POT-ROASTED BRISKET

Pot-Roasted Brisket image

Provided by Martha Stewart

Number Of Ingredients 8

2 very large cloves garlic
Coarse salt
1 whole brisket (8 to 10 pounds, both second and first cuts)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 pounds onions, halved and sliced
3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
2 large outer ribs celery, sliced crosswise 1/4-inch-thick
4 small bay leaves

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Crush garlic cloves with salt and rub onto both sides of the meat. Season meat with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and pepper.
Spread onions, carrots, and celery over the bottom of a roasting pan just large enough to hold the meat; top with 2 bay leaves. Place meat on top of vegetables and bay leaves and top with remaining 2 bay leaves. Cover pan with parchment-paper-lined aluminum foil and transfer to oven. Bake until meat is fork tender, 3 to 4 hours.
Remove meat from oven and let stand 30 to 45 minutes. Cut the top fatty layer (known as the second cut) from the leaner bottom layer (known as the first cut); trim off and discard the layer of fat between them. Slice both cuts across the grain.
Tip the roasting pan slightly; skim off some of the fat and discard. Serve vegetables and their juices immediately with meat. To make a thicker sauce, puree vegetables and their juices slightly before serving.