{"id":2548,"date":"2026-03-27T01:50:48","date_gmt":"2026-03-27T01:50:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cupcakerecipe.net\/?p=2548"},"modified":"2026-03-27T01:50:48","modified_gmt":"2026-03-27T01:50:48","slug":"by-lisa-mayhew-buchwalter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cupcakerecipe.net\/?p=2548","title":{"rendered":"By: Lisa Mayhew Buchwalter"},"content":{"rendered":"
Nach Waxman’s original recipe had you taking out the meat at 1.5 hours, slicing it, and then cooking again for a few hours. No need to do that in this recipe? Do you think that would be good to do anyway?<\/p>\n
version ai :<\/p>\n\n
Simplest Brisket with Braised Onions<\/h1>\n
I know it\u2019s just getting warm, but I promise: this is a brisket recipe for all seasons. Actually, I always think of brisket as a late fall or winter recipe because it braises for hours and just makes the entire house smell like pure comfort. But given that this is brisket for people who think they don\u2019t like brisket, and people who\u2019ve always been a little afraid of brisket, and (gasp) even a recipe for making it ahead and reheating it, a trick that always sounds promising but rarely delivers, I figured it was important to be able to talk about it outside of the season we associate it with. Because you\u2019re going to want to make it. Soon. It\u2019s that good.<\/p>\n
What makes it the simplest? Oh, let me count the ways:<\/p>\n
\n
Just two main ingredients (brisket, onions)<\/li>\n
No searing (a favorite step for many people, but skips the whole splattery mess of searing a six-pound piece of meat)<\/li>\n
No marinating<\/li>\n
No special pan needed (any lidded pot or dutch oven will do)<\/li>\n
Hands-off braise (stick it in the oven for a few hours and come back to something delicious)<\/li>\n
Fewer components in the braising liquid<\/li>\n
Almost no fat to trim off<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Plus, as I mentioned, it truly is wonderful when made ahead. As in, it might even be better<\/i> the next day, which makes it an ideal candidate for entertaining. And this particular trick of braising it a day or two in advance, chilling it completely, slicing it when cold, and then reheating it gently in its own juices? This keeps it impossibly moist, almost as if it\u2019s been braising continuously. It is, to put it simply, a revelation. You\u2019ll be ruined for brisket any other way.<\/p>\n
But how does it taste? It tastes, to me, like the perfect balance of salty, peppery, sweet, savory, and tangy. There\u2019s a rich dark mahogany gloss that just screams \u201ceat me,\u201d and it delivers, especially when paired with plenty of the dark, sticky, almost-jammy onions it\u2019s braised in. The meat is meltingly tender, but not falling apart, because that\u2019s not what we\u2019re going for here. It\u2019s got body, but barely needs a knife to cut it. It really is my idea of brisket perfection, and I hope it will be yours too.<\/p>\n\n The brisket, the onions, the gravy. It’s all working.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Brisket for Beginners<\/h2>\n
Brisket is a cut of beef from the lower chest or pectoral area. It\u2019s very tough, full of connective tissue, and requires low, slow cooking to become tender. You\u2019ll typically find two cuts of brisket at the butcher or grocery store:<\/p>\n
\n
The flat cut:<\/b> This is the leaner cut, rectangular and flat (hence the name). It\u2019s what I prefer for this recipe. Because it\u2019s leaner, it\u2019s also easier to dry out, so cooking it in a moist environment and slicing it when cold are two key steps for keeping it juicy.<\/li>\n
The point cut:<\/b> Also known as the deckle, this is the thicker, fattier, more marbled cut. It\u2019s harder to find separately, and not as ideal for slicing because of its inconsistent shape and fat marbling. If you\u2019re buying a whole packer brisket, you\u2019re getting both. But here, the flat cut is preferred.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
I find a 3 to 4 pound flat cut of brisket ideal for this recipe, though I\u2019ve also made it with a 5 or 6 pound piece with no major changes to the recipe besides adding a half hour or hour to the braising time. Anything larger would ideally go into a larger quantity of braising liquid in a larger pot, or into a roasting pan. Remember, you want to mostly cover the brisket with the braising liquid.<\/p>\n
How much meat is this? This recipe feeds 6 with leftovers or 8 without. Since it reheats so well, I usually make the full amount for our little family of four so we get several meals from it.<\/p>\n\n The onions, before and after a little braise.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
The Braised Onions<\/h2>\n
What about those braised onions? They are a full half of the magic here. You\u2019re going to use a lot of them \u2014 at least 4 pounds. Any combination of yellow, red, or sweet onions will work. You\u2019ll want to slice them thinly (I just do this by hand, but if you have a mandoline, you\u2019re welcome to use it).<\/p>\n
They\u2019re briefly cooked on the stove-top to soften them and get them going before the brisket goes in, and they cook down and sweeten and eventually become something of an intensely-flavored jam. They are excellent alongside the brisket, and I wouldn\u2019t recommend omitting them.<\/p>\n
I hope you try this. I\u2019d love to hear how it works out.<\/p>\n
![\"simplest](\"https:\/\/smittenkitchen.com\/images\/brisket-braised-onions-smitten-kitchen-2-1200x800.jpg\")
![\"brisket](\"https:\/\/smittenkitchen.com\/images\/brisket-braised-onions-smitten-kitchen-3-1200x800.jpg\")