At the Williamsville Market this fall, our friend Deb, the Market Manager — who, funny enough, is a vegetarian — shared with me her traditional Jewish mother’s brisket recipe. She said it’s been in her family for generations, and even though she doesn’t eat meat, she was kind enough to share it with us to try with our grass-fed brisket!
Oh dear… it was wonderful!
The key, she told me, is LOTS of onions. You cook them way down until they’re soft and golden and set them aside, then season your grass-fed brisket simply with salt, pepper, and a touch of paprika before browning it in the pan. Use broth to get every morsel out of the bottom of the pan the meat was braised in before putting the broth in the baking dish. Add the onions back in, pour in a bit of broth, cover it up, and roast it low and slow — 325° for about 2–3 hours — until it’s tender and the house smells like heaven.
Once it’s done, let it cool a bit before slicing thick pieces and spooning those caramelized onions right over the top.
That night, it fed four of us with roasted carrots and green beans on the side. The next night, I used the leftovers for beef stroganoff with shiitake mushrooms, and we still had enough for one more dinner for two.
I just love a meal that stretches through the week and somehow gets even better with each reheating. If you’ve never made brisket before, don’t overthink it — this recipe is simple, forgiving, and absolutely delicious.
**Ingredients**
– 1 Green Heron Growers grass-fed beef brisket (3–5 lbs)
– Salt and pepper
– Paprika
– 3-4 large onions, sliced
– A little oil or butter for browning
– 1 cup broth
**Instructions**
1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
2. In a large oven-safe pan, cook the onions low and slow until they’re soft and golden. Remove and set aside.
3. Season the grass-fed brisket generously with salt, pepper, and paprika. Brown both sides in the same pan until crispy, about 4 minutes per side at medium high heat and transfer to an oven safe baking dish.
4. Use broth to get every morsel out of the bottom of the pan the meat was braised in before putting the broth in the baking dish. Add onions, pour in broth, cover tightly, and place in the oven
5. Roast for 2 hours, until tender and fragrant.
6. Let cool slightly, slice thick, and spoon the onions over top before serving.
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This simple dish reminded me that good food doesn’t have to be complicated — it just takes patience, good ingredients, and a few friends willing to share their family secrets.
Thank you, Deb, for keeping this recipe alive — and for letting me bring it back to our Heron family!
Stay warm and happy cooking!