Mostly, the thing that impressed us was the sauce which went from a liquidy fatty thin base of cooking liquids to a thickened delicious sauce thanks to the tomato paste and onions breaking down into the sauce and mixing with the flour by the end. Yum.
Ingredients:
• 1 5-6 pound first-cut (or flat-cut) beef brisket, trimmed so a thin layer of fat remains in some spots (do not over trim!)
• kosher salt
• 2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (okay to substitute matzo cake meal for Passover)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 large yellow onions, peeled and sliced 1/2-inch thick
• 1 small can tomato paste
• 1 can diced tomatoes with juices
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 carrots, peeled and halved (we used lots here)
Optional- onion and garlic powder
Directions:
1. Tenderize brisket with a meat hammer.
2. Season the brisket on both sides with salt and pepper. Lightly shift the brisket with the flour, then shake and turn to coat evenly. Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a heavy flameproof roasting pan or ovenproof enameled cast-iron pot just large enough to hold the brisket and carrots snugly. Add the brisket to the pan and sear on both sides until crusty brown areas appear on the surface here and there, 5 to 7 minutes per side.
3. Transfer the brisket to a platter, then add the onions to the same pot and stir constantly with a wooden spoon, scraping up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Cook until the onions are softened and golden brown, at least 15 minutes. (If browned bits stick to the bottom of the pan and start to burn, add a few tablespoons of water and scrape with a wooden spoon to release them.) Add minced garlic for last 5 minutes.
4. Set an oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 350°F.
5. Place the brisket, fatty side up, and any accumulated juices on top of the onions. Spread the tomato paste evenly over the brisket, then scatter the diced tomatoes and carrots around the edges of the pot. Cover the pot very tightly with aluminum foil (preferably heavy duty or two layers) or a lid, then transfer to the oven and cook for 1.5 hours.
6. Pierce meat to release juices while its still in the pot. Transfer the brisket to a cutting board and, using an electric or very sharp knife, slice the meat across the grain into approximately 1/8 - 1/4-inch-thick slices. Return the slices to the pot, overlapping them at an angle so that you can see a bit of the top edge of each slice. The end result should resemble the original unsliced brisket leaning slightly backward. If the sauce appears dry, add 2 to 3 teaspoons of water to the pot. Cover the pot tightly and return to the oven.
7. Lower the heat to 325°F and cook the brisket until it is fork-tender, 3 hours, or longer if necessary. Check every hour during cooking to make sure that the liquid is not bubbling away. If it is, add a few more teaspoons of water—but not more. Also, each time you check, spoon some of the liquid-onion-tomato mix on top of the roast so that it covers it.
8. Let cool in the fridge overnight covered. You can taste the sauce at this point and adjust your seasonings- we liked the addition of salt, garlic powder and onion powder here.
9. The next day when ready to cook again, skim the congealed fat off the top and place back in a 300°F oven until hot, 30 minutes or more. The onions in the sauce will break down to thicken into a gravy by this point once stirred from the bottom.
10. Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The brisket can be frozen for up to 3 months. To reheat, defrost it in the refrigerator for 24 hours then cover it tightly with foil and reheat in a 300°F oven until hot, at least 30 minutes.
