Here is my recipe for my caramelized brisket. It is an old family recipe
and never fails. You can use eithe a brisket or a top of the rib,
slightly leaner and cheaper, but the same kind of ropey grain. This time
I found it by Googling!

Wendy

Brisket, Caramelized (M, KLP, TNT)
Source: Celia C. Wisan to W. Baker
Serves: 6-12 depending on the size of the brisket
1 first cut brisket or top of the rib-3-7 lbs.
2-4 garlic cloves, peeled
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1-3 onions thinly sliced
3-4 fresh tomatoes (summer) or 4-5 canned plum tomatoes drained. Use juice
for another recipe. Do not use more tomatoes
1-3 bay leaves

At least one day before cooking, put slivers of garlic in slits all over
the brisket. Rub it well with freshly ground black pepper and optionally,
salt. Slice onions and arrange all over and under the roast. Marinate
covered in the fridge overnight.

Day of cooking: Preheat oven to 500 F--that's 500 !

Put meat in a roasting pan with a cover and arrange the onion slices from
the night before all around.

Squash either 3 medium fresh tomatoes or use about 4 canned egg tomatoes
and squash them. DO NOT ADD THE JUICE FROM THE CAN. ADD NO OTHER LIQUID
add a bay leaf or two.

Cover the pan and put it into the preheated 500F oven. After 15 minutes
turn
down the oven without opening it to 350 F. Cook for approximately 3 hours.
If you look in after 2 hours or so you will see a gray mass with lots of
liquid. Don't worry. Just keep cooking.

When the water has just about disappeared and the meat and onions etc. are
browned, but not quite burnt, and the meat is soft to a fork, it is done.

Remove the meat from the pan and make gravy by deglazing the pan with lots
of water (more than a quart to start, it can always be reduced) and
cooking it down until it tastes rich and nice to you. It should make
plenty of gravy as the pan drippings are intensely strong.

Slice the meat across the grain and serve with the gravy. Roast potatoes
or kasha go well with this.

This lends itself to preparation ahead of time and freezes well. When
reheating, bring the sliced meat to room temperature and heat the gravy to
boiling. Then pour it over the meat. Heating the meat in the gravy gives
it a boiled rather than roasted taste and is not as good.

Posted by Wendy Baker