5 lbs brisket of beef
2 envelopes Lipton’s onion soup mix
1 tablespoon spice islands garlic powder
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons pepper
1 cup dry red wine
½ pound fresh mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
2 envelopes mushroom gravy mix

In the bottom of a large roasting pan, sprinkle one envelope of soup, half of the garlic powder, half of the salt and half of the pepper. Place brisket on top of the spices, fat side up, and sprinkle on the other envelope of soup, and the other half of the garlic, salt and pepper. Add the wine. Cover the pan very tightly with heavy duty foil and roast in 275 degree oven for five hours.

Uncover the pan carefully, using a hot pad mitt to cover your hand or you wll get a painful steam burn. Take the pan out of the oven and raise the oven heat to 450 degrees. When it is hot, return the meat to the over for 10 minutes to crisp the fat side. If your brisket is very lean, do just one side, otherwise, turn and brown the other side for 10 minutes also.

If you are making this a day in advance, take the meat out and refrigerate on a platter. Drain the stock into a jar and refrigerate that too. The brisket will cut better if it is done this way, but if you can’t, just set the meat to the side and put the stock into the freezer so the fat will rise and harden quickly. It will take 20 to 30 minutes. Remove the lid of the fat and add enough eater to the stock so that you have 2 cups. In a saucepan, blend the stock and the two envelopes of gravy till its is smooth. Over medium heat, cook until the gravy thickens, stirring constantly. Add the mushrooms and cook for a few additional minutes.

Slice the brisket and return it to the roasting pan or an ovenproof serving platter that has fairly deep ides. Pour a cup or so of the gravy on top and return to the oven, heat lowered to 325° F. If it has been chilled overnight, you should cover it with foil so that it will not dry out, as you will have to heat it for 45 minutes or more.