Braised Beef Brisket is slow-cooked with apple cider, maple syrup, molasses, dried mushrooms, caramelized onions, and garlic, giving the brisket flat cut a complex depth of flavor. Prepare this hearty main dish ahead of time for easy entertaining and holiday dinners.
I love making braised beef dishes when we have company over. Braised beef is easy to make in advance and reheats well. Leftovers even taste better because it gives the flavors time to develop. Brisket flat cut is a lean and tough cut of meat that becomes tender when cooked low and slow.
My braised brisket recipe uses apple cider, maple syrup or honey, and molasses for a sweet taste and dried shiitake or porcini mushrooms to add umami flavor. The onions caramelize as the brisket cooks, adding another layer of flavor.
While braised brisket is a great entrée for Christmas or any holiday get-together, it’s known as a traditional Eastern European Jewish food, especially for holidays like Passover, Rosh Hashanah, and Chanukah. The classic Jewish-style brisket uses vinegar or wine to give a sort of sweet and sour tangy taste. In my recipe, I use apple cider and maple syrup or honey to incorporate the tradition of eating apples and honey on Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) for a sweet new year.
Many other cultures have traditional recipes for braised brisket. I remember when I was in Hong Kong ordering braised brisket served over rice, cooked with spices like cinnamon and star anise. In fact, the first time I made a pot roast for Jonathan, he told me it reminded him of a Cantonese dish his mom cooks. Other Asian and European cultures have their own take on this delicious cut of beef.
Flat Cut Brisket vs Point Cut Brisket
A whole beef brisket can weigh over 10 pounds. It’s usually cut into two pieces and sold as either flat cut (also called first cut) and point cut (also called second cut). The flat cut is leaner and used for corned beef and pastrami. The point cut has more fat and marbling. Both cuts are used in barbecue and both cuts can be braised. I have only ever seen flat cut sold in my supermarket, and it seems to be the more commonly used cut for braised brisket. Flat cut gives you nice even slices of meat. This article from The Spruce Eats has some more information on the two cuts.
How Much Brisket Per Person?
I recommend cooking a half pound of raw brisket per person. Most flat cut briskets are between 4 and 5 pounds, serving 8-10 people. Leftovers are delicious, so don’t shy away from cooking a brisket for a smaller group.
Ingredients for Braised Beef Brisket
Here are the main ingredients. That’s a pound of carrots, 2 cups of apple cider, minced garlic, molasses, a dried shiitake mushroom, a bay leaf, sliced sweet onion, fresh thyme, and a 4 ½ pound brisket flat cut. Not shown are salt and pepper, oil, maple syrup (or honey), apple cider vinegar, and beef broth.
You can leave the dried shiitake mushroom out if you want to, or substitute a couple dried porcini mushrooms. But if you keep your pantry stocked with dried mushrooms, you know they add a great umami flavor and fragrance to slow-cooked dishes. I wrote more about cooking with dried shiitake mushrooms in this post.
I also like adding a little bit of molasses to braised dishes for a hint of warm spice. Call it my secret ingredient.
How to Make Braised Beef Brisket
First, pour some boiling water over the dried mushroom to let it rehydrate.
Next, season the beef with salt and pepper and brown on both sides.
Remove the brisket from the pot and sauté the onions and garlic.
Add in the maple syrup, molasses, vinegar, cider, mushroom, beef broth, thyme sprigs, and bay leaf. Here is it ready to go into the oven.
The brisket will roast in the oven for a total time of 3 ½ hours. Here’s a really important tip for presentation. Remove the brisket from the oven after 1 ½ hours, carefully take it out of the Dutch oven and place on a cutting board. Give it 10 minutes to cool down, then slice against the grain. Then transfer the sliced brisket back to the Dutch oven and put it back in the oven.
If you wait until the brisket is done cooking to slice, it’s going to be very hard to get clean even slices. The meat is just too tender, it may start to shred. I think slicing partway through the cooking time also allows more braising liquid to soak into each slice of meat.
Add the carrots when you have 1 hour left on the cook time, so they don’t get mushy.
What to Serve with Braised Beef Brisket
Beef brisket is great served with mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, or rice to soak up the extra braising liquid. If you are eating low-carb, I’d suggest cauliflower mash. I also like to eat this with sautéed spinach or other baby greens and to pour some extra braising liquid over the spinach. The cooking liquid is just that good!
Is Braised Beef Brisket Good Leftover?
Braised brisket was made to be eaten leftover! Letting the brisket sit in the fridge a day allows more time for the flavors to mix and makes it easier to skim any excess fat off the top. Reheat individual portions in the microwave or the whole brisket on the stove over medium-low heat. Keep in the fridge up to a week.
Do you love braised beef dishes? Don’t miss my Apple Cider Braised Short Ribs, Beef Bourguignon, or Pomegranate Pot Roast.
If you make this recipe, please give the recipe a rating and/or leave a comment. I’d love to hear from you!
Braised Beef Brisket
Braised Beef Brisket is slow-cooked with apple cider, maple syrup, molasses, dried mushrooms, caramelized onions, and garlic, giving the brisket flat cut a complex depth of flavor. Prepare this hearty main dish ahead of time for easy entertaining and holiday dinners.
Ingredients
- 1 dried shiitake mushroom or 2 dried porcini mushrooms
- 4-5 pounds beef brisket flat cut
- salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons grapeseed or canola oil, divided
- 1 large or 1 1/2 medium sweet onions, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
- 2 teaspoons molasses
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 cups apple cider
- 1 cup beef broth
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme, plus additional for garnish
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces
Instructions
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Arrange oven racks so your Dutch oven will fit with the lid on.
Rinse dried mushroom under cold water and rub off any grit. Place mushroom in a mug and pour boiling water over. Put a plate over the mug to make sure the mushroom is covered in water. Set aside.
Season brisket generously with salt and pepper. Do NOT trim off any fat. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Brown meat on both sides, 3-4 minutes per side. Remove meat to a plate.
Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the pot. Add onion and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion begins to soften, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and cook 2 more minutes, or until fragrant, stirring often.
Add maple syrup, molasses, and vinegar to the onions and stir to combine. Pour in cider
and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.Rub off any dirt or grit from the mushroom, remove from hot water, and slice. (If mushroom is not cool enough to handle, rinse under cold water first.) Add mushroom to the pot.
Put the brisket back in the pot. Pour in beef broth. Add thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Cover and bring to a simmer. Then turn off heat and transfer (covered) pot to the oven.
Roast for 1 ½ hours. Remove from oven and transfer brisket to cutting board. Let cool 10 minutes. Once cool enough to handle, slice into ¼ - ½ inch slices against the grain. Transfer sliced brisket back to the pot.
Roast additional 1 hour. Remove from oven and add carrots, nestling them in around the beef. Roast for additional 1 hour, or until beef is tender. (Total time in the oven is 3 ½ hours.)
Remove brisket from oven. Skim excess fat off the top if desired. (If you are making ahead, refrigerate and then skim the solidified fat off the top before reheating.) Remove bay leaf and mushroom slices, if you can find them. Spoon the braising liquid over the meat before serving. Garnish with fresh thyme.
Bon Appétit!
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