Hanukkah (or Passover or Shabbat) recipe for the best brisket ever - Los Angeles Times

Ingredients

• 1 5- to 6-pound brisket
• 1 tablespoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt, plus more if needed
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste
• 6 cloves garlic, 1 halved, 3 crushed and 2 thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 large onions, chopped (about 4 cups)
• 4 medium carrots (about 12 ounces), scrubbed and roughly chopped (about 2 cups)
• 4 celery stalks, roughly chopped (about 2 cups)
• 1 15-oz can petite diced tomatoes in tomato juice
• 2 cups low sodium beef broth, tomato sauce or water (or any combination thereof)
• 1 dried bay leaf
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1/2 cup water, if needed