Talk about versatile! Brisket of beef speaks with more accents than a nightclub comic. It is a standby on the steam tables of Jewish delis, a popular choice for barbecue or smoking–especially in Texas–and the centerpiece of New England boiled dinners. The Irish and others love it “corned,” or cured in a brine.
This cut, which appears on countless tables during Jewish holidays such as the upcoming Rosh Hashanah, is not pretty. It is fatty and can be tough, a lesser cut (meaning less expensive and more chewy than sirloin or tenderloin) from the chest of the cow.
So what is the source of its popularity?
“To me, brisket is the best-flavored meat of all,” says Jerry Lekan, owner of Paulina Market, a North Side butcher shop.
A brisket may be as small as 2 pounds or as large as 12, depending on how the butcher cuts it. Bones usually are removed by the butcher and the roast may be divided into a “flat cut” piece and a “point cut” or “cap” or “nose.” The flat cut has more meat, the cap more fat. When barbecuing or smoking a brisket, chefs prefer to cook both together so the fat from the cap can baste the flat.
In supermarkets, though, the typical brisket is flat and heavily trimmed. It has a triangular shape with firm muscle fibers running in one direction known as the “grain.” The meat must be sliced across the grain into thin slices after it is cooked (as with flank or skirt steak) for easy chewing.
How to cook it
Brisket takes well to countless methods. Cook it in water, wine or even in cola, but by all means cook it slowly and gently. It needs to be massaged with moist heat to soften the connective tissue and to release its full, meaty flavor.
A brisket may be roasted, but be prepared to wonder why you did so as you chew and chew. The best method for cooking this cut is braising, the French technique that calls for cooking meat at a low temperature in a small amount of liquid with aromatic vegetables. (Never let the cooking liquid get above a simmer: Boiling can toughen it beyond redemption.)
To test for doneness, stick a fork into the brisket. When it requires only a light pull as the fork is removed, it is fork tender.
Another route to tenderness is the pressure cooker. You save time and maximize flavor, but there is a trade-off: The meat shrinks more.
With brisket, chefs counsel the cook to leave the fat on during cooking, then trim the excess at the end and skim it from the sauce. If the brisket is cooked ahead and chilled in its broth, the cook can easily remove the fat when it rises to the top and solidifies.
For preparing two or three days ahead, cook the brisket, then slice and refrigerate, covered in its pan juices. Reheat it, covered, 40 minutes in a 350-degree oven.
Not only does the versatile brisket benefit from being cooked ahead and reheated, it also can become the source of delicious leftover creations, from soups and hash to fillings for dumplings, cabbage or bell peppers.
Brisket makes a perfect partner to sweet fruits, sauces and sweet vegetables especially. Onion and carrot are almost indispensable in cooking brisket. Root vegetables are frequent accompaniments. Horseradish and mustard are traditional condiments.
The story of brisket
Joan Nathan, whose books chronicle Jewish culinary culture, says brisket was reserved for the wealthy in 19th Century Europe and often served at weddings and other celebrations. In this country, she says, two factors helped increase consumption of it among the immigrant population. First, the introduction of refrigerated rail transportation made beef more widely available at cheaper prices. Second, the introduction of vegetable shortening meant cooks were no longer dependent on the fat of geese and chickens for baking and frying, so families ate less poultry and more beef.
Despite its generous proportion of fat and the necessity for long cooking, Nathan finds it convenient in other ways.
“It’s an ideal party dish,” she says. “I always use it for my Rosh Hashanah party. I cook it the day before, trim and skim the fat and slice the meat, then cover it with the sauce and refrigerate or freeze it in a pan. The day of the party all I need to do is heat it up. I serve 30 or so guests buffet style, with the meat on a platter and lots of salads around it. People are seated everywhere, but that’s no problem because the brisket is so easy to cut and so easy to eat.”
Symbols of a sweet New Year
September brings two of the most important Jewish holidays. Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year (welcoming 5762), will be celebrated from sunset Monday through Wednesday evening. Yom Kippur, the day of atonement, is celebrated this year from sunset on Sept. 26 through the evening of Sept. 27. The two are linked. At Rosh Hashanah, Jews look ahead to the New Year but then, for 10 days of repentance, look back and examine their actions during the year past. This culminates with the Yom Kippur observance.
According to the Jewish Theological Seminary, foods associated with Rosh Hashanah include honey (symbolizing the hope for a sweet New Year) and challah. The honey may be combined with apples or used to make cake, cookies or a pastry called tagelah. Challah, a celebratory bread that usually is braided, is made into a round to represent the cycle of the seasons and the never-ending circle of life. Eating pomegranates provides many seeds that represent good deeds to be performed in the year ahead.
Yom Kippur is notable for its lack of food. Jews fast for 24 hours as they contemplate their misdeeds and ask forgiveness, but then will feast joyfully during the evening of Sept. 27. Foods served at holiday time with symbolic meaning include fish (fertility), seasonal vegetables (abundance) and dates (beauty and peace).
— William Rice
Brisket with tomato and carrots
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 3 hours, 45 minutes
Yield: 10 servings
This recipe is an adaptation of Joan Nathan’s favorite brisket, found in her book “Jewish Cooking in America.” Serve this with noodle kugel or potato pancakes.
1 brisket, about 5 pounds
1 clove garlic
2 teaspoons salt
Freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 onions, chopped
2 ribs celery with leaves, chopped
2 cups red wine
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) whole tomatoes
1 each: bay leaf, sprig fresh thyme, sprig fresh rosemary
7 carrots, peeled, sliced on diagonal
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Rub brisket with garlic; sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Heat oil in large Dutch oven or casserole over high heat. Add brisket; brown on one side, about 5 minutes. Turn; brown 5 minutes. Remove brisket to a plate.
2. Add onions to same pot; cook, stirring often, until soft, about 5 minutes. Return brisket, fat side up, to pan. Add celery, red wine, tomatoes, bay leaf, thyme and rosemary. Cover; place in oven. Cook 3 hours, basting occasionally with pan juices if desired.
3. Remove from oven. Add carrots and parsley. Return to oven; cook, uncovered, until carrots and meat are tender, about 30 minutes longer. Remove meat to cutting board; let cool 15 minutes. Slice across the grain. Skim fat from pan juices. Serve meat with pan juices and vegetables.
Nutrition information per serving:
615 calories, 60% calories from fat, 41 g fat, 15 g saturated fat, 150 mg cholesterol, 705 mg sodium, 13 g carbohydrate, 45 g protein, 2.9 g fiber
Southwestern brisket
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour
Yield: 6 servings
This flavorful dish is from a recipe adapted from “Express Cooking,” by Barry Bluestein and Kevin Morrissey, who use the pressure cooker to reduce cooking time.
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup tomato sauce
1/4 cup each: cider vinegar, firmly packed light brown sugar
1 small yellow onion, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon each: salt, mesquite-flavored liquid smoke, ground coriander, hot or sweet paprika
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 brisket, about 3 pounds
1. Combine all ingredients except the brisket in pressure cooker. Stir to mix. Add brisket. Spoon sauce over to coat meat. Cover; lock. Heat to high pressure over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to stabilize pressure. Cook 1 hour.
2. Remove the pressure cooker from the heat; let the pressure drop naturally. Carefully remove the cover; transfer meat to a cutting board. Heat the sauce in the uncovered cooker to a boil; reduce for 5 minutes. Thinly slice the meat across the grain; return to the pressure cooker. Simmer 5 minutes.
Note: In the Tribune test kitchen, we used the same ingredients to prepare the brisket in a Dutch oven: Cook in a 325-degree oven until tender, about 3 hours. Transfer brisket to cutting board; let cool 15 minutes. Slice thinly across the grain; place on platter. Skim fat from sauce; pour sauce over brisket.
Nutrition information per serving:
495 calories, 58% calories from fat, 32 g fat, 12 g saturated fat, 120 mg cholesterol, 700 mg sodium, 15 g carbohydrate, 36 g protein, 1.1 g fiber
Easy wine-marinated brisket
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 3 hours
Yield: 6 servings
Adapted from “The New Jewish Holiday Cookbook,” by Gloria Kaufer Greene.
1 cup dry red or white wine
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, grated
1 brisket, 3 to 3 1/2 pounds
1 large onion, halved, sliced
1 pound mushrooms, stems removed, optional
1. Combine wine, soy sauce, garlic and grated onion in large Dutch oven or deep roasting pan. Add brisket; turn to coat both sides. (If desired, marinate brisket for 2 hours or overnight in refrigerator.)
2. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Scatter sliced onion and mushrooms on and around brisket. Cover top of Dutch oven with foil; place lid on top. Cook until brisket is very tender, about 3 hours.
3. Remove brisket to cutting board, reserving juice and onions in pan. Let brisket cool 15 minutes. Thinly slice brisket across the grain; transfer slices to a serving platter. Skim fat from pan juices; pour juice, onions and mushrooms over brisket.
Nutrition information per serving:
450 calories, 61% calories from fat, 31 g fat, 12 g saturated fat, 60 mg cholesterol, 465 mg sodium, 4 g carbohydrate, 36 g protein, 0.5 g fiber
