grass-fed braised beef brisket|pamela salzman

Let me come right out and say that I donโ€™t like to promote the consumption of too much beef for several reasons.  In our house we eat beef about three times per month, and when I make it I plan for about 3-4 ounces per person.   Furthermore, I only purchase GRASS-FED beef.  Call me old-fashioned, but I am a firm believer that if you are going to eat animal protein, then it should be an animal that was raised in a natural environment with a diet that is also native to that species.  With respect to cows, that means cows that graze in pastures eating GRASS.  There is plenty of research supporting the notion that grass-fed beef โ€“ compared to its confined feedlot counterpart โ€“ is lower in fat and contains cancer preventive, fat-burning properties.  Grass-fed beef also contains higher amounts of Omega-3 fats and is generally raised without the use of antibiotics and hormones.  It is almost like making a choice between eating a fit and happy animal which has eaten a health food diet, and eating a stressed out, overweight animal which was fed fast food its whole life.  If you need more convincing, please read Michael Pollanโ€™s fantastic book, The Omnivoreโ€™s Dilemma.

Thereโ€™s also the heavy environmental impact of raising cattle, which is less severe with grass-fed beef, but still a discouraging consideration.  That said โ€ฆ

Beef is a very warming food, more appropriate for the colder months, and it becomes even more warming when cooked with onions.  Brisket is a very tough cut that needs long, slow braising to help tenderize it.  If you like your brisket so soft that you donโ€™t need a knife to cut it, this recipe will not disappoint.  The meat shreds easily and melts in your mouth.  Best of all, the house will be filled with a wonderful, warm aroma.  But do plan ahead since cooking this the day before helps to develop the mรฉlange of flavors.  Really, the only way you can screw this up is by letting it dry out.  Lastly, be aware that brisket shrinks tremendously once it has cooked.  A 6-pound brisket fed a class of 12 women with enough for two of my kiddies to enjoy it as an after-school snack.

4.50 from 4 votes

Onion-Braised Grass-Fed Beef Brisket Recipe

By Pamela, adapted from Gourmet
A great dinner to serve in the cold months when you need a break from soups! Hearty, healthy, and filling.
Servings: -12
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours 30 minutes
Total Time: 4 hours 40 minutes

Ingredients 

  • 1 5- to-6-pound grass-fed beef brisket, preferably first cut
  • 3 Tablespoons olive oil
  • ยพ teaspoon sea salt , plus more for seasoning
  • ยพ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper , plus more for seasoning
  • 3 large yellow onions, peeled and cut into ยฝ-inch pieces (about 5 cups or 3 pounds)
  • 2-3 large garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 3 medium tomatoes, if in season, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped (optional)
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup red wine, or use all water
Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • In a dutch oven or other heavy baking pan large enough to hold brisket, heat 1 tablespoon oil in oven 10 minutes. Pat brisket dry and season well with salt (I used about 4 teaspoons) and pepper on the top and bottom. Roast brisket in pan, uncovered, 30 minutes.
  • While brisket is roasting, in a large heavy skillet cook onions in remaining 2 tablespoons oil over moderately high heat, stirring, until softened and beginning to turn golden. Reduce heat to moderate and cook onions, stirring occasionally and reducing heat if necessary, until deep golden, about 20 minutes more. Stir in garlic, paprika, salt, and pepper and cook 1 minute. Stir in water and wine and bring to a boil. Spoon onion mixture and chopped tomatoes over brisket and bake, tightly covered, 3 ยฝ hours, or until brisket is tender. (Check pan every hour and if necessary, add more water.) Remove brisket from oven and let cool in onion mixture 1 hour.
  • Remove brisket from pan, scraping onion mixture back into pan, and chill, wrapped in foil, overnight. Spoon onion mixture into a 1-quart measure and chill, covered, overnight.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Discard fat from onion mixture and transfer to a blender. Add enough water to the blender to measure 3 cups total. Blend until smooth.
  • Slice the brisket against the grain as thick or thin as you prefer. In a large ovenproof skillet heat gravy until hot, add brisket and heat in oven 30 minutes. Or you can continue to heat on the stove, covered until heated through.
iconLike this recipe? Rate & comment below!

โค๏ธ Our Recipe? Try These Next!

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




51 Comments

  1. Dorota says:

    Hello , After initial searing of the brisket at 375 degrees , do I continue cooking the brisket at 375 or lower the temperature ?

    1. Pamela says:

      continue at 375

  2. Robin says:

    If using jarred tomatoes, how much would you use?
    Thank you!

    1. Pamela says:

      use a standard container โ€“ either 14-15 ounce can or a 18-ounce jar. Drain them.

  3. Lauren says:

    Hi! I made this brisket today. For Monday. Do you suggest I freeze the meat until Monday? Or keep in the fridge? Thanks!!

    1. Pamela says:

      Itโ€™s probably fine until Monday. I generally prefer to make it 1-2 days in advance. If you freeze it now, youโ€™ll have to defrost it in the fridge starting Sunday night.

      1. Cindy Perelson says:

        5 stars
        We just had this for Hannukah dinner tonight and it was beyond amazing. I made a little mistake though. I accidentally roasted it uncovered for the first hour, so it lost some liquid, but it also caramelized quite a bit. I added another half cup of red wine and 1.5 cups of chicken broth and covered it for the remainder of the cooking time and it was sensational. I also cooked it an extra hour because I wasnโ€™t sure if it was tender enough. This is definitely a keeper!! Thank you!

        1. Pamela says:

          Amazing! Glad you enjoyed it, Cindy. Happy Holidays.

  4. Elizabeth A Metz says:

    5 stars
    Delicious and I followed your recipe to a T (included the โ€œoptionalโ€ tomatoes!

    1. Pamela says:

      Yum! Iโ€™m glad you enjoyed it.

  5. Zoreh says:

    Hi Pamela! Iโ€™m so excited to be making this recipe for Passover tomorrow night. Do you know if Iโ€™d use the same oven temperature for convection? I can turn my convection on or off and wondered if it would turn out better in convection? Thank you for your help.

    1. Pamela Salzman says:

      I donโ€™t think it will turn out better using convection. But if you do convection, lower the temperature by 25 degrees.

  6. Amanda says:

    If I were going to make a 9 lb brisket would I double the sauce ingredients? Thanks!

    1. Pamela says:

      Thatโ€™s a huge brisket! Are you getting that in two pieces? If so, you might be doing this in two baking dishes. Yes, double the onions and sauce regardless. You might end up with too make gravy, but itโ€™s better than not having enough. The rest can be used on spaghetti squash or over mashed potatoes the next day. ๐Ÿ™‚

  7. Jessica says:

    Hi Pamela, can this recipe be frozen ahead of time? If so, in the sauce? And how far in advance? Thank you!

    1. Pamela says:

      Yes, this freezes very well. You can freeze it a couple of different ways:
      brisket wrapped and sauce separate
      brisket sliced in sauce
      Up to 2 months in advance ๐Ÿ™‚

      1. Heidi Puritt says:

        3 stars
        I have 2 questions:
        Can you use canned tomatoes
        I didnโ€™t understand the directions with the fat the next day โ€“ remove the fat and blend it with water? Is this the gravy?plrase explain. Just started following you. Love your recipes!!

        1. Pamela Salzman says:

          Sure, you can use canned tomatoes, but I prefer glass-jarred tomatoes. ๐Ÿ™‚
          The next day, scrape the fat off the top โ€“ it will be somewhat firm. Throw the fat out. Blend what is left, i.e. all the onions and pan juices minus the fat. This will be the gravy once it is blended. Let me know if that doesnโ€™t make sense!

          1. Heidi Puritt says:

            Yes!! Thank you so much! I have usually made 2 different brisket recipes at the holidays but this Passover Iโ€™m going to try yours! I will post a photo and comment once I make it. Happy Holidays to you and your family

            1. Pamela Salzman says:

              Itโ€™s wonderful and such a help to have it made the day before. Happy holidays!

  8. Dov says:

    Amazing brisket I would say after hour 2 in the oven to check it more often. After adding two more cups of broth I left to do house chores for an hour and came back to the sauce being burnt! I made a new sauce quickly but would have much rather had this braised sauce! Will make it again monitoring it more.

    1. Pamela says:

      Hmmmm, sounds like your oven runs hot! Unless you used the convection setting rather than the standardโ€ฆ? Let me know. Otherwise, next time start with more liquid and as you said, monitor the pan more often.

    2. Cheryl says:

      Do you wrap brisket in tinfoil and leave it in the refrigerator over night? Then once sliced and you made the sauce put back in oven for 30 minutes? Thank you!

      1. Pamela says:

        Yes to all!