Slow Cooker Sweet & Savory Brisket

 

So, here’s what happened:  It was late morning, and I suddenly realized that I hadn’t defrosted the brisket for the big Rosh Hashana meal that evening. Panic set in! I took the brisket out of the freezer – a rock-hard frozen slab o’ meat – and throwing caution to the wind, put it in my 6-quart slow cooker and started adding things.  Seven hours later, the result was a beautifully cut-it-with-a-fork-tender, and flavorful brisket, worthy of my New Year’s table.

In case you don’t believe me, this is how it started out:

It just doesn’t get any more frozen that that.

Was it a fluke? Could I duplicate it? So, I did it again. And again. And I sweetened it up with a little Freakin’ Flamingo jam, and cooked it in a base of equal parts vegetable broth and kosher sweet wine, along with the vegetables, and it came out delicious every single time. I even served it for the Yom Kippur pre-fast meal.

No thawing, no searing, and no heating up the kitchen by running the oven for hours. And, yes, it even works if you use an unfrozen brisket. Now, I’m ready to share it with you!

Slow Cooker Sweet & Savory Brisket

Ingredients:

• 1 Beef Brisket, 2-3 lbs
• 2 cups kosher sweet wine
• 3-4 Tbs. Freakin’ Flamingo Jam (blueberry or cranberry flavors work best)
• 2 cups beef or vegetable broth
• 1 large onion, peeled and quartered
• 3 large cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
• 2-3 tsp. table salt (go by how salty your broth is)
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

Place the brisket in the bottom of the slow cooker, fatty side up. Add the vegetables, then the jam, liquids, and seasonings.

Start the cooker on the high setting for one hour. Turn to low and cook for an additional 5 hours. Open the cooker and lift the brisket until you can rest it on top of the vegetables. Cover and allow to cook for one additional hour.

Allow the meat to rest for about 10 minutes, slice thinly across the grain, moisten with a little bit of the cooking liquid, and serve. A nice potato kugel or some latkes (potato pancakes) would go really well as a side dish.

How’s that for a succulent meal – for a holiday or that holiday feeling – without the work, the stress, and the mess? Of course, if you’d like to make it the traditional way, I’ve got you covered there, too.  Chag Sameach! (Happy Holiday!)