Adapted from Barefoot Contessa Parties! copyright 2001 by Ina Garten.
- 5 pounds (or so) beef brisket, very well trimmed of fat
- 6 medium yellow onions, peeled and sliced
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic (4 cloves)
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
- 1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
- 8 stalks celery, cut into 2-inch chunks
- 6 dried bay leaves
- 1 (46-ounce) can tomato juice or low-sodium V8 juice.
Preheat the oven to 325° F.
Place half of the sliced onions in the bottom of a heavy roasting pan. Place the brisket on top of the onions. In a small bowl, combine the salt, pepper, garlic, and oregano. Rub the mixture on the brisket. Pile the carrots, celery, remaining onions, and bay leaves on the brisket and pour in enough juice to come about 3/4 of the way up the meat and vegetables (in my roasting pan, that’s the whole can). Cover the top of the pan with 2 sheets of parchment paper, then with a sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Seal the edges well.
Bake for 4 hours, or until the meat is tender. Remove the meat from the pan and slice it against the grain. Remove the bay leaves and discard. Put the vegetables, with sauce into a food processor with a steel blade. Process until you get a chunky sauce. Place the sliced meat in a 13×9 pan. Pour in enough sauce to cover the meat. There will be sauce left over that can be used for pasta or for use in other recipes.
At this point, you can refrigerate or freeze the brisket until ready to use. (If you freeze it, thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.) When ready to serve, heat the brisket in a 325° oven for 30 – 45 minutes, until the meat is heated through and the sauce is bubbly.
Serves 6 people, with leftovers.
NOTE: We think this is even better when prepared ahead and frozen for future use.
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