1. Preheat oven to 275º F
2. On top of the stove, heat the dutch oven to medium, add fat (tallow or bacon fat) and gently brown all side of the brisket – place the fat side down first
3. When browned, hold the meat aside in a large bowl
4. There should be plenty of fat in the pan – add all the vegetables except the garlic and saute until somewhat soft (5 minutes)
5. At the end, for a minute or two, add the garlic and let it warm up
6. Place the meat and vegetables in the dutch oven
7. Add the beef stock, and the bay leaves and salt and pepper
8. Make sure the meat is half submerged in liquid
9. Cover the dutch oven and place in oven for about 3 hours – the inner temperature should be 180º F (cooking time is about 45 minutes for each pound of meat)
10. When done, let the meat rest for 30 minutes with a foil tent covering it lightly
11. After 30 minutes slice the meat (it is hard to slice when it is fully cold)

Instructions for the gravy

1. Take about 1/4 the vegetables out of the dutch oven and set aside
2. Using an immersion blender, blend the vegetables with the liquid gravy in the dutch oven (or move to another pot to do this so you don’t scrap the bottom with the stick blender)
3. This will thicken the gravy without using any starches or flours and it tastes great
4. Put the vegetables that you saved, back into the gravy
5. You now have a thick and savory gravy with vegetable pieces (you may want to add salt to the gravy or at the table)
6. Serve immediately after slicing meat or refrigerate for later
7. This freezes well