Ina Garten's Brisket Is Easy-Peasy And Features A Sauce That Makes Itself

Ina Garten is world famous for her cooking prowess and effortless entertaining. Her go-to brisket recipe, shared in an episode of "Barefoot Contessa," taps into both noteworthy skill sets. Not only does her recipe offer fantastic homey and rustic flavors, but it easily feeds 10 to 12 people and only requires one (admittedly large) roasting pan, and the sauce makes itself. Makes itself? Yes, you simply combine the ingredients and let the oven do the work over the course of three to four hours as the meat slowly roasts and blends with the vegetables and her signature ingredient of tomato juice: lots and lots of tomato juice.

The brisket cut comes from the lower chest area beneath the shoulder of the cow, so it inherently has a lot of connective tissue. Cooking it low and slow, in this case in the oven, is a great way to ensure a succulent end product. Many readers suggest buying brisket at Costco where the beef prices are competitive and you can often select the best brisket at the store by going for the flat (the larger, leaner piece that makes up brisket) rather than the fattier point (or deckle) that is often used in barbecuing.

Ina Garten's brisket prep comes together in a snap: literally 10 minutes from prep to oven, which doesn't seem possible for the depth of flavor you will enjoy. Once you've rubbed the tender, juicy, fat-trimmed brisket generously with salt, pepper, oregano, and garlic, you simply add cut carrots, celery, and onions and then the star, tomato juice, which is the braising liquid that magically becomes the sauce as it all gently cooks together. Garten's recipe calls for 46 ounces of juice, which is enough to almost cover the meat and vegetables. Then it's a layer of parchment paper to insulate it all from the acid of the tomato juice, a tight aluminum foil cover, and this baby is ready for some oven time.

Brisket makes an easy and comforting meal any time of year and it tastes even better after sitting for a day in the fridge, making it ideal for meal prep and leftovers (if there are any). This brisket winner is definitely a candidate for Ina Garten's 10-recipe rule, which is the idea that any home cook really only needs 10 solid recipes in their repertoire, and it's so easy that you will likely commit it to memory after one attempt. Just don't forget to slice the brisket against the grain (going with the grain will make it stringy) to ensure the meat is super tender.