Thursday, April 4, 2013

A Holiday Tradition

Every Passover I can remember, and most Hanukkahs even, my mom made the same brisket recipe. Which is why, when I was having friends over for a sedar, I knew that recipe had to make an appearance. So for Passover, the boy and I made my mom's brisket recipe. And when I say we, I basically mean the boy, but I did supervise and take pictures. Considering that cooking this brisket is on my 101 in 1001 list, I am going to count this as completed. After all, I didn't completely specify how involved I had to be in the cooking process! The recipe is from The Jewish Holiday Kitchen by Joan Nathan, and online here, the version below reflects the changes we made.
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Barry Wine's Stringed Beef Brisket
Ingredients

Salt and Pepper to Taste
One 6-pound beef brisket
3/4 vegetable oil
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 leek, trimmed, washed, and diced
1 celery stalk, diced
2 tablespoon diced garlic
1 onion, chopped
2 cups Malbec wine
6 cups beef stock from 6 beef bouillon cubes
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons dry thyme leaves
1/2 cup Brandy


Directions
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1. Cube the brisket in 1 1/2 inch squares.
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2. Salt and pepper the brisket. Brown in stock pot with hot oil. Remove and set aside.
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3. Brown the vegetables in the same oil. Deglaze pan with 1/3 cup wine.
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4. Add meat, and all remaining ingredients into pot, with the exception of 2 tablespoons Brandy. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook and cover until meat is tender (around 2 hours).
5. Remove meat and use fork to split apart into shreds. While shredding, let sauce reduce until thick enough to coat a spoon. Adjust seasoning, and return shredded meat to sauce along with the remaining brandy
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As for the changes we made, most of them were substitutions. We used beef stock instead of veal stock. We used Brandy instead of Cognac. We used a Malbec instead of a Cabernet, along with a few other small changes. But even with our substitutions, eating this brought me right back to childhood. As crazy as it sounds, just a bite tasted like Passover, and I'm so happy I we finally know how to make it so it can become a tradition on our home as well.

Are there any dishes you strongly associate with childhood or a holiday in particular? Have you tried to recreate one of those dishes yourself?

2 comments:

  1. I need to learn how to cook brisket and other large pieces of beef. For me, holidays must have green bean casserole. Even if I'm the only one who eats it.

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  2. I've never had meat, but I hear my grandmother made a mean brisket (with homemade ketchup!)

    Good for you guys for making it!

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