Oven-Cooked Brisket Seasoned with Assorted Spices and Herbs
Cooking up a traditional Jewish dish, this Spice and Herb Oven-Braised Brisket is a mouthwatering treat. Rubbed with a Hungarian paprika blend, this succulent meat is slow-cooked to perfection with tomatoes, onion, rosemary, and a delicious balance of sweet-savory brown sugar and vinegar. Be sure to serve it with those creamy potatoes!
Here's what you'll need:
- Salt, paprika, garlic powder, pepper, brisket, oil, onions, garlic, brown sugar, tomato paste, canned tomatoes, rosemary, bay leaf, vinegar, and water.
For a Passover-friendly version, pick ingredients that are kosher for Passover. If kosher-for-Passover cider vinegar isn't available, opt for kosher-for-Passover red wine vinegar or white wine vinegar instead. However, carefully check to ensure all vinegar products have reliable Kosher for Passover (KFP) certification. If you prefer, you could also try using citrus juice like lemon or lime juice or even a splash of kosher-for-Passover red wine or grape juice for a similar flavor without the vinegar.
Now, let's get down to business:
- Serves: 6
- Difficulty: Easy
- Total Time: 4 hours 15 minutes (plus overnight refrigeration)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon Hungarian paprika
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- Brisket (4-5 pounds)
- Olive oil
- Onions (2 medium, diced)
- Garlic (12 cloves, crushed and peeled)
- Brown sugar (6 tablespoons)
- Tomato paste (2 tablespoons)
- Canned tomatoes (14.5 ounces, liquid and cores discarded, broken up by hand)
- Rosemary (2 sprigs, 6-inch each)
- Bay leaf (1)
- Vinegar (1/4 cup, kosher-for-Passover if needed)
- Water (2 cups)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C) and position a rack in the center.
- In a bowl, mix together the salt, paprika, garlic powder, and pepper. Coat the brisket halves with the seasoning mixture and set aside.
- Heat the oil in a 6-quart Dutch oven or a large pot with a tight lid over medium-high heat. Add one brisket piece and sear both sides until browned (about 10 minutes). Remove to a plate and repeat with the second piece.
- Add onions, garlic, and brown sugar to the pot and sauté until onions are soft and caramelizing (about 12 minutes). Add tomato paste and stir until coated. Cook for 2 more minutes.
- Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.
- Return the brisket to the pot, fat side up. Cover and braise in the oven for 1 hour. Rotate the meat and braise for another 1.5-2 hours or until tender.
- Cool the brisket in the braising liquid for 1 hour. Refrigerate overnight.
- Heat the oven to 325°F (163°C) again. Remove the brisket from the sauce, trim excess fat, and scrape off the surface fat. Discard rosemary branches and bay leaf. Slice the chilled brisket, return to sauce, cover, and reheat in the oven until warmed through (about 45 minutes). Serve with the sauce alongside or spooned over the meat.
Enjoy your delicious, tender Spice and Herb Oven-Braised Brisket!
- For Passover, ensure the vinegar used in the recipe has Kosher for Passover (KFP) certification, or consider using lemon or lime juice, kosher-for-Passover red wine, or grape juice as alternatives.
- After browning both brisket pieces, add diced onions, crushed garlic, and brown sugar to the pot and sauté until onions are soft and caramelizing.
- In the instructions section, before returning the brisket to the pot, add the canned tomatoes, rosemary sprigs, bay leaf, vinegar, and water to the pot and bring to a boil.
