Hanukkah Dinner Braised Brisket

Happy Hanukkah! I can’t believe how fast the holidays have come this year. We have now celebrated Hanukkah twice already this year, once over Thanksgiving with my whole family and again this past Thursday so that I’d have fun recipes to post for you this week! Even if you aren’t Jewish, many traditional Jewish foods are very common in any household. Today I am starting with brisket. What is a brisket? Brisket is one of the primary beef cuts. It’s muscular and thus a tough meat. It has to be cooked low and slow, for a few hours, to become tender and juicy. Every Jewish cook has “their” brisket that they make for the holidays. For some people it’s a molasses and brown sugar, sweet and savory sort of brisket. For others it’s the beer-braised route with earthy amber flavors. For me, it’s a savory all the way, tomato and red wine braised brisket with lots of vegetables to eat along side it. You can serve it thickly sliced as an entree, thinly sliced for sandwiches, or even save the leftovers for a special treat (coming to you Monday!). No matter how you make it, whether its for a special occasion or just Thursday night dinner, it’s a great winter dish.

Makes: 6 entree servings
Prep Time: 30 minutes      Cooking Time: 3-4 hours     Resting Time: 15 minutes

1- 4 lb beef brisket
kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper
2 tbs vegetable oil
1 large white onion, small dice
4 carrots, peeled and small dice
4 stalks celery, peeled and small dice
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 stalk fresh rosemary, minced
1 stalk fresh thyme, minced
1- 16 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 cup chicken stock
1 1/2 cups red wine (I used cabernet sauvignon)
2 bay leaves

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. 
• Season the brisket on all sides with kosher salt and pepper.
• Heat a large, oven safe, pot over medium heat on the stove top. Add the vegetable oil and heat for 2 minutes or so. Add the brisket and brown for 2-3 minutes per side until all sides have a little crust. Remove the brisket onto a cookie sheet.
• Add the onions, carrots, and celery to the pot. Cook the vegetables until they begin to brown, stirring so that nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot. Add the garlic, rosemary, and thyme and give a quick stir to mix everything together.
• Add the wine to the pan and stir with a wooden spoon to release all of the brown bits off the bottom of the pan. (Brown = flavor and delicousness). Add the tomatoes, stock, and bay leaves to the pan. Add the brisket and use a spoon to cover with some of the vegetables. Cover tightly with a lid and put into the oven.
• Cook the brisket for 3-4 hours, basting it every 30 minutes or so. Toss the tomatoes and vegetables over top to keep the brisket moist. If the edges start to shred if you lightly press it with a spoon, then it’s done. Remove the brisket from the oven and let it rest for about 15 minutes.
• Slice the brisket on a bias to make thick slices that don’t shred. Serve with accompanying vegetables and sauce.