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Transfer to a carving board, tent with foil, and let stand at room temperature for 5 minutes. Slice off one piece of twine, then carve by making long slices perpendicular to the vegetables in the pocket (against the meat’s grain). Cut off the remaining pieces of twine only as you reach them while slicing.

Horseradish-Braised Brisket with

Root Vegetables

A brisket comes from the cow’s breast; the cut is rather stringy but tenderizes beautifully during long cooking. The leanest section—and our preference—is the first cut, also known as the flat cut. Less marbled, it does have a layer of fat on top which you can leave in place if you want a richer meal. Oven-braised, the meat turns sweet and luscious. The horseradish, too—it mellows beautifully in this braise. Makes 8 servings

2 tablespoons canola oil

One 4-pound first-cut brisket, trimmed of most visible surface fat

2 medium onions, halved and thinly sliced

2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

2 medium parsnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 medium turnip, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 cup red wine

3 cups beef broth

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons stemmed thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme

½ teaspoon salt, or more to taste

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 bay leaves

3 tablespoons bottled white horseradish

1 tablespoon potato starch whisked into 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl, optional

Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Swirl in the canola oil, then add the brisket. Brown on both sides, turning once, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a large cutting board; set aside.

Add the onions, carrots, parsnips, and turnip to the pot; cook, stirring often, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.

Pour in the wine and bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits on the pot’s bottom.

Pour in the broth; swirl in the mustard until smooth. Add the thyme, salt, pepper, and bay leaves. Bring to a full simmer. Nestle the brisket into the sauce. Spread the horseradish on any exposed portion of the meat.

Cover and place in the oven. Bake until the meat is fork-tender, 3 to 3½ hours (or even 4 hours, depending on the cow’s size, health, and diet).

Remove the meat and vegetables from the pot. The brisket is quite tender, so hold it up with a large spatula to keep it from breaking apart. Place all on a large, clean cutting board. Place the vegetables on a serving platter.

If you want to thicken the sauce, set the pot over medium heat and bring the sauce to a simmer. Whisk in the potato starch mixture; cook, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened, about 1 minute.

Slice the brisket against the grain. Place it on the serving platter. Discard the bay leaves, check the sauce to see if it needs salt, and pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables.

Variations: Substitute a large potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes, for the turnip.

Reduce the broth to 2 cups and add 1½ cups canned diced tomatoes with the broth.

Add one 4-inch cinnamon stick with the bay leaves.

Slow Cooker Variation: Brown the meat in a large skillet as in step 1. Add all the vegetables, aromatics, and mustard to a 6-cup slow cooker; pour in ½ cup red wine and 1 cup beef broth. Coat the brisket with the horseradish. Nestle the meat in the cooker, cover, and cook on low until fork-tender, about 8 hours.

Oven-Barbecued Brisket

If you can’t find a brisket this large, use two smaller ones of equal weight. You can always forgo the tomato puree barbecue sauce here and use about 4 cups of your favorite bottled barbecue sauce. Makes 12 servings

2 large onions, cut into ½-inch rings

2 celery ribs, thinly sliced

6 garlic cloves, quartered

1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns

4 allspice berries

1 bay leaf

One 6-pound first-cut brisket, trimmed of most visible surface fat

Boiling water

1 medium shallot, minced

3½ cups canned tomato puree

½ cup packed dark brown sugar

½ cup cider vinegar

2 tablespoons smoked