Southern-style Jewish Brisket

Serves : 6

Comments: This recipe is quite easy, though not quick, and there is enough sauce for a 6-7 pound brisket which will feed up to 12 people. Note the instructions to let the brisket sit overnight. You don't have to do this, but the brisket tastes better the day after cooking. This recipe, from the New York Time's food section, was adapted from "Levana's Table," by Levana Kirschenbaum.

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 medium onion, peeled and quartered
  • 1 two-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
  • 6 large cloves garlic
  • 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 cup dry red wine
  • 1 1/2 cups Coca-Cola or ginger ale
  • 1 cup ketchup
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1/4 cup cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 tablespoon coarsely ground pepper or to taste
  • 1 three and half pound first-cut brisket, rinsed and patted thoroughly dry.

Instructions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place everything but the brisket into a blender and puree until smooth.

Place brisket, fat side up, into a heavy baking pan just large enough to hold it, and pour sauce over it. (If you are using the 3.5 pound brisket, you will probably have a little sauce left over. If you are using the 6 or 7 pound brisket, you will need all the sauce.) Cover tightly and bake for 2 hours. Turn brisket over and bake uncovered for one more hour or until fork-tender. Cool, cover brisket and refrigerate overnight in cooking pan.

The next day, transfer brisket to a cutting board, cut off fat and cut with a sharp knife against grain, to desired thickness. Remove any congealed fat from sauce and bring to a boil on top of stove.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Taste sauce to see if it needs reducing. If so, boil it down for a few minutes or as needed. Return meat to sauce and warm in oven for 20 minutes. Serve warm.