Susan's Braised Brisket

 

5.25-5 1/2 pound point-cut brisket. 

1/3 bottle Ménage à Trois red blend wine

1 envelope Lipton Onion Soup Mix

3 tablespoons better than bullion (low sodium) beef paste and Hot water per prep instructions

1 1/2 tablespoons Kitchen Bouquet

1 1/2 tablespoons Lee Kum Kee Dark Soy

1 1/2 tablespoons Lee Kum Kee Light Soy

Pink Himalayan salt

Ground Black Pepper

Ground White Pepper

4 bay leaves

4 garlic cloves, smashed with the side of a cleaver and peeled

One White Onion, peeled and cut in half

This is what it looked like going into the oven 

Salt the roast generously the night before cooking on all sides, place in a Dutch oven, cover, and refrigerate overnight. Remove the roast from the oven about 30-40 minutes before searing. In a neutral oil like grapeseed, sear the roast on all sides, then return it to the Dutch oven fat cap side up (after washing the Dutch oven). Sprinkle the dry Lipton soup mix on either side of the roast.  Saute the onion halves and garlic, taking care not to burn, then transfer to the Dutch oven with the roast. Deglaze pan with red wine, adding beef paste, soy sauces, Kitchen Bouquet, and hot water. Once the paste dissolves into the liquid and it is steaming, pour it into the Dutch oven, but to the side, not over the roast. Now salt and pepper the roast fat cap. Throw in bay leaves and cover. Preheat oven to 450-75. Start roast for the first 20 minutes at that temp, turn down to 225, roast for 8 hours, turning roast over in the braising liquid after 4 hours. Recover and return to the oven. Do not open the oven or uncover it at all except for the one time you turn it. Remove roast at 197200 internal temp. The thermometer should go in like a hot knife into butter; the roast should be all jiggly. Remove roast to large sheets of foil, double of tripled, wrap tightly, and allow roast to rest on the counter for 1 1/2 hours before putting it to bed in the fridge. Strain the Au Jus and refrigerate overnight. The next night, slice the brisket about a quarter inch against the grain. Heat Au Jus in a large saucepan and lay slices of brisket a few at a time to reheat in the liquid; they heat up quick. Never, ever microwave the brisket to reheat, as it will become rubbery. Serve with buttery mashed potatoes, glazed carrots, or your choice of veggie. Get a good loaf of French or other artisan bread and heat it till crispy in an air fryer; serve with butter. 

If you have leftovers, heat the meat the same way, toast a French roll, dip in au jus, layer on brisket then provolone or Provel cheese, and dip the sandwich into the juice as you go... epic!