Yes, this recipe took me about 20 years to perfect. This has always been a favorite of mine, but it simply never came out of the oven like my Mother's did. I actually called her about 7 times one day to make sure I was doing all correctly, but 4 hours went by and it was still very tough. Then a friend moved in, and I wanted to impress him, so I put it all together like Mom told me too; but I decreased the temperature to 320° F ( she cooked it at 325° F) and simply allowed it to roast until it easily pulled apart with a fork and was as tender as I remembered. My Mother, who lived in Philadelphia, said that she cooks it for 3.5 hours, but at 8000 feet above sea level, I allowed it to cook for almost 5 hours. This was well worth the wait, for not only did it taste fantastic, but has been requested over and over again by friends and customers.

Preheat the oven to 320° F

1 fresh brisket of beef, ( About 4-5 pounds)
3-4 large carrots cut into 1--2 inch pieces
1-2 celery stalks, cut into 1--2 inch pieces (optional, I added this, Mom did not use)
1 medium to large onion, thinly sliced
3-4 garlic cloves, diced or 2 tablespoons minced garlic
1-2 teaspoons Worchester Sauce
2 pinches of paprika, more if you like
Warm water
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Butter or use pan spray and coat a large roasting pan.
2. Place beef into pan with the fat side up. Then smear with the spices and Worchester sauce. And
3. Pour enough warm water over the beef so that it comes about 3/4 up the sides of the beef; then add the carrots, celery and onion slices.
4. Roast without covering, basting at least every half hour or so for approximately 4-5 hours, or until brown, tender and easily pulls apart with a fork. If necessary, add a little bit more water during the cooking process, so that there is always liquid at least half way up the sides of the beef. You may need to add 1 or more cups of extra liquid twice, once after the first 2 hours and again after 3.5 hours.
5. Slice the beef on the diagonal and against the grain.
6. Best served with mashed potatoes, peas and vegetables cooked in.

GRAVY
Serve as is with the juice as gravy, reserve left over juice for beef stock or make a thicker gravy by: Skimming off the fat from the juice/drippings ( about 3 tablespoons) and placing them into a skillet.
Add
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
3-4 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon minced garlic
6 cups of juice

1. Heat ingredients over medium low heat.
2. Consistently whisk mixture until all ingredients are incorporated and thick or it reaches the your desired consistency. Serve hot over the sliced beef.

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This recipe is from Randi's latest book:

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