Easy, oven-baked recipe for beef brisket that is ready in a few hours. Meat is slow-cooked with root vegetables and rich gravy made from pan drippings.
Preheat oven to 275 °F (135 °C). Season brisket on all sides to taste with the sage, thyme, mustard, sea salt and pepper.
Heat the lard or butter in a roasting pan or skillet large enough to hold the meat and vegetables over medium-high heat. Brown on all sides. Remove meat and cook onions and crushed garlic until just tender.
Return brisket to pan fat side up with the onions and garlic and add the chicken stock. Cover and bake for about 2 hours.
Add the vegetables to the pan and sprinkle with a little more of the seasonings used on the meat.
Cover and roast for an additional 2 to 4 hours or until fork-tender.
Remove the brisket to a platter and keep warm. Place the vegetables in a bowl and cover to keep warm. Make the gravy with the pan drippings (see below).
In a small bowl, knead the arrowroot and butter together with your fingers until well combined.
Place the roasting pan with juices over medium-high heat.
Bring to a boil, scraping up the browned bits in the bottom of the pan.
Whisk in the arrowroot-butter mixture and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until very smooth and slightly thick. This takes about 1 minute.
Once the gravy is ready, remove from heat and set aside.
Slice the brisket thinly against the grain and serve with the vegetables, drizzling on some gravy as desired. Serve immediately.
Go with whatever combination of vegetables appeals to you. What is in season is recommended.
Leave out the arrowroot when making the gravy if you are avoiding starch. One or two egg yolks can be substituted instead for thickening.