I use Cook's Illustrated recipe for brisket with some personal modifications. I trim ALL the fat off the top 'cuz I don't like the texture of fat at all. I find that browning the meat for 6 minutes per side adds more flavor. I do this recipe in a LC 6-3/4 qt oval and it's perfect. Goes really nice with mashed potatos or over soft polenta. I also prepare this through step 4 and let the whole thing cool, storing it overnight in the fridge. Next day, defat (if any) and throw it in a low oven (300) for an hour or so. It has more flavor the next day. 1 beef brisket, about 3 pounds (CI recomments the point cut trimmed; I use the flat cut trimmed and don't care too much about weight. Typically 4 pounds.) 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 3 pounds yellow onions, sliced thin (I also add about a pound or more of mushrooms) 2 tablespoons brown sugar 6 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press 1 teaspoon tomato paste 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 cup dry red wine 1 cup low-sodium beef broth 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth 4 bay leaves 4 springs fresh thyme 1 tablespoon cider vinegar 1- Heat over to 300 degrees and adjust racks so your cooking vessel is somewhat centered in the oven. 2-Sprinkle the brisket generously with salt and pepper to taste. Heat the oil in a large ovenproof Dutch oven over high heat until smoking. Cook the brisket until dark brown on the first side, about 5 minutes. Turn and repeat. Transfer the brisket to a large plate; set aside. 3-Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onions, brown sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Using a wooden spoon, scrapte the browned bits from the pan bottom. Cook, stirring frequently until the onions are softened and lightly browned, about 10 minutes. (I add the mushrooms at about 7 minutes and cook until their liquid has evaporated.) Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Slowly stir in the wine to dissolve the flour and cook until almost dry, about 1 minute. Stir in the beef broth, chicken broth, bay leaves and thyme. Return the meat to the pot, nestling it in the liquid, and bring to a simmer. Cover the pot, transfer it to the oven and cook until a fork slides easily in and out of the center of the roast, 2-1/2 to 3 hours. 4-Transfer the brisket to a cutting board, tent with foil, and let rest for 15 minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaves and thyme from the sauce, stir in the vinegar, and adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper to taste. Slice the brisket thinly across the grain, arrange on a warmed platter and spoon some of the sauce over it. Serve, passing the remaining sauce at the table.

Who knew that brisket, of all things, could make people fight? At our house, a big brisket meal makes us pretty mellow. We even have a song that goes, "Oh, it's good to be a dog on yontif,* 'cause on yontif, a dog gets brisket." * Yiddish for holiday I'm not a food scientist or a chef or a cookbook writer or anything else special, food-wise. But I am a genuine Jewish mother. And I figure it's about time that one waded into this. I've made a lot of briskets. Very many briskets. And I've eaten many many many briskets, cooked all different ways, including smoked brisket, which was indeed very good. But that doesn't mean it's always the flavor you are going for, even if it were possible to say that it's somehow objectively superior to braising or roasting. To me, that argument is as silly as trying to prove that fried chicken is definitively, universally, always better than oven-roasted. Anyway, even if I do think one way is better, sometimes I don't want it to taste "better," I want it to taste like "home." I've always made mine in the oven, sometimes starting it on the cooktop. Here are two recipes we like a lot, one simple and old-fashioned and using onion soup and jam, one more fancy. We never get any complaints, and, the song notwithstanding, there isn't always any left for the dog. Brisket 5-10 lb. Brisket 2 8-oz. Jars apricot preserves 2 packets dried onion soup 2 T ginger salt, pepper, and garlic powder Mix jam, soup mix, and ginger in a bowl. Add 1/4 cup water. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper on the brisket and pour garlic powder on it. Rub sauce mixture all over roasting pan and brisket. Cover tightly and bake 350 for 2 1/2 - 3 1/2 hours. Remove from pan and slice. Spoon some of the gravy over it. Cover again and bake another 30 minutes before serving. *** BEEF BRISKET WITH MERLOT AND PRUNES 1 4-to 4 1/2-pound flat-cut (also called first-cut) beef brisket, trimmed of most fat 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice (preferably fire-roasted) 1 cup Merlot or other dry red wine 2 pounds onions, sliced 4 medium carrots, peeled, thinly sliced 16 garlic cloves, peeled 1 1/2 cups pitted large prunes (about 8 ounces) 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon prune juice 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 325 F. Pat brisket dry; sprinkle all over with salt and pepper. Heat oil in heavy extra-large skillet over high heat. Add brisket and cook until deep brown, about 7 minutes per side. Transfer brisket, fat side up, to large roasting pan. Add tomatoes with juice and wine to skillet. Remove from heat, scrape up any browned bits, and pour mixture over brisket. Distribute onions, carrots, and garlic around brisket. Add prunes and thyme; drizzle with 1/2 cup prune juice and 3 tablespoons vinegar. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Place pan over 2 burners and bring to boil. Cover pan with heavy-duty foil; place in oven. Braise brisket until tender, about 3 hours 15 minutes. Uncover and cool 1 hour at room temperature. Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover with foil and chill. Bring just to simmer over 2 burners before continuing. Remove brisket from roasting pan, scraping off juices. Place on work surface; cut across grain into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Spoon off fat from top of pan juices. Place 1 cup vegetables (no prunes) and 1 cup braising liquid from pan into processor and puree. Return puree to pan. Add remaining 1 tablespoon prune juice and 1 teaspoon vinegar to pan. Heat sauce; season with salt and pepper. Overlap brisket slices in 13x9x2- inch glass baking dish. Pour sauce over brisket, separating slices to allow some sauce to flow between. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill. Rewarm brisket, covered, in 350 F oven for 30 minutes. Sprinkle brisket with parsley; serve.

I don't think you have to do it that way. But one thing, it takes a long time (and a lot of oven space) so it helps if you can cook it the day before so you have that oven for others things. Also the gravy is often very fatty so skimming the fat off after it's cooled down in the fridge is another reason I do it. Also, brisket really tastes good reheated... some may say better, so that may be why some suggest letting it sit overnight. The flavors sort of become better upon sitting overnight.

I agree, there's a difference in tender and falling apart. I've had brisket that comes apart in long shreds, but is still tough and chewy. Because I raise my own grass fed beef, there's no fat to speak of on the brisket, so I cook it in an enameled dutch oven for 6-8 hours or wrap it in foil and bake in a roasting pan for that time. My favorite brisket is actually a recipe from Carol/dishesdone, she posted it here years ago. I don't like beer, so I use root beer or gingerale, the kids like the sweetness anyway. Favorite Brisket 1 4-pound beef brisket kosher salt pepper 2 onions, thinly sliced into half moons (I use 3 large onions) 1/2 cup ketchup 1/2 cup prepared chile sauce (Heinz Chile Sauce - I use the whole bottle) 3 tablespoons brown sugar (I use a bit more) 6 cloves garlic, minced 1 12-ounce bottle beer Salt and pepper both sides of the meat. Place beef in a roasting pan. Cover with onion. Combine ketchup, chile sauce, brown sugar, garlic, and beer. Pour mixture over meat. Cover securely with foil. Bake at 300 degrees F for 4 hours or more until tender. Remove the meat from the pan, and puree the gravy with an immersion blender to thicken it up. Slice the meat against the grain, and return it to the gravy! Tastes even better the next day. Freezes well! I Sometimes I just puree half the onions because we like the onions. and most of the time I never even bother to puree it at all. It's great no matter how you do the gravy. Annie