Labor-of-Love Beef Brisket

Time :9 hours
Yield :6 servings

Recipe Background

Once you put in the effort, the results often surprise you. Unless you are making the Labor-of-Love Beef Brisket; the results in that case don't surprise so much as they enchant and dazzle you with flavor. This brisket takes 9 hours to cook, but wow, you can sure taste the results. The beef is melt-in-your-mouth tender, flavorful, and savory, with a distinctly sweet and tangy sauce that slow-cooks with the beef and infuses it with more flavor. Oh yes, Labor-of-Love Beef Brisket repays the love you put in tenfold!
Once you put in the effort, the results often surprise you. Unless you are making the Labor-of-Love Beef Brisket; the results in that case don't surprise so much as they enchant and dazzle you with flavor. This brisket takes 9 hours to cook, but wow, you can sure taste the results. The beef is melt-in-your-mouth tender, flavorful, and savory, with a distinctly sweet and tangy sauce that slow-cooks with the beef and infuses it with more flavor. Oh yes, Labor-of-Love Beef Brisket repays the love you put in tenfold!

Ingredients

  • 1 (4-pound) first cut brisket excess fat trimmed
  • salt to taste
  • black pepper to taste
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
  • 2 cups beef or vegetable broth divided
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 3 red onions quartered
  • 3 carrots peeled and cut into thirds
  • 6 cloves garlic smashed
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 bay leaves

Directions

  • Sprinkle the brisket on both sides with the salt and the pepper. Slice it in half lengthwise if it's too large for the skillet.
  • Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
  • Add the brisket to the oil and cook until browned on both sides, about 4-6 minutes per side.
  • Transfer the brisket from the pan and set it aside.
  • Stir the tomato paste into the pan and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes.
  • Add 1 cup of the broth and the mustard to the tomato mixture and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits.
  • Carefully transfer the broth mixture to a slow cooker, then top with the onions, the carrots, and the garlic.
  • Add the brisket, the vinegar, the Worcestershire sauce, the bay leaves, and the remaining broth to the slow cooker.
  • Cook the brisket mixture on low heat until the meat is very tender, about 8 hours.
  • Transfer the brisket to a platter and let rest for 20 minutes.
  • Strain the cooking liquid and season it with the salt and the pepper. Make sure to keep the sauce warm.
  • Slice the brisket against the grain and serve with the sauce.
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