My mother made great brisket when I was growing up: slow-cooked, more sour than sweet. We ate it every year for erev Rosh Hashanah, with Goodman’s tiny egg-noodle farfel. I loved it.
So, I never understood, when I was a child, why people made terrible jokes about dry, overcooked brisket. Now I know: Many people weren’t as lucky as I was.
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.
Season the brisket liberally with salt and pepper. Then add half the olive oil to a braising pan or a pot large enough to hold the brisket. Heat the pan and sear the brisket on all sides. When the brisket is seared evenly, remove it from the pan and set aside for a few minutes.
Add some more oil to the pan then add the carrots, onions, celery and garlic and sauté for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, and sprinkling with more salt and pepper.
Stir the wine vinegar, honey, grated horseradish, and mustard in a small bowl until smooth.
Pour the liquid into the pan and deglaze, stirring to get up any bits that have attached themselves to the pan, and letting it reduce for about 3 minutes.
Return the brisket to the pot and then add enough beef broth to just cover the brisket. Add the bay leaf, thyme, and parsley and bring to a simmer. Once at a simmer, cover the pot and place in oven for 5 hours.
Remove from the oven and let sit until the brisket reaches room temperature. Then refrigerate overnight in the cooking pan. When ready to serve, remove the fat that accumulates on top of the brisket. Then cut the brisket against the grain into slices about an eighth to a quarter of an inch thick. (If you’re making the brisket ahead of time, you can freeze it after slicing.) Heat the liquid in the pan, then strain out the vegetables if you want. I like to keep them. Return the cut brisket to the pan, heat, and serve.