Here is a decidedly different take on your usual holiday brisket. Pomegranates are eaten at Rosh Hashanah as part of the “new fruit” blessing because of their layered symbolism and meaning in the Jewish religion. This Pomegranate Molasses Brisket is a tasty way to integrate pomegranates into your Rosh Hashanah menu. The marinated meat is slowly cooked to a tender, flaky texture. The slow cooking process infuses the brisket with the rich flavor of pomegranate molasses, garlic, and spice.
I recommend using my recipe for homemade pomegranate molasses in this recipe. Bottled pomegranate molasses can vary greatly in terms of sweetness/tartness and flavor. My recipe is simple, and it produces a beautiful molasses with the perfect ratio of sweet to tart. It works fabulous as a marinade for this brisket, and it won’t take you long to whip up a batch. If you prefer to use bottled, taste the marinade before you use it on the meat… if it tastes too tart, add a little brown sugar to counteract the tartness. The marinade shouldn’t be super sweet, but it shouldn’t be unbearably tart either.
Serve the brisket over freshly cooked saffron rice garnished with pomegranate seeds and fresh mint for a pretty presentation. This is a colorful, beautiful and exotic option for your Rosh Hashanah menu, or for any special occasion. Enjoy!
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Pomegranate Molasses Brisket
Ingredients
- 4-5 lb beef brisket
- 1/2 cup pomegranate molasses
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 large sweet onions, sliced
- Fresh mint leaves (optional, for garnish)
- Pomegranate seeds (optional, for garnish)
You will also need
- ceramic or glass roasting dish, large skillet, plastic wrap, immmersion blender
- Rinse the brisket and pat dry, then place in a ceramic or glass oven-safe roasting dish. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together pomegranate molasses, ¼ cup olive oil, minced garlic cloves, cinnamon, salt, and cayenne pepper.
Pour half of the marinade over the top of the brisket, making sure the entire surface is covered in an even layer. Turn the brisket over and pour the other half of the marinade over the brisket so both sides are evenly coated. 
Cover the dish with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator overnight, or up to two days.- When ready to cook, preheat your oven to 300 degrees F. Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Take the brisket out of the marinade, scraping any excess marinade back into the roasting dish. Place the brisket into the skillet. Brown the brisket on both sides (about 5 minutes per side).
While brisket is browning, stir ¼ cup of water into the marinade at the bottom of the roasting dish to make it more liquid. 
Transfer brisket back to the roasting dish on top of the liquid marinade, making sure the fatty layer is on top. Place sliced onions into the hot skillet. Saute the onions for 10-15 minutes, scraping up the brown bits as the onions cook. 
When onions are nicely browned and caramelized, pour them over the top of the brisket along with the brown bits and oil from the skillet. Use a spoon to scoop up some of the marinade from the bottom of the dish; spoon marinade over the top of the onions. 
Cover the roasting dish with foil. Place brisket in the oven and let it slowly roast for 4-5 hours. It will take about 1 hour per pound of meat (leaner cuts of meat may take longer—test for doneness). If your cut of brisket is very lean, you may need a little more water to keep it moist while it cooks. Check halfway through cooking and add more water to the bottom of the dish, if needed. The brisket will shrink by about 1/3 in size as it cooks. Brisket is ready when it flakes tenderly. You can let it cook even longer if you like a soft, shredded texture.
Scrape the cooked onions off the top of the brisket. Reserve.
Remove brisket from the pan and place it on a cutting board. 
Cover the brisket with foil to keep it warm. Let it rest for 20-30 minutes before slicing; this will allow the juices to distribute through the meat.- Strain pan drippings from the roasting pan into a saucepan and allow to cool.
Once the pan drippings have cooled slightly, you will see the clear fat rise to the surface of the liquid. Skim as much of this fat off of the surface as you can. 
Use an immersion blender to blend the reserved onions into the cooking liquid. This will thicken the sauce and add flavor. If you'd like a stronger, more pronounced pomegranate flavor, you can also blend in an additional 1 tbsp of pomegranate molasses (optional). Warm the sauce in a small saucepan on the stovetop. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Cut fat cap off the brisket, then cut the brisket in thin slices against the grain. 
Place brisket slices into a serving dish. Pour the warmed sauce over the brisket slices.
My favorite way to serve this brisket is sliced over freshly cooked saffron rice. I like to garnish it with fresh pomegranate seeds (arils) and fresh mint for a colorful and aromatic presentation.
Where is the recipe for the pomegranet marinade. This sounds so yummy
Hi Micki, the pomegranate molasses recipe is linked in the blog above. Here is the direct link: link to theshiksa.com
The marinade is a combination of 1/2 cup pomegranate molasses, 1/4 cup olive oil, 4 minced garlic cloves, 2 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp of salt and 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper.
This looks so good… yum!
It’s official, you have blown my mind. I hadn’t known of pomegranate molasses, but I do love the flavor of pomegranate… and on a brisket…. oh my.
Tori, this looks incredible!! That brisket looks so tender and delicious and I bet that pomegranate molasses on top just makes it taste even better!!
Oh my! It gets even more colorful. I love it!
Okay – THIS is stunning! What an amazing recipe and I LOVE the build up to this yummy dish! A tasty way to incorporated the celebrated foods of Rosh Hashannah!
This recipe looks really yummy and I must have a try. The only change I would make is to place the uncut, cooled brisket in the refrigerator (with the sauce) overnight. This allows the flavor to develop even more and makes the brisket alot easier to cut.
My goodness Tori. I sure wish I lived near you. You have outdone yourself once again. You really have a gift.
Tori, you’ve got so many great colors in this recipe! I love how it’s a traditionally informed but contemporary rendition of a classic dish. Magnificent!
This looks like a wonderful take on the usual brisket! I love the look of that plate of food…so colorful! I feel like I can taste it right through the screen! beautiful pics!
I have fresh pomegranates growing in the yard , this looks like a wonderful use for them, although I may get evicted from Texas for making a brisket that isn’t BBQ’d . Thank you for all the wonderful recipes !
Major drool, Tori! And I just had dinner earlier and froyo just now! This looks fantastic!
This sounds delicious I love the combination of pomegranate and molasses. I also just love brisket in general.
We had this for supper with the fresh saffron rice and it was delish! Thanks for posting such detail with pictures – It really helps!
Wow….love, love, love this idea! I am starting to do my menu planning for Rosh Hashanah, and your recipes have all been a great inspiration!
This recipe looks delicious! Love the flavor combination. I also appreciate your clear instructions and photographs.
It was so lovely meeting you the other night, and I hope we can get together again soon. Great blog!
xoxo
Jen
–
Domestic Divas
http://www.domesticdivasblog.com
(((((hugs))))) Tori!
Thank you!
L~xo
Wow… Looks yummy, I am hoping to try this recipe soon! Thanks for sharing.
Wow, this brisket looks so delicious…love the flavors! What a gorgeous meal!
Ok, now what ELSE shall I make for RH dinner?! This looks great, and I’m willing to give it a try…
Hi Tori, shavua tov! Im so glad I discovered your blog. I love your recipes. Looking forward to making this for Rosh Hashanah, maybe some allspice would go well with it also?
Thanks for reading Julia! Allspice might be a nice touch, but taste the molasses before you add any additional spice– it’s a strong, distinct flavor on its own, so it’s best to taste it first and then spice if you feel it needs it. Have a terrific holiday!
Hi Tori,
I love your blog! I’m doing now this recipe and so far it smells amazing! can’t wait to try
Shana tova!
Thanks so much for this recipe. It was the real deal. Soooo good.
This was a HUGE hit for Rosh Hashanah-I cooked it in a Crock Pot and it turned out wonderfully!
I am going to make it now in the crock pot though, cool it for a day in the fridge, then recook and eat. Yum!
Tori, couldn’t one just combine some pomegranate juice with some molasses from a bottle in order to make the sauce if one is rushed for time? Thank you.
Hi Tammy, unfortunately no– it won’t have the same consistency or flavor as reduced sauce. If you’re pressed for time, you can boil it at a hotter temperature and it will reduce faster, but you’ll need to keep a close eye on it to make sure it doesn’t burn.
I Rosh Hashanah is a distant memory by now but I’ve just come across you’re recipe and I am not going to let a little thing like Rosh Hashanah get in the way of me making this! I’ve been convincing myself for a while now to finally learn to cook brisket. Coming from London brisket is not a cut of meat you can easily come by. Now in Israel, and surrounded by lots of American ex-pats I managed to get my hands on some and have been looking for an delicious looking recipe. Thanks!
What a mouthwatering recipe. I love the tart-sweet-savory flavor combinations. Gorgeous photos too!
is 300 degres in farenheit or celsuis ??
Farenheit, Olivia.
Hi Tori,
I would love to make this recipe, but I don’t have a glass or ceramic roasting dish. Can I make this in my metal roasting pan?
Thanks for asking Barbara. Tori, I was wondering if I could make this in a crockpot. Do everything up to browning it and then put the watered down sauce over the browned meat in a crock pot instead. What do you think?
I made this recipe last night for Rosh Hashanah dinner with several friends. It was a HUGE hit. I went ahead and made it in the crock pot. It was probably the best brisket I’ve ever made. My husband wants me to keep this recipe forever. Thanks again, Tori.
Yay! Comments like these make my day. Thanks for reporting back Deborah! xo
I made this for Rosh Hashana and it was amazing! I made my own molasses by reducing 1 liter of pomegranate juice to a little more than 1 cup (so easy!). I didn’t sweeten it, but I added a bit of brown sugar to the gravy when it was done. I brine my brisket in advance with salt and garlic, so I left those ingredients out of the actual marinade.
I’m using the leftover molasses to make this: link to epicurious.com So good with veggies or pita.
Shana tova!
Hi Tori,
I can’t wait to taste this! I have about 15 lbs of brisket (6 different pieces of meat) marinating and plan to cook them tomorrow in two different large roasting pans. Approximately how long do you think I should cook them?
Shana Tova!
Wow, Suzanne, that’s a lot of brisket! I’m guessing each brisket averages 2 1/2 lbs. Generally the rule of thumb is 1 hour per pound of meat– but with that many briskets cooking at the same time, the heat will disperse in the oven, so cooking times will vary greatly. I would check them after 3 hours, then every half hour thereafter, till the meat is fork tender. My guess is you’ll need 5 hours or longer to get it all nice and tender… but again, it will depend on your oven. Good luck! Let me know how it turns out for you.
Thank you Tori! This sounds like a great plan. I am also making your citrus honey glazed root veggies. Love your blog too!
Hi Tori…my brisket was a huge hit! It took about 5 hours for the 15+ lbs to cook. I thought initially that the cinnamon flavor was too pronounced but after resting a day and then slicing and reheating, the taste could not have been more perfect. And the citrus honey glazed veggies were a dream as well. Thank you for such fantastic recipes and a very fun blog…I will be back again and again!
Terrific Suzanne! Thanks for reporting back
Hi there, I love your blog. I made this recipe for the 3rd time after being a hit the first 2 times. Somehow, it didn’t taste the same this time. It tasted a little too sour. Any suggestions on why? Also a little drier. It was a 2.3 pound first cut brisket. I know it is not as fatty as the 2nd cut.
Hi Phyllis! It may be because you used a 2.3 pound brisket. The smaller the brisket, the faster it will cook and “dry out.” As for the sour taste, were you using the same batch of pomegranate molasses you used in the other briskets, or did you make or buy a new one? Store bought molasses is much more sour. If you were using a batch you previously made, it may have soured a bit as it aged… I haven’t experienced that myself, but it’s possible. Also, because the brisket was smaller and cooked faster, as it dried out the molasses may have changed flavor a bit. You are right, 2nd cut is fattier, and when cooking a smaller brisket I like to choose the fattiest one I can find. I usually make 4-5 lb. briskets (or bigger) because they tend yield better results. There is always something you can do with the leftovers.
Of course, it’s always possible the particular brisket you chose was just not a great one… that’s happened to me in the past. If you made a new batch of molasses, the fruit may not have been sweet or ripe enough. Lots of possibilities here. I would suggest making a new batch of homemade molasses for future briskets, and sticking to larger cuts if you can. Good luck!
Hi
Thank you for your response. I did make a fresh batch of molasses using top grade pomegranate juice. I used the convection setting of the oven too. Do you like that setting?
I think you are right larger cuts are probably better. Anyway, love what you re doing and am a big fan. I’m telling all my friends…:)
Aww, thanks Phyllis! That is very kind of you, I appreciate you helping to spread the word. I don’t usually use the convection setting, it tends to cook faster and because not everybody has a convection oven, it’s better for me to test recipes without it. I do find it useful for reheating crispy things, like latkes, because it’s a drier heat that circulates throughout the oven. For a low-and-slow dish like brisket, you would probably be better off using the regular bake setting. Hope the next brisket turns out better!