Go Back
Print Recipe

Cranberry Brisket with Vegetable Gravy

This brisket has graced many holiday tables at my house! The secret to creating thick, rich aromatic gravy is pureeing part of the veggies and juices from the brisket.
Servings: 8 to 10
Author: Linda Shapiro, © Meal Planning Maven

Ingredients

  • Olive oil spray
  • 5 to 6 pounds lean beef brisket excess fat trimmed
  • 1 cup fresh cranberries picked over and washed
  • 2 large onions sliced
  • 4 cloves garlic crushed
  • 6 carrots peeled and sliced into chunks
  • 2 whole cinnamon sticks
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 2 16 ounce cans natural whole berry cranberry sauce (such as Pacific)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Coat a large roasting pan with a few spritzes of olive oil; place brisket in pan, fat-side up.
  • Arrange cranberries, onions, garlic, carrots and cinnamon sticks around the outside edges of brisket. Sprinkle with basil.
  • Roast, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
  • Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees F.
  • Spoon cranberry sauce over brisket. Seal pan tightly on all sides with foil.
  • Roast brisket for 3 hours or until fork- tender. Discard cinnamon sticks.
  • Carefully place about 1/2 of the veggies, cranberries, sauce and juices into a blender or food processor. Process on low speed or “pulse” until gravy has a slightly chunky consistency. (Puree in batches if needed.)
  • Pour gravy over brisket, combining with remaining vegetables and juices in pan.
  • Let cool; refrigerate, covered, for at least 8 hours or overnight. (Briskets are much easier to slice when cold.)
  • Slice the brisket thinly (against the grain); return to pan to soak in the gravy. Reheat brisket in a gentle oven (about 250 degrees F) until hot, about 25 minutes

Notes

Make Ahead and Storage Tips: if possible, make brisket 1 day ahead so it has time to completely chill before slicing. (You can also prepare the brisket for roasting up to 1 day ahead.) Store cooked brisket, covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. May be frozen for up to 4 months.
As this brisket will yield quite a lot, freeze whatever you don’t use for future meals.
Wonderful served with roasted potatoes or try my delicious Holiday Tzimmes.