Tender Braised Brisket (An Easy Slow-Cooker Showstopper!)

The Butcher’s & The Pantry’s Best: The Essential Ingredients

This iconic dish uses a handful of high-quality ingredients to create its signature rich and savory flavor.

• The Brisket (The Star of the Show!):
  • First-Cut Brisket: For the best, most uniform shape and beautiful, clean slices, it is essential to use a first-cut (or flat-cut) brisket. This is the leaner, more rectangular half of a whole brisket.
• The Savory-Sweet Braising Liquid (The Flavor Foundation!):
  • Red Wine: This is a brilliant secret ingredient that adds a sophisticated, complex, and bright acidic note to the braise.
  • Dried Plums: This is the unique secret weapon that will have all your guests asking for your recipe! The dried plums (prunes) melt into the sauce as it cooks, adding a wonderful, subtle, fruity sweetness and a rich body that perfectly complements the savory beef.
• The Horseradish Gremolata (The “Secret Weapon”!):
  • A “Gremolata”-Style Finish: This is the brilliant, professional chef’s trick that elevates the entire dish! A simple, no-cook blend of fresh parsley, sharp horseradish, and bright lemon zest is sprinkled on at the end. Its fresh, zesty, and pungent flavor is the perfect counterpoint that cuts through all the rich, savory, and long-cooked flavors of the roast.

The Roasting Masterclass: The Secret to a Perfectly Tender Brisket

This recipe uses a few simple but brilliant professional techniques that guarantee a flawless, impressive result.

1. Searing is NON-NEGOTIABLE!: The number one secret to a roast with a deep, rich, and “roasted” (not “steamed”) flavor is to sear it in a hot skillet first. This crucial, 10-minute step is the key that creates a beautiful, deep golden-brown, and incredibly flavorful crust through the Maillard reaction.
2. Deglaze That Pan!: After you’ve seared your brisket and sautéed your onions, all those delicious, dark, caramelized bits that are stuck to the bottom of your skillet are called the fond. This is not burnt food; it is pure, concentrated, and delicious flavor! By pouring in the red wine to deglaze, you are lifting up all that incredible, flavorful fond, which then becomes the rich, savory foundation of your sauce.
3. The “Low and Slow” Magic: The real magic of this dish is patience. A tough cut of meat like brisket needs a long, slow, and moist braise. The 7-hour cook on LOW is the non-negotiable secret that breaks down all the tough connective tissues and transforms them into luscious gelatin, making the meat incredibly fork-tender.
4. Rest, Rest, REST!: You must let your finished roast rest for at least 20 minutes before you slice into it. This crucial, patient step allows the hot, delicious juices to relax and redistribute throughout the entire roast.
5. Slice Thin Against the Grain: This is the final, non-negotiable secret to a tender bite! A brisket must be sliced thinly against the grain. This shortens the long muscle fibers, making every single slice wonderfully tender.

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Step-by-Step to the Perfect Braised Brisket

This rewarding culinary project is a joy to prepare.

Part 1: The Art of the Perfect Sear

Step 1: First, let your 5-pound brisket rest at room temperature for 1 hour. Rub it all over with 1 tablespoon of kosher salt, 1 teaspoon of black pepper, and 1 tablespoon of paprika.

Step 2: In a large skillet, heat your 3 tablespoons of olive oil over a high heat until it is just smoking. Add your brisket and cook for about 12 minutes, turning, until it is beautifully browned on all sides. Transfer the seared brisket to your 6- to 8-quart slow cooker.

Part 2: The “Triple Onion” Sauce and Slow Braise

Step 1: Reduce the heat under your skillet to medium-high. Add your 2 sliced red onions and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes, until they begin to brown.Step 2: Add your 1 cup of red wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up all the delicious browned bits from the bottom. Let the liquid reduce by about half.Step 3: Transfer this mixture to your slow cooker. Place the 1 pound of carrots, the 1 cup of dried plums, and the 3 thyme sprigs in the slow cooker with the brisket.Step 4: Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 7 hours, until the brisket is very tender.

Part 3: The Vibrant Gremolata and Final Sauce

Step 1: While the brisket is cooking, prepare your Gremolata. In a food processor, combine the 1 1/2 cups of fresh parsley, 1/2 cup of olive oil, 1 1/2 tablespoons of prepared horseradish, the 1/2 teaspoon of lemon zest, the 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/8 teaspoon of pepper. Pulse about 10 times, until everything is very finely chopped.Step 2: When the brisket is done, transfer it to a cutting board and let it rest for 20 minutes. Transfer the carrots to a platter.Step 3: Pour all the cooking juices from the slow cooker through a fine-mesh strainer into a large bowl, discarding the solids. Let the liquid stand for 10 minutes, then skim and discard the fat from the surface.

To serve, use a large, sharp carving knife to thinly slice the brisket against the grain. Arrange the slices on the platter with the carrots. Top with a generous amount of the fresh Gremolata and serve with a bowl of the warm, strained pan juices.

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Tender Braised Brisket (An Easy Slow-Cooker Showstopper!)

A hearty and flavorful recipe for a beef brisket, perfect as a showstopper for a holiday meal. The brisket is first seared until well-browned, then transferred to a slow cooker to braise for 7 hours with red onions, carrots, dried plums, and a rich red wine sauce until it is exceptionally tender. The dish is served with the braised carrots and topped with a bright, fresh horseradish-parsley gremolata.

• Author: Grace

Ingredients

• For the Brisket:
• 1 (5-lb.) beef brisket, fat trimmed to 1/4 inch thick
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 large red onions, cut into 1-inch slices
• 1 cup kosher dry red wine
• 1 pound small carrots, peeled
• 1 cup dried pitted plums (about 5 oz.)
• 3 fresh thyme sprigs
• 1 cup water
• For the Gremolata:
• 1 1/2 cups packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons prepared or grated fresh horseradish
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

1. Prepare the Brisket: Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over high heat until just smoking. Sprinkle the brisket all over with salt and pepper. Cook the brisket in the hot oil for about 12 minutes total, turning, until browned on all sides. Transfer the brisket to a 6- to 8-quart slow cooker.
2. Start the Sauce: Reduce the heat under the skillet to medium-high. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 2 minutes, until browned and beginning to wilt. Add the red wine; cook, scraping the bottom of the skillet to loosen any browned bits, until the liquid is reduced by about half (about 2 minutes).
3. Slow Cook: Add the onion-wine mixture to the slow cooker. Place the carrots, dried plums, and thyme sprigs in the slow cooker with the brisket. Add 1 cup of water.
4. Cover and cook on LOW for about 7 hours, until the brisket is tender.
5. Make the Gremolata: While the brisket cooks, combine the parsley, olive oil, horseradish, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a food processor. Pulse about 10 times, until very finely chopped. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
6. Finish and Serve: Transfer the brisket to a cutting board to rest. Transfer the carrots to a platter.
7. Pour the cooking juices from the slow cooker through a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl, discarding the solids. Let the liquid stand for 10 minutes for the fat to rise, then skim and discard the fat.
8. Whisk the remaining liquid vigorously; reserve 1 1/2 cups of this sauce for serving.
9. Slice the rested brisket against the grain and transfer it to the platter with the carrots. Top with the gremolata and serve with the reserved sauce on the side.

Notes

• This is a showstopper main course, perfect for a holiday dinner like Christmas or a special occasion.
• Searing the brisket before slow cooking is a crucial step that adds deep, savory flavor (maillard reaction) to the final dish.
• The gremolata is a fresh, no-cook sauce that provides a bright, sharp contrast to the rich, braised meat. It can be made while the brisket is cooking.
• Letting the brisket rest for 10-20 minutes before carving is essential for the juices to redistribute, ensuring the meat is moist and tender.

Storage and Make-Ahead Tips

This is the ultimate make-ahead holiday meal!

• Make-Ahead: This is a perfect make-ahead dish! In fact, it is one of those magical dishes that tastes even better on the second day. You can prepare and fully cook the entire dish up to 3 days in advance.
• Storage: Store any leftovers, submerged in their sauce, in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The gremolata is best fresh, but will keep for 2-3 days in the refrigerator.
• Reheating: The best way to reheat brisket is to do so gently in a covered saucepan on the stovetop over a low heat.

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Frequently Asked questions (FAQs)

Q1: Why is my brisket tough?

The number one culprit is almost always under-cooking or cooking it too fast on High. A tough cut like brisket needs a long, slow, and moist braise to become tender. If your roast is tough, the simple answer is that it just needs more time on LOW.

Q2: Can I make this ahead of time for a holiday dinner?

Yes, this is a perfect make-ahead centerpiece! It is one of those magical dishes that actually tastes even better the next day. You can prepare the entire recipe from start to finish a day or two in advance and simply reheat it gently on the stovetop before your guests arrive.

Q3: Can I make this in a Dutch oven instead of a slow cooker?

Yes, absolutely! A Dutch oven is perfect for this recipe. Simply follow all the steps to sear your brisket and to build your sauce in the Dutch oven. Then, you can cover the pot and braise it in a low, 325°F oven for about 3-4 hours, until it is fork-tender.

Q4: Can I use a different cut of beef?

Yes! If you can’t find a brisket, this recipe is also fantastic with a boneless beef chuck roast.

Q5: Can I use fresh horseradish?

Yes! If you have fresh horseradish root, it will provide an even brighter, more pungent kick. You can use 1 1/2 tablespoons of freshly grated horseradish, just as the recipe suggests for prepared horseradish.