Beef Brisket - cooking recipe

Ingredients

4 large garlic cloves, smashed
1/2 tsp. kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
4 sprigs fresh rosemary, needles stripped from stem and chopped
1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil
1 (4 lb.) beef brisket, first cut
Coarsely ground black pepper
4 large carrots, cut in 3-inch chunks
3 celery stalks, cut in 3-inch chunks
4 large red onion, halves
2 c. dry red wine (I use beef broth)
1 (16 oz.) can whole tomatoes, hand-crushed
1 handful fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
3 bay leaves
1 Tbsp. all purpose flour (optional)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 325\u00b0.
On a cutting board, mash the garlic and 1/2 tsp. of the salt together with the flat side of a knife into a paste.
Add the rosemary and continue to mash until incorporated. Put the garlic-rosemary paste in a small bowl and add 3 Tbsp. of olive oil; stir to combine.
Season both sides of the brisket with a fair amount of kosher salt and ground black pepper.
Place a large roasting pan or Dutch oven over medium high heat and coat with the remaining olive oil.
Put the brisket in the roasting pan and sear to form a nice brown crust on both sides.
Lay the vegetables all around the brisket and pour the rosemary paste over the whole thing.
Add the wine (beef broth) and tomatoes; toss in the parsley and bay leaves.
Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and transfer to the oven.
Bake for about 3 to 4 hours, basting every 30 minutes with the pan juices, until the beef is fork tender.
Remove the brisket to a cutting board and let rest for 15 minutes.
Scoop the vegetables out of the roasting pan and onto a platter, cover to keep warm.
Pour out some of the excess fat and put the roasting pan with the juices on the stove over medium high heat.
Boil and stir for 5 minutes until the sauce is reduced by 1/2.
(If you want a thicker sauce, mix 1 Tbsp. flour with 2 Tbsp. of wine or water and blend into the gravy.)
Slice the brisket across the grain (the muscle lines) at a slight diagonal. Serve with Crispy Potato Pancakes.
(Recipe in Vegetable Section.)