Brisket with Carrots and Prunes

Ingredients

• 3 lbs beef brisket, trimmed
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced
• 4 medium carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 cup pitted prunes
• 4 cloves garlic, smashed
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 1.5 cups beef broth
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 1.5 tsp kosher salt
• 0.5 tsp black pepper

Steps

1. 1

   1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Pat the brisket dry, season generously on both sides with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika.

2. 2

   2. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat and sear the brisket for 4–5 minutes per side until deeply browned, then transfer to a plate.

3. 3

   3. Reduce heat to medium, add onions and garlic to the pot, and cook for 8 minutes until softened and golden. Stir in tomato paste and cook another 2 minutes.

4. 4

   4. Pour in the wine, scraping up any browned bits, then add the broth, brown sugar, vinegar, thyme, and bay leaves. Nestle the brisket back in, fat side up, along with the carrots.

5. 5

   5. Cover tightly and braise in the oven for 3 hours, then add the prunes, re-cover, and continue braising for another 45 minutes until the meat is fork-tender.

6. 6

   6. Transfer the brisket to a cutting board, rest 10 minutes, then slice against the grain. Return slices to the pot, spoon the sauce and vegetables over the top, and serve.