I love the change of seasons. Fall is here and it lends a certain crispness to the air. The leaves are starting to change into a myriad of colors. It’s Sunday morning and my little family of three is home together this morning. Maddie is working on a book report on Shirley Temple and Bill is watching Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. I’ve been busy in the kitchen putting a brisket in the oven to cook. I can hear acorns falling outside. There’s something about Fall. I don’t feel obligated to jump in the car and try to make something out of this day. The coolness lets me feel content to stay in and get cozy on the couch with the new Ann Packer book that I found at the library. This is what life is all about.

Brisket with Onion-and-Chile Jam 

Letting the brisket rest in the pan juices for a half hour makes it especially moist.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons pure olive oil
• 11 medium onions—7 minced, 4 coarsely chopped
• 2 Thai chiles, with some seeds, minced
• Salt
• 5 large carrots, coarsely chopped
• 1 bunch of celery, coarsely chopped
• Freshly ground pepper
• One 5-pound beef brisket, fat trimmed to a thin layer
• 2 quarts hot chicken stock or low-sodium broth
• 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce

Directions:

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the minced onions and the Thai chiles and season with salt. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions are very soft, about 25 minutes. Increase the heat to moderately low and cook, stirring, until the onions are deeply browned, about 10 minutes longer.
2. Preheat the oven to 325°. Spread the carrots, celery and coarsely chopped onions in an even layer in a roasting pan and season them with salt and pepper. Season the brisket with salt and pepper and set it on top of the vegetables, fat side up. Spread the onion-and-chile jam in an even layer over the top of the brisket and pour the hot stock into the pan around the meat. Cover the roasting pan and braise the brisket for about 4 1/2 hours, or until it is very tender, basting every 30 minutes.
3. Let the brisket rest in the pan juices for 30 minutes, then transfer it to a carving board. Strain the pan juices into a saucepan, pressing on the vegetables, then skim off the fat. Add the soy sauce, season with pepper and bring to a simmer. Thinly slice the brisket across the grain and serve with the pan juices.