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September 10, 2004
Cooking a brisket for the soul
No matter what the recipe, all of them have an element in common:
Time.
LISA J. SOLOMON SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH BULLETIN
Exploring the stack of old Jewish cookbooks and family recipes
my mother brought to me when she visited from Atlanta, I found a
note. On the top of a small white paper, in her handwriting, were
the words Rosh Hashanah, and then the list: apple Charlie, challah,
kugel, green bean salad, brisket. I asked her if this meal plan
was from last year, but she said no.
"That must have been from many, many years ago," she said,
standing in my California kitchen with the afternoon sun lighting
half her face. That must have been why, when I read it, I tasted
decades of family holiday meals and decided we should buy a brisket
and make it together.
She chose a nice four-pound cut and, since the ingredients for my
mother's brisket are basic staples – salt, pepper, olive oil,
garlic, onions and good wine – we lost no time shopping around.
But since it cooks entirely on top of the stove, gently, over hours,
it gave us lots of time to watch over a deep, bubbling, burgundy
sauce, while absorbing the rich scents filling my tiny kitchen,
taking us back all those years, then filling us up right where we
were. And when, after an overnight of cooling, my mother showed
me how to slice, carefully against the grain, and reheat, layering
the tender meat back in the gravy, framing it with softened orange
carrots, I took a picture of our creation, right in the pot. Because
it was beautiful.
When I looked up different brisket recipes, I found all kinds of
creative approaches; one using a spicy apple butter sauce, one cooking
the meat in molasses sweetened navy beans, and one adding a blanket
of cooked prunes. But all of them had a key element in common. Time.
Each requires at least an overnight of marinade and anywhere from
three to six hours of low-heat cooking to soften and season the
meat. For my mom's brisket, the techniques are straight forward,
the ingredients few, but if the definition of soul food is cooking
simple foods, nice and slow, then a Rosh Hashanah brisket must be
good for the soul.
Kaethe's Stovetop Brisket
The seasonings and gravy for this recipe are light enough to
gracefully enhance the flavor of the meat. But if you like more
spice, add salt and pepper to suit your tastes and enjoy!
4-pound beef brisket
1 1/4 tsp salt (to taste)
1/4 tsp pepper (to taste)
4 large garlic cloves,
sliced thin
1 large onion, sliced thin
3 tbsp olive oil
1 cup dry red wine
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp paprika
3 large carrots
Marinade: Rinse brisket in cold water and place in large
dish with sides. Thinly slice garlic cloves and onion and arrange
under and over meat. In small bowl, whisk salt, pepper, three tablespoons
olive oil and wine. Pour over meat. Cover and refrigerate overnight,
turning meat once.
Cooking: Heat two tablespoons of oil in heavy, deep, wide
skillet over medium heat. After scraping off, but saving onions
and garlic, place brisket in pan, searing each side until slightly
brown, about four to five minutes. Place meat aside on platter.
Pour marinade into pan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce
heat to low, return meat to pan, scatter onions and garlic above
and below, and spoon liquid over top of brisket. Sprinkle top with
one-quarter teaspoon of paprika. Cover and reduce heat to low, simmering
approximately three hours, turning after one and a half hours and
sprinkling the other side with one-quarter teaspoon of paprika.
Add whole carrots during last hour. Test with knife. Meat should
be soft but firm enough not to shred. Turn off heat. Let cool slightly,
then remove from marinade.
Cooling: Place meat in large dish, cover and refrigerate
overnight for ease of slicing. Strain gravy to separate onion, garlic
slices and whole carrots from liquid. Store each in refrigerator
overnight.
Slicing/Serving: Skim fat off top layer of marinade and pour
into deep, wide skillet. Mash onions and garlic with spoon and add
to marinade. Heat on medium-low. Test for salt or pepper preferences.
Slice brisket in one-quarter-inch- width slices against the grain
and layer into marinade with carrots. Cover and re-warm approximately
30 minutes or just until gravy starts to bubble. Do not over cook.
Serve brisket slices on a platter with some gravy spooned over and
the remainder on the side. Serves 10.
Lisa J. Solomon is a freelance writer living in Austin,
Tex. Her food articles have appeared in myriad publications, including
the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Vegetarian Times, Washington
Jewish Week, Canadian Jewish News, Atlanta Jewish Times and others.
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