Last spring when Dan and I were in Boston for a conference, we had dinner with a friend who I hadn’t seen in years. She talked about using my mom’s brisket recipe, and my response was “Huh?” I didn’t remember a special recipe, but Dawn was kind enough to send me the original in my mom’s handwriting.

I finally tried it this weekend. I couldn’t find a less-than-massive brisket, so I used a chuck roast. Oh, my gosh — it was fabulous! Here are the directions.

DAY BEFORE

Remove fat from a 4-1/2 pound roast.  Put into gallon zip-lock.

Combine 1 tablespoon of minced garlic, 1 tablespoon sal, 2. teaspoon paprika, 1/2 tsp. pepper, and 1 teaspoon ginger. Rub this mixture all over the roast. Set in refrigerator overnight.

DAY OF

Add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil into a large Dutch oven (I used an enormous and very heavy cast iron pot). Heat oil and brown the meat well.

Remove the beef from the pot and cook 3-1/2 cups of chopped onion in the pan until the onion is translucent.

Stir in 1 bay leaf, 2 sprigs of thyme (or 1 teaspoon of dried thyme) and 1 cup of chicken broth. Bring to a boil and scrape the pan to incorporate pan juices. Add the beef back to the pot, cover with heavy duty foil and the pan’s lid so it’s tightly sealed. Place in a 325 degree oven and bake for two hours.

After the beef has been baking for two hours, add 1-1/2 pounds small red potatoes and one pound of baby carrots, both chopped into approximately 1-inch pieces. Add the veggies to the pot, cover, and bake for another 45 minutes to an hour. It is ready when the vegetables are tender.

I wanted gravy, so I removed the beef, potatoes, and carrots and returned the pot to the stovetop. Add 1 small can of beef broth with a slurry of 3 tablespoons of cornstarch mixed with a little water. Stir and bring to a boil. When thickened, move from heat and serve with beef and vegetables.

DAY 3

If you have enought leftovers, they make a great meat pie! Buy two pie crusts from the refrigerator case. Cut up the beef into bite-sized pieces. Warm all the leftovers in a pot on top of the stove. I added some frozen corn, and I would have added frozen peas if we’d had any.

Put one crust in a pie pan, add leftovers, and top with the other pie crust. Bake at 375 degrees until well-browned (about 40 minutes).

Delicious. I guarantee you’ll like it too!