For Brisket Bursting With Flavor, Use A Packet Of Onion Soup Mix

Brisket is a delicious but unforgiving mistress. The inexpensive, connective tissue-rich cut of beef is a staple in Jewish cuisine and a darling of Texas barbecue. When cooked properly, brisket is tender and full of beefy flavor. But it requires extreme care and extended, low heat cooking sessions that have made brisket recipes sacrosanct and highly heritable. Recipes are passed down from generation to generation, often with little to no change. Because of this, you may assume that cooking brisket involves only from-scratch ingredients. But you'd be wrong, because there is one prepackaged component that many brisket heads have tucked in their back pocket that might just be the secret to the perfect dish.

We're talking, of course, about the one, the only, Lipton Recipe Secrets Onion Soup Mix. Not only is this soup mix the savior of many a snack plates (pop it in a container of sour cream and be transported to the childhood joy of French onion dip), but it is also the key to a truly wonderful brisket. Thanks to its savory, umami-rich flavor, the mix is an instant flavor boost to the comforting, slow-cooked brisket. Simply sprinkle a packet (or two) onto the outside of your brisket before placing it in your dish with your other ingredients, such as onions and crushed tomatoes. Then, cover with foil and braise at a low temperature (about 325 degrees Fahrenheit) over the course of several hours. Let your brisket cool for about 15 to 30 minutes, then slice and serve. The resulting brisket will be rich, comforting, and have that delicious umami flavor, thanks to that handy packet of onion soup mix.

Even though Lipton's Onion Soup Mix is, in the scheme of food history, a relatively new invention (it was first introduced in 1952), it has quickly become a staple in many kitchens. The soup mix is particularly popular in American Ashkenazi Jewish cooking, and can be found in many classic Ashkenazi dishes, such as kugel (a noodle casserole dish) and stuffed cabbages. And it's easy to see why this mix is so widely applied and adored. Not only is it an easy, convenient, and inexpensive tool for adding a punch of flavor, but it's also a uniquely potent and dynamic seasoning mix.

Plainly speaking, it goes with pretty much any savory dish. Not only does it make a great brisket fixer, but onion soup mix works exceptionally well in burgers, mashed potatoes, gravies, and even macaroni and cheese. This is probably why it was a darling of midcentury cuisine. Plus, its low price point made it a great way to make to well-seasoned, flavorful food without breaking the bank. It also makes it an iconic pairing for brisket, which, though it has recently risen in price, has historically been one of the cheapest cuts of beef. Both foods exemplify the central ethos of many Ashkenazi culinary traditions, which are rooted in making something truly wonderful out of limited resources.

So, what's the secret to Lipton Onion Soup Mix's flavor enhancing capabilities? You might assume that its tasty impact comes from onions, but there is so much more hiding in a sleeve of this dry seasoning mix. The real secret to this soup mix is actually none other than the umami-rich soy sauce. Yes, this beefy onion soup mix actually contains no beef or beef flavoring, but a hefty dose of soy sauce, which is rich in savory flavor that works incredibly well with brisket. In fact, many brisket recipes call for use of soy sauce to help enhance the dish's savory taste. Soy sauce makes a wonderful addition to pot roast as well. If you want a similarly comforting take on brisket but are sans soup mix, go ahead and use a bit of soy sauce and onion powder to replicate the flavor.

Now, while the soy sauce in Lipton Onion Soup Mix does make it vegan (not all that useful a quality if you're using it on brisket), it also means that any dish made with this mix cannot be considered gluten-free. If you want to replicate the impact of the soup mix sans gluten, you can make your own mix using liquid aminos (a gluten-free soy sauce substitute) to flavor your brisket, along with onion powder and dried onions. Combining these ingredients will give you a similar flavor profile as the Lipton mix. The resulting brisket will be perfect for dinner (and those lovely leftover brisket sandwiches).