Lazy day brisket | From Scratch

on Sep 4th, 2007Lazy day brisket

Some weekends I just like to cocoon, listening to music, reading and dozing off whenever my body and mind want to. My slow cooker is my best friend on those days, enabling me to start a meal with minimal prep and leave it alone.

This is a favorite for those times. It came about when my SO wanted to update the old brisket recipe millions use: a braise with onion soup mix (gone now!) and either ketchup or chili sauce, which must be Heinz. We made it over the weekend — and I freely admit only a brisket slut would not just agree to brisket the week before having it again for a holiday, but would also give brisket its own category — and the beauty of any braise is that its flavors only improve overnight. This is delicious, moist and meltingly tender.

Of course this can be made in the oven by browning the ingredients in the pan you’ll be braising in, then letting it sit in a 325 degree oven for about three hours, with liquid halfway up the side of the meat and tightly covered, until it’s fork-tender.

You can refrigerate the meat and sauce separately to let the fat solidify for easy removal from the sauce but, honestly, the last few supermarket briskets I’ve bought have been so well-trimmed — almost too much so — that very little fat is there.

This is a sweet and sour version, but not terribly sweet and the sour is tangy. Sometimes we use vermouth instead of water but I prefer it with water. And a sprig of fresh thyme tucked in during cooking never hurts but it’s not essential.

Ella’s Lazy Day Brisket

1 small onion sliced
1 clove garlic, finely diced
2 1/2 - 3 pounds fresh brisket
brisket seasoning or coarse salt and freshly-ground pepper to taste
3/8 cup light brown sugar
3/8 cup vinegar
1/2 cup Heinz chili sauce
1/2 cup water

Brown the onion and garlic in a bit of olive oil in a large skillet. Season the brisket on both sides, add to the pan and brown on both sides. Transfer all to slow cooker, leaving as much oil in the pan as possible. Add brown sugar, vinegar, chili sauce and water, distributing evenly over the brisket. Do not stir. Cook on High for 45 minutes then on Low for 5-6 hours, until fork tender. Defat sauce, if needed, and serve with brisket.

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