The Best Jewish Brisket
You’re going to love this recipe for classic brisket! When I think summer, I think barbeque. Don’t you? The waft of burgers and hot dogs from the grill, lounging with amigos over a pitcher of Manischewitz Sangria. Perhaps a bit of frolicking in the pool. What could be better? I’ll tell you. Get your tuchas back in the kitchen and whip up some of Bubbe’s Famous Brisket. Now in Texas, brisket is BBQ king. But in Bubbe’s kitchen, this sweet and tangy meaty goodness rules. It will make you totally forget about those ghastly unkosher dogs, plus it will save you from an inevitable sunburn. (Assuming you all are as white as I am. Sigh.)
What Is Jewish Brisket?
Brisket is a large, tough cut of beef from the breast of the cow, and Jewish brisket is the Ashkenazi tradition of braising it low and slow until it turns meltingly tender. Unlike Texas barbecue brisket, this version simmers in a sweet and tangy sauce until you can cut it with a fork. It’s a staple at holiday tables for Rosh Hashanah, Hanukkah, Passover and Shabbat dinners, and it feeds a crowd like a champ.
Why You’ll Love This Brisket
- Fork-tender and full of flavor, thanks to a low and slow braise.
- Even better the next day, which makes it the ultimate make-ahead holiday main.
- Feeds a crowd without keeping you chained to the stove.
- Sweet and tangy in the best old-school Bubbe way.
Here is all you need for your own AWESOME brisket. It’s so easy you will cry tears of joy.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Simple pantry ingredients turn a humble cut into something special (full amounts in the recipe card below):
- Beef brisket (first cut / flat is leaner, second cut is richer)
- Onions and garlic
- Ketchup or tomato for body
- Brown sugar for sweetness
- Vinegar for tang
- Broth and spices
And of course, the meat.
How to Make Brisket
When I purchased my brisket, the butcher beamed with pride as he handed it over. “You are going to love this,” he said. I had no doubt. Here is the short version (full recipe below):
- Brown the brisket in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it’s seared on all sides.
- Add the sauce ingredients and nestle the brisket in.
- Braise low and slow, covered, until fork-tender.
- Cool, then slice against the grain, and if you can, refrigerate overnight to deepen the flavors.
Tips for the Best Brisket
- Always slice against the grain. This is the number one trick for tender, non-stringy brisket.
- Low and slow wins. Rushing a brisket makes it tough. Give it time.
- Make it a day ahead. Chilling overnight deepens the flavor and makes it easier to slice neatly.
- Skim the fat off the cold sauce before reheating for a silkier gravy.
How to Store & Reheat Brisket
Store sliced brisket in its sauce in the fridge for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat it gently, covered, in the sauce so it stays moist. Brisket actually loves being made ahead, so it’s perfect for holidays when you want to cook once and relax later.
What to Serve with Brisket
Brisket wants cozy sides. Try it with noodle kugel, crispy latkes, roasted vegetables, or a big slice of challah to sop up the sauce. Leftovers make an incredible sandwich the next day.
Good lord. Slice, serve, and get ready for compliments. Hi!
Brisket FAQ
What cut of meat is brisket?
Brisket comes from the breast of the cow. It’s a tough, flavorful cut that becomes tender with long, slow cooking. The first cut (flat) is leaner and slices neatly, while the second cut (point) is fattier and richer.
Why is my brisket tough?
Almost always because it needs more time. Brisket is full of connective tissue that only breaks down with a long, low braise. If it’s tough, it usually just needs to cook longer, covered, until fork-tender.
Should you slice brisket against the grain?
Yes, always. Look at the direction the muscle fibers run and slice across them, not with them. This shortens the fibers and gives you tender, easy-to-eat slices.
Can you make brisket ahead of time?
Absolutely, and you should. Brisket tastes even better the next day. Cook it, chill it overnight, slice it cold, then reheat in the sauce. It’s the ultimate make-ahead holiday main.
Can you freeze brisket?
Yes. Freeze sliced brisket in its sauce for up to 3 months, then thaw in the fridge and reheat gently. The sauce keeps it moist.
What do you serve with brisket?
Classic pairings include kugel, latkes, roasted vegetables and challah. For holidays, round it out with a bright salad and something sweet for dessert.
Jewish Brisket
Ingredients
- 3-4 pounds beef brisket Get a fatty one
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil
- 2 large white onions large diced
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 2 cups ketchup kosher for Passover if making this for Passover
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
Instructions
- Heat a large Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat and add oil. Season brisket liberally with salt and brown brisket until all sides are browned, about 5-7 minutes per side.
- Remove the brisket, lower heat to medium and add in the onion. Saute for 5 minutes until they start to brown and soften, adding in more oil if needed. Then add in the garlic and saute for 1 minute. Then in water, white vinegar, ketchup, onions, garlic, and sugar. Stir to scrape up all the good bits stuck to the pan.
- Add the brisket back in. Bring to a boil, and then cover and lower to a simmer over low hea.
- Cook brisket until the sauce has thickened and the brisket is fork tender or about 3-4 hours.
- Once brisket cools, slice against the grain or you can also refrigerate and slice the next day before reheating. Serve with sauce.
45 Comments
OMG this looks delicious! And easy! Love your personality! which comes through in your posts.
I am probably whiter than you are-plus baking for the state fair which starts in August will keep me indoors even more!
Thanks, Gloria! Jew are too kind. Good luck with the state-fair baking! I hope your state fair has fried butter like in Texas!
YUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!! Love the photograph on the red background. What is that? Looks so awesome I can’t make my usual jokes!
Love ya,
Bubbie
Haha Bubbe- it is a glittery heart-shaped plate from Tar-jay. Love it!
[…] « Brisket […]
Only you could make brisket with ketchup look apetizing to a vegan. It is surely a gift 🙂
HAHA I swear I have some meat free recipes coming up!
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[…] You read that right. So for the next few weeks I’m going to cut back on my schmear and brisket. Sigh. But before I switched over to egg whites and broccoli, I had one last hoorah with this […]
[…] girl just needs the real stuff, you know? Mmm butter. However, when I have had my fill of brisket and rugelach (which does happen from time to time), I reach for this herby […]
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[…] were fantastic! I went home to CT and had a lovely time with the fam. We cooked a lot of course- my brisket was especially tasty- and we all made sure to have our obligatory four glasses of wine. All in all […]
[…] Bubbe! Jew are a natural on film! Here are some other gems from our Seder. I cooked up the brisket, amongst other dishes, and this is me checking to see if it’s done- it was! (Hint: you want […]
Amy!
All right, this recipe looked so awesome I went to the store the other day and bought a brisket. Okay, so maybe I got a whole side of beef. No, really, I got the smallest one they had, which was a little over 9 points because I’m having 15 people over. Anyway, so I got a question for you as I’m beginning my preparations (so it can infuse overnight, yum!), do I increase the cooking time because I have almost 3 times the amount of meat in the recipe?
And also, I’m assuming I triple all the ingredients, is that right? THANKS FOR YOUR QUICK RESPONSE!
Thanks, Devorah! You probably won’t need triple the sauce, probably double would work fine. But more can’t hurt so long as the brisket isn’t totally submerged in the sauce (otherwise it will boil.)
I haven’t cooked a brisket that large to be honest, but I would think it’s about an hour a pound. You could also have the butcher or you cut it into two smaller briskets. Either way I would check after 4 or 5 hours to see if it’s tender. Worst case, if you over cook it, it will fall apart. But be really tender and delicious! Let me know how it goes!
Thanks, Amy. I ended up cutting it into three large pieces and used three skillets to brown them. Then I put all the pieces in my big 17 quart roaster on top of all the other ingredients. I turned the pieces once every two hours. I think I ended up cooking it about 5 hours and it’s really tender. After it cooled, we put it in the fridge. Dad came down from Dallas and brought his electric carving knife he got a million years ago with S&H green stamps, are you even old enough to know what they are? I’ll report back, the house smells wonderful!
YES!!! That sounds great. Happy Passover!
Amy, the brisket was spectacular! All the under-40 crowd at the Seder went back for seconds! Dad waited to carve it until yesterday, after it sat overnight in the fridge because he said it was easier to carve when cold. And it was a masterpiece…paper thin slices. And the slightly sweet taste was an amazing complement to the other dishes. This one’s a keeper for sure. And we have a bit left over in case you want to drop by for a taste…
Great news, Devorah!!
[…] Add to anything! Brisket, Reuben sandwiches, latkes. Yum! […]
[…] Bubbe! Jew are a natural on film! Here are some other gems from our Seder. I cooked up the brisket, amongst other dishes, and this is me checking to see if it’s done- it was! (Hint: you want […]
[…] Brisket […]
[…] I started my Jewish food blog, and developed a love for making lox, brisket and bagels, my passion was baking. I made elaborately decorated cupcakes, chunky chocolate chip […]
[…] were fantastic! I went home to CT and had a lovely time with the fam. We cooked a lot of course- my brisket was especially tasty- and we all made sure to have our obligatory four glasses of wine. All in all […]
[…] They have a great range of products from pestos to artichokes to olives. Yum! I decided to take my brisket from last week and add in some homemade challah and a few other magical ingredients. OMG this […]
[…] Brisket […]
[…] Brisket […]
[…] You read that right. So for the next few weeks I’m going to cut back on my schmear and brisket. Sigh. But before I switched over to egg whites and broccoli, I had one last hoorah with this […]
i make my brisket the way my mother did . a glop of ketchup and liptons onion soup,spread over the seared meat,toss a few carrots in teh pan,a bit of water and cook til done.
Sounds good! I love that Lipton’s Soup mix.
Amy, could I use a london broil instead of the brisket? Everything I have read says they are two totally different cuts of beef, and that brisket is fattier and more flavorful. I have a london broil, though, so I was just wondering.
Hi Larry- yeah a London broil is leaner, so it won’t be quite as tasty but it should work! Let me know how it goes!
Changed my mind – I used the London broil cut to make a nice beef barley soup. I had some hulled or hull-less barley which is better than pearled barley, and I am having some delicious beef barley vegetable soup for lunch. I will procure a proper brisket for your dish. Soon! I will keep you in the loop.
Yum sounds delish!
[…] going to go ahead and declare this week to be brisket week on What Jew Wanna Eat. Any objections? Didn’t think so! So make sure to stop by tomorrow […]
[…] still in CT reveling in Seder leftovers (brisket and flourless chocolate cake, all day, every day) and letting my Bubbe take care of me. (She likes […]
Just what I was looking for.. well, almost. Im making this today with apple cider vinegar instead of white vinegar, with the tiniest brisket I’ve ever seen! There’s only two of us.
Awesome! Enjoy!
Do you have to wait overnight or can you eat it the same day??
You can eat the same day! But overnight is even better.
Your Classic Brisket looks delicious. I’ve been wanting to make it but I can’t because I’m allergic to vinegar. What would you suggest that I substitute for the 1 cup of vinegar?
You could try lemon juice. Can you have wine?
[…] the meals change constantly. For some families, they consume more traditional Jewish foods, such as sweet brisket and matzo ball soup, and others choose to eat a dairy spread composed of bagels, lox, tuna fish, […]
This brisket recipe sounds awesome! Can carrots and potatoes be added for the last hour of cooking?
Thanks! Sure!