Key to a Great Brisket: Onion Soup Mix

As Chanukah is upon us, I am craving my mom's brisket.  Here is a great and easy recipe to create a hearty meal when you have company.  Or just to enjoy on a cold or rainy night. 

And the trick to this great dish, is finding the perfect onion soup mix.  As luck would have it, a kosher brand, Osem, available mostly during Passover, is gluten-free and delicious!!  It is also available to buy on Amazon.

Simply take your brisket and season with salt and pepper on both sides, then place the fat side down into a roasting pan.  Add about 1-2 cups of water and/or beef broth to the pan.  I used Herb Ox beef boullion (also gluten-free).   Add the dry onion soup mix on top of the brisket but don't put too much on as it is quite salty.

I also added some cut potatoes into the pan and added the onion soup mix on top of those as well.  Make sure your potatoes are all the same size and don't overcrowd the pan.

Place in the oven at 350 degrees.  Keep checking every 30 - 45 minutes to make sure the water doesn't cook off.  You should make sure there is always enough water in the pan.  It should cook about 3 hours.  If it looks like the brisket is getting burnt on top, cover with foil for the last hour or so.  There is also a simple recipe on cooks.com that calls for the brisket to be wrapped in foil.

When removing the pan from the oven, let the brisket sit for about 15 minutes on a cutting board and tent with foil to let the juices redistribute into the meat.  You can pair this dish with spinach, broccoli or any green vegetable to round out a great meal.