Description
This oven-baked beef brisket recipe is perfect for the holiday table. Tender, juicy and full of flavor, it’s easy to make.
Ingredients
Units
- 5–6 lb beef brisket
- 5–6 teaspoons salt (1 teaspoon per pound of brisket)
- 8 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary (or sub thyme)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
- 1 teaspoon fresh cracked black peppercorns
- 4 bay leaves
- 4–6 onions, cut into 1-inch wedges
- 4 large carrots, cut to 1/2 inch thich
- 4 celery ribs, cut 1/2 inch thick slices
- 3–4 cups beef stock
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
Gremolata Recipe
- 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (1 cup packed, tender stems OK)
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
- Zest one lemon, chopped
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/8– 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper, more to taste
- pinch chili flakes – optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Trim brisket so the fat is no thicker than a ¼ inch—then place in a big roasting pan.
- Make the Rub. In a small bowl, mix salt, garlic, rosemary, oregano, smoked paprika, cayenne, and black pepper. Rub the brisket on all sides with the rub. (At this point, you could wrap and refrigerate for 24 hours.)
- Assemble: Place half of the onions under the brisket and the rest around the sides or over the top along with the veggies. Feel free to add more veggies if you have ample room (see notes).
- Whisk the beef stock with the tomato paste and pour this into the pan. The liquid should come at ⅓-½ way up the brisket. Tuck the bay leaves into the stock.
- Cover with parchment paper and wrap extra tightly with foil, sealing all the edges as best you can.
- Roast for 3 hours (or roughly 35 mins per pound of meat or until internal temp reaches 175F-195F at the thickest part). Uncover, then continue roasting until the top browns up a bit, 30 more minutes. You could broil or use a convection setting to speed this up.
- While it is roasting, make the Gremolata: Place chopped parsley, garlic, zest, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Give a stir. Taste. Add more lemon juice if you like. If you want a looser consistency, add a little more oil. Add a pinch of chili flakes for heat.
- Serving it: Once the brisket is done, let rest in the braising liquid until cool enough to handle. Slice thinly on a cutting board, then place it immediately back in the braising liquid until ready to serve. You can slice and place it in an oven-proof serving dish, pouring some of the braising liquid around it to prevent it from drying out, and keep it warm in the oven until ready to serve.
- Just before serving, spoon some of the gremolata over the top and serve the extra on the side.
Notes
Storage: Leftover brisket can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or can be frozen for 3 months. I always store it in braising liquid to keep it moist, but it’s up to you.
Repurpose leftovers: Lather in BBQ sauce and reheat in the oven, and make brisket sandwiches.
Variation: instead of tomato paste, add deep red wine or ruby port.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8 ounces (without gremolata) Based on 6 lb brisket
- Calories: 342
- Sugar: 4.5 g
- Sodium: 1290.4 mg
- Fat: 14.3 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Carbohydrates: 10.3 g
- Fiber: 2.6 g
- Protein: 41.3 g
- Cholesterol: 117.4 mg