Nach Waxman's Brisket of Beef Recipe on Food52 (2024)

Cast Iron

by: Genius Recipes

May21,2021

4.5

26 Ratings

Nach Waxman's Brisket of Beef Recipe on Food52 (1)

Prep time 7 minutes
Cook time 4 hours
Serves 10 to 12

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Author Notes

Nach Waxman took the best parts of two versions passed down in his family, weaving them into one simple treatment -- from his mother, a spectacular quantity of onions; from his mother-in-law, a genius trick of slicing the meat halfway through cooking (the brisket is easier to cut then, and this makes every slice a little like an end piece -- to many, the best part.) Adapted slightly from The New Basics by Sheila Lukins and Julee Rosso (Workman Publishing, 1989) and The Brisket Book by Stephanie Pierson (Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2011) —Genius Recipes

Test Kitchen-Approved

What You'll Need

Ingredients

1 6-pound first-cut (a.k.a. flat-cut) beef brisket, trimmed so that a thin layer of fat remains
2 teaspoonsall-purpose flour (or matzoh meal)
1 pinchFreshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoonscorn oil (or other neutral oil)
8 medium onions, peeled and thickly sliced
3 tablespoonstomato paste
1 pinchKosher salt
3 cloves garlic
1 carrot, peeled

Directions

Heat the oven to 350°F.
Lightly dust the brisket with flour, then sprinkle with pepper to taste. Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large ovenproof enameled cast-iron pot or other heavy pot with a lid just large enough to hold the brisket snugly. Add the brisket to the pot and brown on both sides until crusty brown areas appear on the surface here and there, 5 to 7 minutes per side.
Transfer the brisket to a platter, turn up the heat a bit, then add the onions to the pot and stir constantly with a wooden spoon, scraping up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Cook until the onions have softened and developed a rich brown color but aren't yet caramelized, 10 to 15 minutes.
Turn off the heat and place the brisket and any accumulated juices on top of the onions.
Spread the tomato paste over the brisket as if you were icing a cake. Sprinkle with salt and more pepper to taste, then add the garlic and carrot to the pot. Cover the pot, transfer to the oven, and cook the brisket for 1 1/2 hours.
Transfer the brisket to a cutting board and, using a very sharp knife, slice the meat across the grain into approximately 1/8-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. Check the seasonings and, if the sauce appears dry, add 2 to 3 teaspoons of water to the pot.
Cover the pot and return to the oven. Lower the heat to 325°F and cook the brisket until it is fork-tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Check once or twice 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 on top of the roast so that it drips down between the slices.
It is ready to serve with its juices, but, in fact, it's even better the second day. It also freezes well.

Tags:

Jewish
Brisket
Carrot
Beef
One-Pot Wonders
Serves a Crowd
Cast Iron
Fall
Winter
Christmas
Hanukkah
Entree

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Recipe by: Genius Recipes

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149 Reviews

Lucie April 20, 2023

This is insane, no notes

Anne J. April 10, 2023

I have been making this brisket ever since the New Basics cookbook came out. Always wonderful and forgiving. If you want to make this gor Passover, just omit dusting the brisket with flour. Tastes just as good without.

ssauvageau January 13, 2023

I’m just clarifying that you don’t salt the meat til step 4, after the tomato paste is applied?

Arrxx January 13, 2023

This recipe is pretty forgiving. I find best to brown meat before salting. So I salt after I spread the tomato paste on. Just remember that timing is very dependent on your meat, oven etc. If after you slice and cook it's not tender just cook some more. Might need to add some liquid - water, red wine etc. This recipe never fails me and it's so easy!