Pam's Mom's Brisket
(From The Complete Meat Cookbook By Bruce Aidells and Denis Kelly)
Serves 6 to 8 with leftovers
- 1 package dried onion soup mix
- 3 onions, thinly sliced
- 2 celery ribs, chopped
- 1 cup bottled chili sauce
- 1 bottle lager beer
- ½ cup water
- 1 - 4 to 5-pound piece of beef brisket , or 6 pounds beef short ribs, trimmed of most external fat
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Water or beef stock if necessary
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- Combine the ingredients in a large Dutch oven with a lid or a covered casserole. Put the meat in and spoon some of the sauce on top.
- Cover the pot and bake in the center of the oven for 2 ½ to 4 hours. Check the meat after 2 ½ hours to see if it's fork tender. If not, cook until done.
- Ideally, you should refrigerate the meat and sauce overnight, remove the congealed fat, then slice and reheat the meat in the sauce. Or you can degrease the sauce, taste for salt and pepper, slice the meat and serve it on the sauce immediately. If the sauce seems too thick, dilute it with a little water or stock.
Tips: When buying a dutch oven, remember to look for ones that have a good weight to them, and a tight-fitting lid.
