Baked beef brisket

MAKES 8 SERVINGS

1 (4-pound) boneless beef brisket

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 clove garlic, peeled and minced

3 medium onions, peeled and thickly sliced

1 cup hot water

1 envelope dry onion soup mix

4 carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks

3 ribs celery, cut into 2-inch chunks

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place brisket, fat side up, in a 9x13-inch roasting pan and season with salt, pepper and garlic.

Place sliced onions on top of meat and bake for 1 hour or until the onions have browned on their edges. Add water, soup mix, carrots and celery, and cover with foil to form a tight seal.

Reduce oven to 300 degrees and continue to cook until meat is fork-tender, about 3 hours.

Remove from oven; separate meat from sauce and refrigerate both overnight. When cooled, remove visible fat from meat and discard. Thinly slice meat across the grain.

Remove fat from gravy and discard. Place gravy and vegetables in a large, deep skillet over low heat; add sliced meat and gently heat through.

Serve sliced meat with au jus on French rolls.

Arlene Connell, Elmwood Park

Nutrition facts per serving (not including rolls): 385 calories, 14 g fat, 5 g saturated fat, 135 mg cholesterol, 10 g carbohydrates, 50 g protein, 974 mg sodium, 2 g fiber