Equipment
Ingredients
Meat
- 2000 g beef brisket, whole, flat or point cut
Seasonings and Oil
- 20 g kosher salt
- 5 g black pepper, freshly ground
- 30 ml vegetable oil
Aromatics and Vegetables
- 3 yellow onions, sliced thinly
- 4 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
- 3 celery, roughly chopped
- 6 garlic, minced
Braising Liquid
- 50 g tomato paste
- 250 ml dry red wine
- 800 g crushed tomatoes
- 500 ml beef broth, low sodium
- 2 bay leaves
- 5 g fresh thyme, tied in a small bundle
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 655 kcal
- Protein
- 41 g
- Carbohydrates
- 23 g
- Fat
- 42 g
- Fiber
- 6 g
- Sugar
- 11 g
- Sodium
- 4497 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 13 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 18 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 135 mg
- Potassium
- 1510 mg
- Calcium
- 109 mg
- Iron
- 6.7 mg
- Magnesium
- 81 mg
- Phosphorus
- 362 mg
- Zinc
- 7.8 mg
- Vitamin A
- 450 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 90 mg
- Vitamin E
- 0.4 mg
- Vitamin K
- 14 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 1.0 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 4.5 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.19 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.49 mg
- Niacin
- 10.4 mg
- Folate
- 45 mcg
- Water
- 390 g
- Alcohol
- 3 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat the oven to 150°C/300°F.
Pat the beef brisket completely dry on all sides with paper towels to ensure proper browning.
Season the brisket generously on all sides with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Heat the vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Using tongs, carefully place the brisket in the pot and sear until a deep brown crust forms, about 6 to 8 minutes per side. Remove the brisket to a large cutting board or platter and set aside.
Reduce the heat under the Dutch oven to medium. Add the sliced onions, chopped carrots, and celery to the residual beef fat. Sauté, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until the onions soften and begin to brown, about 10 minutes.
Stir in the minced garlic and tomato paste. Cook, stirring constantly, until the tomato paste darkens to a brick-red color and becomes deeply fragrant, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Pour in the dry red wine to deglaze the pot. Scrape up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan with the wooden spoon. Simmer until the wine has reduced by half, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the crushed tomatoes, beef broth, bay leaves, and fresh thyme bundle. Return the seared brisket to the Dutch oven along with any resting juices. The liquid should come about halfway up the sides of the meat. Bring the liquid to a gentle simmer on the stove.
Cover the Dutch oven tightly with its lid and transfer to the preheated oven. Braise until the brisket reaches an internal temperature of about 93°C/200°F and is entirely fork-tender, about 3 to 4 hours.
Carefully transfer the brisket to a clean cutting board. Tent loosely with aluminum foil and let the meat rest for at least 30 minutes before slicing to allow the muscle fibers to relax and retain moisture.
Using a sharp chef knife, slice the rested brisket thinly across the grain.
Skim any excess surface fat from the tomato gravy remaining in the Dutch oven. Discard the bay leaves and thyme bundle. Serve the sliced brisket warmly coated in the rich gravy.
Chef's Notes
- Brisket is fundamentally a tough cut of meat loaded with collagen. Slow, moist cooking is required to melt this collagen into gelatin, which surrounds the muscle fibers and provides the signature melt-in-the-mouth texture.
- For the absolute best flavor and easiest slicing, cool the entire Dutch oven after cooking and refrigerate it overnight. The next day, you can easily lift off the solidified fat cap, slice the cold brisket flawlessly, and gently reheat the slices directly in the gravy.
- Browning the meat thoroughly and taking the time to caramelize the tomato paste deeply are non-negotiable steps. These reactions build the robust, complex foundation of the gravy that plain boiling cannot achieve.
- Always slice brisket strictly across the grain. The long, robust muscle fibers must be physically shortened by your knife, otherwise the meat will feel stringy to chew regardless of how perfectly it was cooked.
Storage
Refrigerator: 5 days — Store sliced meat submerged in the gravy to prevent drying out.
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze meat and gravy together in an airtight container.
Reheating: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator if frozen. Reheat gently in a covered pan over medium-low heat or in a 150C oven until warmed through.
Troubleshooting
Meat is tough and chewy
Cause: The brisket was not braised long enough to break down the tough connective tissues
Fix: Return the brisket to the braising liquid, cover tightly, and braise for another 45 to 60 minutes
Prevention: Test the meat in multiple spots with a fork or thermometer before removing from the oven
Meat slices are falling apart into messy shreds
Cause: Overcooking or slicing the brisket parallel to the muscle fibers instead of across the grain
Fix: Cannot be fixed structurally, but the shredded beef is still incredibly delicious folded into the gravy
Prevention: Check the meat earlier in the cooking process and carefully locate the direction of the grain before slicing
Gravy is too watery and thin
Cause: Excess moisture released from the meat and vegetables during a completely sealed braise
Fix: Remove the meat, place the Dutch oven on the stove over medium-high heat, and boil the uncovered gravy until it reduces and thickens to your liking
Prevention: Allow the liquid to reduce slightly before returning the beef to the pot
Cultural Context
Tomato-braised brisket is a hallmark of Jewish-American holiday tables, particularly cherished during Passover and Rosh Hashanah. The long, slow cooking method was historically practical for tough, inexpensive cuts of meat, allowing home cooks to prepare a luxurious and celebratory main course without actively tending a fire on the Sabbath. Over generations in the United States, the integration of canned tomatoes and aromatic vegetables has transformed the dish into a deeply savory, cross-cultural comfort food.
