Easy baked beef brisket

THIS apple-and-onion-smothered beef brisket is not only easy and very fast to prepare but is also delicious. Cooking it low and slow often results in dried-out meat, so, instead, we dial up the temperature slightly and bake it in about half the time to ensure it is both tender and moist.

Ingredients

1,36kg first-cut or flat-cut brisket, trimmed of fat;

Four teaspoons kosher salt;

Two teaspoons freshly ground black pepper;

Half teaspoon cayenne pepper;

For the braising liquid:

Two tablespoons butter; one large yellow onion, sliced; one teaspoon kosher salt; four cloves garlic, sliced; one tablespoon minced fresh rosemary and one cup apple juice.

Directions

1. Season both sides of the brisket generously with salt, pepper and cayenne. For best results, place brisket over an aluminium foil “rack” set over a plate and refrigerate, uncovered, eight to 12 hours.
2. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and salt. Cook and stir until translucent, about five minutes. Stir in garlic, rosemary and apple juice. Increase heat to high and boil until liquid is reduced by about half, about three minutes.
3. Transfer half of the apple-onion mixture into a baking dish. Place brisket, fat side up, on top; cover with remaining apple-onion mixture. Cover baking dish tightly with foil.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for one hour 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 250 degrees F (121 degrees C) and bake until fork-tender, about two hours 15 minutes. Check for doneness after two hours. Transfer brisket to a plate and tent with foil.
5. Pour the onions and braising liquid into a large measuring cup or bowl. Skim some fat off the top. Puree with a stick blender to create a gravy.
6. Slice brisket across the grain and serve with the gravy. – allrecipes