Grandma Charlotte’s Foolproof Beef Brisket

inBeef Recipes, Dinner Recipes, Holiday & Dinner Party Recipes, Jewish Recipes, Recipes
  • YIELDS | 6 SERVINGS
  • PREP TIME | 10 MINS
  • COOK TIME | 3.5 HRS, PLUS 30 MIN RESTING TIME

My mother-in-law made this recipe every Passover, and the memories of her warmth and poise remind me of the importance of tradition and passing down family recipes. I love this recipe because of its versatility. The brisket can be made a couple days ahead to save time and it tastes just as good.

Ingredients

  • 2 medium onions, sliced 1/2” thick
  • 6-8 pounds whole beef brisket, trimmed of all but a thin layer of fat
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • 2 12-ounce bottles Bennett’s Chili Sauce
  • 1 bottle good beer
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 325°F if cooking immediately.
  2. Place sliced onion on the bottom of a large baking or roasting pan.
  3. Season both sides of the brisket with Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Place trimmed brisket on top of onion, then place the bay leaves on top of the brisket.
  4. Mix the brown sugar, chili sauce, and beer together and pour over the meat. Cover pan with foil. At this point you can pop the pan in a pre-heated oven or marinate the meat in the refrigerator until ready to cook (for up to 24 hours).
  5. Bake for 3 hours. When the brisket is tender, remove the foil and bake uncovered for 30 more minutes.
  6. Remove the meat from the pan and let rest on a cutting board for 20-30 minutes.
  7. While the meat rests, pour the sauce from the pan into a small pot, reserving the onions. Keep the sauce warm over low heat. Cut the onions into bit-sized pieces.
  8. Slice the brisket and place on a serving platter. Pour the sauce over the meat, and serve.

Notes

I like to pour the fat off the top of the sauce before warming it.

Placing the onions on the bottom of the pan instead of on top of the brisket allows the onions to caramelize and keeps the brisket from sticking to the pan.