Life & Style

Your New Favorite Brisket

For your holiday menu, here’s a new brisket recipe from Judy Bart Kancigor, author of Cooking Jewish!

Some people – even great cooks – spend their entire lives with only one brisket recipe in their repertoires. Sure, they’ll try the newest crostini or cloufuti, but their brisket is somehow sacrosanct, unchanged through the decades (not that there’s anything wrong with that!)

Me, I flit merrily from brisket to brisket as the mood hits. My current brisket du jour – or I perhaps I should say du anne, as I’ve been making it all year – is perfect for the holidays – a woozy braise that practically leaps out of the pan and exclaims, “L’Haim!”

I find with this and other braised dishes that they always taste better the next day. Another advantage is it is much easier to skim off the fat when cold. And while we’re on the subject, don’t hack off all the fat before cooking. It adds so much to the flavor, and you’ll easily get it all later.

I love the flavor of roasted garlic rather than sautéed, and I get a ton of gravy, just the ticket, because no matter what brisket recipe I’m making, I’d better do my mother-in-law’s potatoes and carrots or face that close-but-no-cigar look on my husband’s face.

And you can do it too. Just peel and cube potatoes, peel and slice carrots (in chunks, not itty-bitty slices) and simmer both in all that gravy until soft and brown and achingly tender. Then add the meat, heat through and serve. Bow from the waist as you soak in the compliments. You can say, “It was nothing,” but I wouldn’t.

My New Favorite Brisket

1 large head garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 to 1 cup all-purpose flour
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
5 pounds beef brisket
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large onions, chopped
3 cups dry red wine
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
1 envelope onion soup mix
1 jar Saucy Susan (see Note)
3 dried bay leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 quart chicken stock

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.

2. Roast garlic: Slice off top of garlic head. Place on aluminum foil; pour 1 tablespoon oil over exposed cloves. Twist foil; roast 40 minutes. Let cool. Reduce oven to 325°F.

3. Meanwhile sprinkle brisket on both sides with salt and pepper and liberally with flour, shaking off excess.

4. Heat oil in large covered casserole. Add brisket and sear, turning often, until well browned.

5. Remove meat. Add onions, sauté on medium, stirring often, until golden, about 10 minutes.

6. Pour in wine; scrape browned bits from bottom of casserole. Stir in tomato paste, onion soup mix, Saucy Susan, bay leaves, thyme and chicken stock. Squeeze in roasted garlic.

7. Bring to boil, stirring often. Reduce heat to medium; add brisket. Cover tightly with foil, then cover pot with lid. Cook until meat is not quite done (about 3 hours).

8. Transfer meat to cutting board; allow to cool 15 minutes.

9. Meanwhile remove and discard bay leaves. With a slotted spoon or small strainer, transfer about 3/4 of onions into a blender and blend until smooth. Pour mixture back into pot. Taste and add salt and pepper if necessary.

10. Slice meat. Transfer slices back to pot; continue cooking until tender (about 1 hour longer).

11. Cool and refrigerate overnight. Remove as much fat as possible. Reheat and serve.

Note: Saucy Susan is a spicy peach-apricot sauce. Substitute with 1/2 cup duck sauce if unavailable.