By: deb

Is there any other food I make quite as much as brisket? Maybe not. Every year since Smitten Kitchen has existed, I’ve shared a new version. My first was a classic brisket with onions, which, as a younger cook, I found kind of intimidating but still wanted to try. The next year, a honey-garlic brisket, then a braised brisket with apricot and star anise. At some point, I decided that the way I was developing brisket recipes was really more about the braising liquid, and started referring to my recipes as brisket braises.

There was a new and improved classic, then a cranberry braised brisket. The next year, I decided to simplify it with a tomato-braised brisket with parsnips and carrots. Then a red wine braised brisket with prunes and fennel. At some point, I started wondering if I was doing too many brisket recipes, but people seemed to love them so I pressed on. After all, if something is good, why make it less good?

There was sweet and sour brisket, redux. Then a red wine braised brisket with onions, carrots, and leeks, which remains a huge favorite. My brisket sandwich with carrot and daikon pickle was a wild departure but also a total joy. My smoked paprika brisket with sweet potatoes was the first one I made with an instant pot. And my sweet and sour brisket, triple redux (a mashup of my honey-garlic, apricot and original sweet-and-sour) was one of my favorites yet.

Last year, I got the idea to make it with tots and kimchi, which may sound like an extremely wild pairing, but ended up being a fantastic dinner. However, I got some feedback that not everyone could get brisket at that time of year, and some of you don’t have slow cookers, and I didn’t think enough people were able to make it to fully appreciate it. So, I vowed to go back to basics, and to release my new brisket recipe earlier than the very end of March. I’m pleased to say that I’ve done both, and I hope this finds you safe and healthy wherever you are.

This brisket recipe, as promised, is extremely simple. What I mean is, you don’t need to brown the brisket. You don’t need to cook it covered for a few hours, and then uncovered for more. You don’t need to trim it. You don’t need to buy any obscure ingredients. The onions are cooked until they are sticky, soft and caramelized right in the brisket juices. No browning the brisket means less active time. No special steps means more foolproof cooking. This is a brisket that anyone, regardless of their experience level, can make, and that will make their kitchen smell heavenly for the entire day.

Of course, this means that you should plan to make this brisket a day or two in advance. Chilling it makes it easy to skim the fat and slice it thinly and neatly, both of which are critical for the best brisket. Reheating it gently in its sauce is also key. So, while this brisket is simple to make, it’s not exactly a weeknight dinner. But I can promise you it’s worth the advance planning.

Simplest Brisket with Braised Onions
Yields 8 to 10 servings