost. Doesnt this do the same thing as slicing too soon? Thank you.
Kristen M.
December 5, 2012
If you were to eat it right after slicing, that might be true -- but, because you cook the sliced brisket further, low and slow in its own juices, it becomes lovely, moist, and tender.
marie.killian.5
December 4, 2012
Thank you! I have not really ever done anything with a brisket befoe...a little intimidated! I think I will try this.
Really good olive oil? http://www.carothersoliveoil.com/store/
Really good olive oil? http://www.carothersoliveoil.com/store/
Jean |.
December 3, 2012
Thanks, Food52 Editor Marian! Here is the link to my own "genius" brisket - http://delightfulrepast.blogspot.com/2012/05/braised-brisket-rocky-mountain-organic.html
bgavin
December 2, 2012
I like the idea of not slicing all the way through. Adding this to my list of recipes to try on a cold winter evening. This along with sauerbraten. Gonna be a good winter!
alflynn
December 2, 2012
Please explain the one carrot. Is it supposed to be a joke?
Kristen M.
December 2, 2012
Nach doesn't like the sweetness of carrots to take over, so he only uses one for flavor. (Same reason he doesn't recommend fully caramelizing the onions.) You can add more if you like.
heidiho
December 2, 2012
Can this be cooked in a slow cooker? If so, would the cook time be the same as an oven?
Kristen M.
December 2, 2012
I think it would work well in a slow cooker (after searing the meat and cooking the onions a bit on the stovetop to get up the brown crusty bits, pile them in the slow cooker). It would take longer overall, but I'm not sure by how much. Start it early -- more low, slow cooking won't hurt brisket at all.
nolongrecipes
December 3, 2012
I have made this recipe many many times in the oven, but the one time I tried in a slow cooker it was awful. Maybe I messed something up, but I've never tried it again. It really is a genius recipe but for me it's an oven-only recipe. I add a couple of extra carrots for slicing and some garlic cloves and a splash of red wine, but otherwise do it exactly as written. Turns out heavenly every time.
saltyplum
December 2, 2012
I was lucky to have a nice chat with Nach Waxman many years ago about The Art of Jewish Cooking by Jennie Grossinger, a very sought-after older cookbook, the Joy of Cooking for Jewish cooks. This recipe is a nicer version of Jennie's brisket, which is swimming in onions and has tomato pasted on it; I am going to guess that it was the inspiration for Mr. Waxman's?
ctgal
December 3, 2012
We have both of those cookbooks, The New Basics, of course, and we have The Art of Jewish Cooking by Jennie Grossinger. I want you to know that I have looked at both of those brisket recipes and, for some reason, they never interested me. I'm giving in and trying it this year. My mother, by the way, never made brisket and I was only introduced to it at a friend's house in high school. My mother explained that she cooked like her mother and they were from Lithuania. I guess no brisket there!! When I first learned how to cook, the Grossinger book taught me how to make chicken soup. I have used her measurements for 30 years, and every guest and my family have always raved about it. I still refer to it from time to time, just to get her take on a Jewish dish. I was delighted to see you mention it in your comment.
Jean |.
December 2, 2012
It looks delicious, but I'll stick with my own unique way of doing brisket. Don't we all think our own version of certain things is "genius"! :D
phyllis
December 2, 2012
Except for slicing the brisket before it's fully cooked, this is the recipe my grandmother and mother cooked starting in the 1940s. It's really wonderful. I've fiddled with it a little and add some more carrots and sometimes a bit of celery. It's amazing cold on delicious bread with spicy honey mustard.
Vivi B.
December 1, 2012
I have this in the oven right now and my house smells incredible! I am jealous of that one lucky carrot.
fgressette
November 30, 2012
This really is a great recipe; I've made it off and on since it was first published. I like to use it as a main course for supper with friends on a cold night.
thirschfeld
November 30, 2012
Funny I had never seen this recipe but had combined the Second Ave Deli version with a couple of others and do something very similar to this and I swear by the onions.
witloof
November 29, 2012
I had a very very wicked stepmother but she made a great brisket: a cup of cheap beer mixed with a cup of catsup, poured over the seared brisket resting on a bed of garlic and onions.
Brette W.
November 28, 2012
Yeah, that oil burning for eight days and nights was pretty great, but THIS is the real Hanukkah miracle.
dymnyno
November 28, 2012
Is this a specialty of Jewish cooks? I have never had a brisket in my life, but this sounds so unusual I'm going to have to try it.
dymnyno
November 30, 2012
When I was growing up we always raised our own beef. Anything that wasn't steak of some kind was hamburger. My mother never cooked any cut of beef that she couldn't overcook in 20 minutes.
thirschfeld
November 30, 2012
The 20 minute rule is hilarious. I think you have something to look forward too!
DianeT
November 28, 2012
This looks great - although I'm suspicious about the slicing - I'm thinking that would dry the meat out . . . I'm going to put this recipe in the file for Passover. I get way too full of latkes to have room for brisket for Hanukkah.
sboulton
December 4, 2012
On the contrary, by slicing the meat and laying it on an angle in the natural juices (and you can add a small amount of water or stock if there's not enough) it braises the meat which makes it very tender. Also, you must lower the temp and cook slowly for a couple more hours. Cover it part of the time if you want.
EmilyC
November 28, 2012
I've only been to Kitchen Arts & Letters once, but what a store, and talking with Nach Waxman there was a delight. Can't wait to try this recipe. The end pieces (burnt or not) are always the best in my opinion, but that one lonely carrot looks pretty darn delicious, too.
georgemocha
November 28, 2012
The best brisket recipe. I think I got this from the Fresh Direct website, but it has now become my brooklyn coop's recipe for all occasions. My only changes are to throw in a few more carrots, and to cut the slices not-quite-all-the-way through so that the brisket stays in one piece and is easier to put back into pot.
BlueKaleRoad
November 28, 2012
I am so very hungry now...definitely serving brisket for Hanukkah. I've always added some liquid (red wine) to my brisket, so I'm excited to try this method. And the end pieces are the best! Thanks for sharing, Kristen!
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