Not only is this apple and onion smothered beef brisket easy and delicious, it's also very fast (for a brisket recipe)! Cooking it low and slow often results in dried-out meat, so instead we dial up the temperature slightly and bake it in about half the time to ensure it's both tender and moist.
Ingredients
- first-cut brisket (or flat-cut), trimmed of fat: 3 pound
- kosher salt: 4 tsp
- black pepper: 2 tsp (freshly ground)
- cayenne pepper: 0.5 tsp
- butter: 2 Tbsp
- yellow onion: 1 piece (sliced)
- kosher salt: 1 tsp
- garlic: 4 clove (sliced)
- fresh rosemary: 1 Tbsp (minced)
- apple juice: 1 cup
Metric Conversion
Stages of cooking
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Season both sides of the brisket generously with salt, pepper, and cayenne. For best results, place brisket over an aluminum foil "rack" set over a plate and refrigerate, uncovered, 8 to 12 hours. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
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Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
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Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and salt. Cook and stir until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, rosemary, and apple juice. Increase heat to high and boil until liquid is reduced by about half, about 3 minutes. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
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Transfer half of the apple-onion mixture into a baking dish. Place brisket fat-side up on top; cover with remaining apple-onion mixture. Cover baking dish tightly with foil. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
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Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 250 degrees F (121 degrees C) and bake until fork-tender, about 2 hours 15 minutes. Check for doneness after 2 hours. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
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Transfer brisket to a plate and tent with foil.
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Pour the onions and braising liquid into a large measuring cup or bowl. Skim some fat off the top. Puree with a stick blender to create a gravy. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
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Slice brisket across the grain and serve with the gravy. DOTDASH MEREDITH FOOD STUDIOS
