Ingredients
- 1 (3 to 4 pounds) brisket flat
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 4 carrots, trimmed and peeled (1 diced and 3 cut crosswise into 3-inch chunks)
- 2 ribs celery, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 1/2 cups sweet kosher Concord grape wine (such as Manischewitz), or 1½ cups dry red wine plus ¼ cup granulated or brown sugar
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 2 to 3 cups beef or chicken broth or stock (preferably homemade or low-sodium) or water
- 1 1/2 cups dried apricots
- 1 1/2 cups pitted prunes
- 1 cup golden raisins
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 300F.
2. Using a sharp knife, trim the brisket, leaving a layer of fat at least 1/4-inch thick. Be careful not to over-trim. It’s better to err on the side of too much fat than too little. Generously season the brisket on all sides with salt and pepper.
3. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven (or roasting pan—though a Dutch oven is preferred) over medium-high heat. Add the brisket and cook, turning once, until browned on both sides, 4 to 6 minutes per side. Transfer the meat to a platter and pour out and discard all but 3 tablespoons of fat from the pot.
4. Add the onion, chopped carrot, celery, garlic, and 3 tablespoons of the parsley to the pot and cook over medium-high heat until softened and lightly browned, 5 minutes.
5. Return the brisket to the pot and spoon half the vegetables in the pot on top. Add the wine, bay leaves, and enough stock to barely cover the brisket. Cover the pot (if using a roasting pan, cover it tightly with aluminum foil), place it in the oven, and braise until semi-tender, 1 1/2hours.
6. Remove the pot from the oven or and transfer the brisket to a welled cutting board; set the pot aside. Using a sharp knife or electric knife, thinly slice the brisket across the grain. Stir half of the carrot chunks, apricots, prunes, and raisins into the juices in the pot. Using a spatula, neatly lay the sliced brisket on top. Pour in any juices from the cutting board and arrange the remaining carrot chunks and dried fruits on top. Season with salt and pepper. Add additional stock as needed just to cover the meat and fruit.
7. Put the lid on the pot and return it to the oven. Continue braising the brisket until the meat is tender enough to cut with a fork, another 1 to 1 ½ hours, or as needed. If there’s too much cooking liquid (the brisket should be moist, not soupy), uncover the pot for the last half hour to allow some of the juices to evaporate.
8. Transfer the brisket slices to a platter. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fruits and vegetables to the platter and arrange them around the meat.
Pour the pan juices into a gravy boat with a fat separator. (If you don’t have one of these, pour the gravy into a bowl or measuring cup and skim the fat off the top with a soup spoon.) Spoon some of the gravy over the meat and fruit, serving the rest on the side. Sprinkle the remaining 1 tablespoon of parsley over the meat and get ready for Jewish holiday awesomeness.
Note: Sometimes, Aunt Annette would add a peeled, seeded, sliced lemon to her brisket to offset the sweetness of the dried fruit. It’s a nice touch.