Helene Arost's Best Brisket in the World

This recipe comes from a wonderful woman in Miami who literally prepares the best brisket in the world. The secret is marinating the brisket in wine and seasoning the night before and cooking it until just the right texture for slicing.

1- 4 pound first cut brisket, well -trimmed
2-4 cups of red wine
2-3 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
2 teaspoons freshly minced garlic
1-2 teaspoons freshly ground white pepper
1-teaspoon paprika
1 bay leaf
½-cup (4 tablespoons) olive oil
3 large onions, coarsely chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and finely chopped
1 package dried Lipton Onion Soup Mix
2-3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1-2 teaspoons salt
1 12oz. Bottle of beer
1 10¾ ounce can Campbell’s Golden Mushroom Soup
¾ Cup ketchup or chili sauce
½-1 cup beef broth


1-Place the brisket in a sealed plastic bag with 2 cups of the wine, Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon of the garlic, 1teaspoon of the white pepper, paprika and bay leaf. Coat all the sides and allow to steep overnight in the refrigerator.

2-In a large, deep Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoon of the oil and sauté the onions and carrots over medium heat until softened. Transfer the cooked vegetables to a bowl with a slotted spoon.

3-Drain off the marinade and reserve.  Pat the onion soup mix, flour, and salt on the meat. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in the pan and brown the seasoned meat over high heat unit golden all over. Add the remaining 1-2 cups wine, beer, mushroom soup, ketchup, broth, remaining teaspoon garlic and reserved marinade and cooked vegetables. (Meat should be covered by the liquid) Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer slowly for 1 hour.

4-Preheat the oven to 325° F.

5-Turn brisket in the sauce and place in the oven for 3-4 hours or until very tender.

6-When slightly cooled, remove the meat and slice it. Put it back in the gravy and refrigerate it overnight.

7-Skim the fat and reheat in the dish in the 325F oven until piping hot. Serve brisket and gravy accompanied by noodle pudding or mashed potatoes.

Note:  You don’t HAVE to do step 6 and 7, you can serve it out of the oven after you slice it.  Never freeze it!  It changes the texture of the meat and you’ll have Spackle. 

 

-ln