Garlic Peppercorn Brisket

As you probably know, brisket is one of those dishes that’s best made ahead—ideally, cook it one or even two days before you want to serve it, cooling the meat in the sauce, uncovered. Then cover the whole thing and refrigerate it. Before reheating, remove any solidified fat and slice the cold meat. Then return the meat to the sauce, cover and reheat in a 350°F oven for 45 minutes.

Serves 8

1 flat-cut beef brisket (4 1/2 to 5 lbs.), fat trimmed to 1/8-inch thick
8 shallots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
12 cloves garlic, peeled and halved crosswise
3 tablespoons mixed peppercorns (such as black, white and green)
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups dry red wine
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Preheat an oven to 375°F.

Place the brisket, fat side up, in a large roasting pan. Arrange the shallots and garlic around the brisket. Roast, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, lightly crush the peppercorns with a mortar and pestle or place them in a small bowl and lightly crush them with the back of a spoon. Stir in the garlic powder, rosemary and salt. Stir in the olive oil, making a paste. In a separate bowl, combine the wine and flour, stirring to dissolve the flour.

Remove the brisket from the oven and spread the peppercorn mixture over the brisket. Pour the wine mixture in the pan around the meat. Cover tightly with foil and return to the oven. Continue roasting until the meat is very tender when pierced, about 3 hours. Remove the brisket from the oven and cool in the pan juices, uncovered, 30 minutes.

Transfer the brisket to a cutting board, slice the meat across the grain and serve with the sauce. (Or follow the directions above for cooling and reheating a day or two later.)