My Grandma Rose didn’t like to cook much, but she made a mean holiday brisket that’s better than it sounds — foil wrapped and braised tender with a package of Lipton’s soup and a diced green pepper. Times have changed and so has my palate, but the principle remains: slow cooked brisket with lots of onions, in this case real. This version also includes guilt-free organic beef from McEnroe Organic farm in Millerton, New York and beer from the Barrington Brewery in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. (And if you have it, home dried thyme from the fall and the first of the garden chives.) Serves 8

Tips: Cook at least the day before it’s eaten, but it’s tasty prepared up to 3 days beforehand. Serve with mashed or boiled potatoes, plain or lightly buttered.

1 5 or so pound brisket, first cut
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 ...