Braised Beef Brisket with Tsimmes

by Beth Lee · Published: Dec 22, 2022

This braised beef brisket recipe has become one of our favorites for Rosh Hashanah or anytime. Not a drop of meat, dried fruit, carrots or yams in the tangy gravy are ever left when we serve this brisket dish! (first published April 2012)

You might also enjoy my other brisket recipes.

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Braised beef brisket in a bowl with a slice of challah on the side.

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When I first took over the brisket-making from my mom, I always made her Jewish brisket recipe. But then I became daring. I saw a recipe that used sherry vinegar in the braising liquid and used a tsimmes-style collection of vegetables and fruit in the recipe. I was intrigued.

And I noticed that it was eaten up as fast from the buffet as my mom's recipe. So it is now in my regular brisket rotation.

Why you'll love this recipe

This brisket recipe is just a little bit off the beaten path, if you will. In some ways, so much the same as many Jewish-style brisket recipes with a sweet and sour overtone. But somehow the tanginess of the sherry vinegar combined with the beef stock and red wine taste just a bit more elevated to me.

And the richness of the added dried fruits, carrots and yams, or tsimmes, is just another layer of wonderful.

Tzimmes or tsimmes, if you are not familiar, is a meat or meatless dish that combines dried fruits, carrots, and sweet potatoes to create a sweet and savory side dish or main course. There are so many variations - every Jewish family must have their version. In fact, the original recipe for this brisket said the ingredients were only a guideline - feel free to change it as you like.

The end result is so much deliciousness in one pan that all you need to add is a fresh green salad and you are all set.

Ingredients you'll need

As with any braised beef brisket, you need to build a braising liquid and of course get a piece of meat and whatever add-ins you are planning to include!

Ingredient shot for tsimmes brisket showing the meat, liquids and vegetables.

Brisket: Most meat departments will sell the first cut of brisket which is very lean with a layer of fat on one side. Sometimes, like the giant Costco brisket, the second cut or deckle, is also included. This piece will be on top of the lean first cut. It is harder to wrangle but quite delicious because of the marbling.
Beef stock: Of course homemade beef stock would be great but I keep this Savory Choice beef stock around for just this recipe or anytime I quickly need a cup or two of beef broth. Better than Bouillon is another option to keep on hand.
Red wine: I use what's already open - a cabernet, a pinot, a red zinfandel would all be fine.
Sherry vinegar: Most stores will carry this type of vinegar but if you can't find it, substitute white wine vinegar, rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
Dried fruit: I use what I have but usually a combination of prunes, dried cherries and apricots.
Sweet potatoes or yams: Sweet potatoes or yams is the traditional approach but try something different if you want - regular potatoes or even another root vegetable.

How to make this recipe

This recipe is a traditional braised beef brisket where I start the meat searing on the stovetop, add the braising liquid and then move it to the oven. Let's go through the details.

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. Using a large roasting pan, straddle it over two burners on the stove and begin to brown the onions.

Onions browning in a large roasting pan on the stove top.

3. While the onions are browning, season the brisket on both sides with salt and pepper. When the onions are nearly ready, I move them aside and place the brisket in the pan to brown.

Brisket placed in large roasting pan with the onions pushed to the side.

4. If the brisket is sticking to the pan, don't worry, when it gets a good sear on it, it will release. Turn it over and let the second side brown.

Brisket turned over so seared side shows on top.

5. Meanwhile, prepare your braising liquid by combining the wine, stock and sherry vinegar. When the brisket is seared on both sides, turn off the heat and add the braising liquid.

Pouring braising liquid over braised beef brisket before putting in the oven.

6. Cover the roasting pan with heavy duty aluminum foil or it's own cover if it has one. Place in the oven to cook for two hours.

Braised beef brisket covered in the oven.

7. While it's cooking, you can prepare the carrots, potatoes and dried fruit. At two hours, remove the pan carefully from the oven and place on a protected surface.

Partially-cooked brisket on the counter ready to slice.

8. Although the meat is not done cooking, this is when I slice the meat -- a tip from my mom! Be very careful to slice across the grain, not with the grain.

Brisket on a cutting board in the process of being sliced.

9. Place the sliced meat back in the pan and add the carrots, potatoes and dried fruit. I used to add the carrots first but let's keep it simple. Make the carrot pieces a bit smaller than the potatoes so they cook at about the same time. I continue to learn every time I cook!

Vegetables and dried fruit added to braised beef brisket and ready to go back in the oven.

10. Continue to cook covered for at least one more hour. Usually when the vegetables are fork tender, the meat will also be done. If this is not the case at one hour, cook longer checking every half hour or so.

Braised beef brisket with tsimmes done cooking but still in the pan.

11. Serve immediately or if you've made it ahead by a day or two, cover and place in the refrigerator. When you are ready to serve, you can remove the fat that has congealed on the top, reheat the whole thing and then plate it as you like. It is already sliced so it's easy peasy!

Braised brisket with tsimmes in a serving bowl with a slice of challah on the side.

Expert Tips and Recipe FAQs

As noted above, cut your vegetables up so they will cook at a similar rate. Carrots usually take longer than potatoes so I slice the carrots smaller.
While I love the deckel (second cut) of the brisket, the easiest cut to manage is the first cut. When you slice it, you can easily see the grain to cut it properly. So be kind to yourself if you are new to brisket-making and try a first cut brisket ... first!
No beef broth? No problem - you can certainly try chicken stock - I think the original recipe called for it. But I do love the richness of the beef stock-based braising liquid.

Can I make braised beef brisket ahead and freeze it?

Yes you can absolutely make brisket ahead of time and refrigerate or freeze. Brisket actually tastes even better the second or third day. So almost always, I make it ahead of time and refrigerate.

But I have also made it a week or two ahead, and packaged it up in an airtight container and frozen it. Brisket is an idea dish to make ahead and to freeze up to 3 months.

The brisket at the meat counter is really expensive. What other cut can I use instead?

One option is to use chuck roast. This cut is easy to find and is usually cheaper than brisket. It's a good cut to braise. It's not as much of a slicing cut of meat but you can separate it into small serving chunks to serve.

Or, consider buying your brisket at Costco, if you are not looking for a kosher piece of meat. It is generally less expensive by a significant percentage. You will have to spend some time trimming the fat, but you will end up with some beautiful first and second cut pieces of brisket.

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Braised Beef Brisket with Tsimmes

Beth Lee

This braised beef brisket recipe has become another favorite choice for our Jewish holiday gatherings. Not a drop of the meat or dried fruit, carrots, yams and tangy gravy are ever left on the buffet! (Adapted from a Gourmet recipe by Karen Stabiner, April 2005)

4.50 from 10 votes

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Prep Time 1

Cook Time 3

Total Time 4

Course Main Course

Cuisine Jewish Holiday Cooking

Servings servings

Calories 590 kcal

Ingredients

6-7 pounds first-cut brisket
2 medium onions
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup red wine
3 ½ cups beef stock
¾ cup Sherry vinegar - an interesting ingredient that adds richness and a little tang to the resulting gravy
2 lb carrots peeled and cut crosswise into 1-inch-long pieces
4 medium sweet potatoes or yams peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
2 ¾ cups dried pitted prunes dried apricots, and dried cherries (or whatever dried fruit you like or have in the house)

Instructions

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.
Slice onions across in thin slices (no need to chop), add the oil to your large roasting pan, straddled across two burners and heat to medium heat. Add onions and brown, moving them around to get a little color all over.
While onions are getting some color (about 3 - 5 minutes), rub brisket all over with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Push the onions to the edges of your pan, turn heat up to medium to medium high and place the brisket fat side down into the pan. Brown on both sides, about 5 minutes per side.
While the brisket is browning, combine the wine, stock and vinegar to become the braising liquid.
Remove the pan from heat, pour the braising liquid over the brisket and onions. Cover pan tightly with heavy-duty foil and braise brisket in oven 2 hours.
Remove the pan from the oven carefully and placed on a protected counter. At this point, remove the meat to a cutting board and slice it across the grain. Add the sliced meat back into the pan along with the dried fruit, carrots and potatoes. Sprinkle the rest of the salt and pepper over the meat and vegetables. Cook for about one more hour, covered. Check and if meat and vegetables feel fork tender, it's done. If not, cook in half hour increments until it is.
If not eating immediately, refrigerate covered for up to two days or freeze.
To reheat, put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Discard as much fat as possible from surface of vegetables and sauce, then cover with foil, place in oven until heated through, about 40 minutes. Check the sauce for seasoning and add any salt and pepper as needed once it is warm.
If the oven is not available and your meat is in a pan that is stove-top safe, you can reheat on medium low on the stove-top.

Notes

As noted above, cut your vegetables up so they will cook at a similar rate. Carrots usually take longer than potatoes so I slice the carrots smaller.
While I love the deckel (second cut) of the brisket, the easiest cut to manage is the first cut. When you slice it, you can easily see the grain to cut it properly. So be kind to yourself if you are new to brisket-making and try a first cut brisket ... first!
No beef broth? No problem - you can certainly try chicken stock - I think the original recipe called for it. But I do love the richness of the beef stock-based braising liquid.

Nutrition

Calories: 590kcalCarbohydrates: 45gProtein: 51gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 142mgSodium: 696mgPotassium: 1546mgFiber: 6gSugar: 22gVitamin A: 19090IUVitamin C: 7.3mgCalcium: 74mgIron: 5.5mg

Keyword braising, Brisket, tsimmes

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