• 5 large garlic cloves, peeled
• A first-cut beef brisket (about 4–5 pounds), trimmed of excess fat, wiped with a damp paper towel, and patted dry
• ¼ cup pomegranate molasses or temerhindi
• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
• 12 peppercorns, crushed
• 2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil (if you brown the meat on the stovetop, you will need 5 tablespoons oil)
• 1½ pounds onions, chopped (6 cups)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 8–10 medium carrots, scraped and quartered
• 3 fresh thyme sprigs or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 cups chestnuts, blanched and peeled (see Cook’s Note), or use canned (packed in water), frozen, or rehydrated dried chestnuts

Optional Accompaniment

• Spiced Pomegranate Molasses Applesauce

1. Cut half the garlic into thin lengthwise slivers and set the rest aside. Make a little slit in the fat side of the brisket with the point of a small, sharp knife. Insert a garlic sliver into the slit, using your fingers and the knife tip to push it in as far as possible. In the same way, insert the remaining slivers all over the top and bottom of the brisket, spacing them as evenly as you can.
2. If you have a plastic food storage or roasting bag large enough to hold the brisket, put the meat in the bag and place it on a baking sheet. Otherwise, just put the brisket in a large nonreactive pan or bowl. Combine the pomegranate molasses or temerhindi, balsamic vinegar, and crushed peppercorns in a small bowl. Chop the reserved garlic and add it to the bowl. Pour the mixture over the brisket. Close the plastic bag or cover the pan with foil and marinate the meat in the refrigerator for a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 4 hours, turning the meat occasionally.
3. Remove the meat from the refrigerator and bring it to room temperature. Take out the brisket and pat it dry with paper towels. Reserve the marinade.
4. Because the brisket tends to splatter somewhat from the marinade (even if patted dry), and because it is so large, I find it easier to brown the meat under the broiler. Just cover the broiler pan well with foil to minimize cleanup. If you prefer, sear the brisket on top of the stove. I offer both methods.

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
2. If you browned the meat under the broiler, heat the 2 tablespoons oil in a large roasting pan or casserole. If you pan-seared the meat, pour off all the fat remaining in the pan, then heat 2 tablespoons fresh oil. Add the onions and sauté over medium-high heat until the edges are golden, about 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste, turn the heat down to very low, and cook until quite softened, stirring occasionally, 15–20 minutes (time will vary depending on type of pan used). Add the carrots, thyme, and reserved marinade, and bring to a simmer, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.
3. Salt and pepper the brisket to taste on both sides, and add it to the pan, fat side up. Spoon the vegetables over the meat. Cover tightly and place in the oven.
4. Braise the meat for 1½ hours, basting with the pan sauce and vegetables every 30 minutes. Add the chestnuts. Cover the pan again and continue cooking and basting for 1–2 hours longer, or until the meat is fork-tender. (When you baste, check that the liquids are bubbling gently. If they are boiling rapidly, turn the oven down to 300°F.)
5. Transfer the meat, chestnuts, and carrots to a platter and keep warm, loosely covered with foil (reserve a couple of carrots—and some chestnut pieces, if desired—for thickening the gravy). Remove the thyme sprigs and strain the braising mixture, reserving the solids. Skim and discard as much fat as possible from the liquid. In a food processor or blender, puree most of the solids, including the reserved carrots and chestnuts, with 1 cup of the defatted braising liquid. (Alternatively, if a completely smooth gravy is desired, puree all of the solids.) Put the pureed mixture, the remaining braising liquid, and the rest of the solids into a clean saucepan, and cook until the ingredients are well combined and hot. Taste and adjust the seasoning. If the gravy is too thin, boil it down to the desired consistency over high heat.
6. Cut the brisket into thin slices across the grain at a slight diagonal. Arrange the sliced brisket on the serving platter with the carrots and chestnuts. Spoon some of the hot sauce all over the meat and pass the rest in a sauceboat. Spiced pomegranate molasses applesauce makes a smashing accompaniment.