Easy Baked Beef Brisket
Not only is this apple and onion smothered beef brisket easy and delicious, it's also very fast (for a brisket recipe)! 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's both tender and moist.
first-cut brisket (or flat-cut), trimmed of fat
3
pounds
kosher salt
4
teaspoons
freshly ground black pepper
2
teaspoons
cayenne pepper
½
teaspoon
butter
2
tablespoons
yellow onion, sliced
1
large
kosher salt
1
teaspoon
garlic, sliced
4
cloves
minced fresh rosemary
1
tablespoon
apple juice
1
cup
 Season both sides of the brisket generously with salt, pepper, and cayenne. For best results, place brisket over an aluminum foil "rack" set over a plate and refrigerate, uncovered, 8 to 12 hours.
  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 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, rosemary, and apple juice. Increase heat to high and boil until liquid is reduced by about half, about 3 minutes.
  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.
  Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 250 degrees F (121 degrees C) and bake until fork-tender, about 2 hours 15 minutes. Check for doneness after 2 hours.
  Transfer brisket to a plate and tent with foil.
  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.
  Slice brisket across the grain and serve with the gravy.
