Roasted Beef Brisket

Ingredients

4 large garlic cloves, smashed

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning

4 sprigs fresh rosemary, needles striped from the stem and chopped

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 (4 pound) beef brisket, first-cut

Coarsely ground black pepper

4 large carrots, cut in 3- inch chunks

3 celery stalks, cut in 3- inch chunks

4 large red onions, halved

2 cups dry red wine

1 can (16- ounce) whole tomatoes, hand-crushed

1 handful fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

3 bay leaves

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (optional)

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

On a cutting board, mash the garlic and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt together with the flat-side of a knife into a paste. Add the rosemary and continue to mash until incorporated. Put the garlic-rosemary paste in a small bowl and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil; stir to combine.

Season both sides of the brisket with a fair amount of kosher salt and ground black pepper. Place a large roasting pan or Dutch oven over medium-high flame and coat with the remaining olive oil. Put the brisket in the roasting pan and sear to form a nice brown crust on both sides. Lay the vegetables all around the brisket and pour the rosemary paste over the whole thing. Add the wine and tomatoes; toss in the parsley and bay leaves. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and transfer to the oven. Bake for about 3 to 4 hours, basting every 30 minutes with the pan juices, until the beef is fork tender.

Remove the brisket to a cutting board and let it rest for 15 minutes. Scoop the vegetables out of the roasting pan and onto a platter, cover to keep warm. Pour out some of the excess fat, and put the roasting pan with the pan juices on the stove over medium-high heat. Boil and stir for 5 minutes until the sauce is reduced by 1/2. (If you want a thicker sauce, mix 1 tablespoon of flour with 2 tablespoons of wine or water and blend into the gravy).

Slice the brisket across the grain at a slight diagonal. Serve with potato pancakes.