[Mezzaluna]

I do beef briskets this way for my in-laws, for whom tender meat is a must. Due to digestive difficulties I can't use most herbs and spices (including garlic, black pepper and pungent herbs like rosemary), so I use a ton of thickly sliced onions and mushrooms on the bottom of the crockpot, put the (unsalted!) meat on top, then another layer of the veggies. Sometimes I sneak in some parsley and celery, too. I add about a cup of beef broth and let 'er rip for 6 hours. Then I remove the meat, slice it thinly, and portion it out for freezing. I pick out the onion and put some mushrooms in each portion. Then I strain the broth, add it to the portions, and freeze. They LOVE it.

If I were making it for others, I'd add thyme, rosemary, carrots and canned tomatoes, plus a good shot of red wine to the liquid. I'd also brown the meat before putting it in the cooker.