Food, Burlington VT
Not one to toot my own horn, I have not reviewed recipes I’ve made. However, every now and then there is an occasion that presents itself and changes the rules. This is one of those times.
Last night I had a Rosh Hashanah dinner at my house, because my Jewish friends home was too small for all of us to squeeze in. Each person was responsible for a particular portion of the meal in order to create a sense of community and involvement in the evening. My place had the feeling of the high holiday even though this was my first. It was hard to miss the meaning behind the tradition with an intimate group of friends and the smells of traditional and non traditional Rosh Hashanah foods filling the room.
Of course between my friend and I the day was not without its drama, missing ingredients, under cooked cakes and would be meticulous planning gone awry. All that aside, the meal was outstanding. Latkes were devoured, squash went missing and plates were licked clean where the brisket once lay. This brings me to my point, ahhh brisket who knew?
My portion of the meal was the brisket. Oh yeah sure I’ll cook the brisket, found a great recipe, rave reviews should be great, got it covered.
Oh boy! There is a reason my mother says I always lose my wallet, I do not pay attention. SO of course I wake up the DAY of the Rosh Hashanah dinner and start cooking. I get the brisket in the oven after an hour of chopping and saute-ing and spicing and pushing only to find out you are supposed to cook this bad boy a day in advance!
BUT do not fear all you non-followers of instructions, the brisket did not suffer. I had 7 LBS of meat, the recipe calls for 5 LBS, so It needed to cook an extra hour. In the oven at 9AM, out of the oven by 1:30PM, cooled for a halfy and into the fridge.
Out of the fridge by 6PM, sliced, put back into the pan and into the oven at 350°F for another half an hour and ready to serve. The recipe calls for the creation of gravy, I did not bother with it. The sauce had reduced enough at that point. I added a little wine, stirred ,dumped it all on a plate and presto. Forgot to add the cilantro, but no matter. PLATES were clean by the end of the meal and everyone RAVED about the brisket! I did pretty well for a gentile!
Here my friends is the recipe, and yes you will notice it says “Begin at least one day in ahead.” right at the top, oops. The title links to Epicurious click for reviews and a tons of other amazing recipes. Good luck and Enjoy!
Brisket with dried apricots, prunes, and aromatic spices
Begin this at least one day ahead. Serve with Potato-Leek Matzo Balls and steamed asparagus. What to drink: A full-bodied red with robust fruit, such as Zinfandel or Australian Shiraz.
Makes 8 servings.
2/3 cup quartered dried apricots (about 4 ounces)
9 large garlic cloves
31/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 4 1/2- to 5-pound flat-cut beef brisket
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups chopped onions
2 medium carrots, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup dry red wine
3 cups homemade beef stock or canned low-salt beef broth
2/3 cup pitted prunes, quartered
Chopped fresh cilantro
Combine 1/3 cup apricots, 3 garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon cumin, salt, cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in processor. Using on/off turns, chop to coarse puree. Using small sharp knife, make 1/2-inch-deep slits all over brisket. Set aside 1 tablespoon apricot mixture. Press remaining apricot mixture into slits.
Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 300°F. Heat oil in heavy large ovenproof pot over medium-high heat. Sprinkle brisket all over with salt and pepper. Add brisket to pot and sauté until brown, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to plate, fat side up; spread with reserved 1 tablespoon apricot mixture. Add onions to same pot. Sauté over medium-high heat 5 minutes. Add carrots, ginger, coriander, cayenne pepper, remaining 6 garlic cloves and 2 1/2 teaspoons cumin; sauté 3 minutes. Add wine and boil until reduced almost to glaze, stirring up any browned bits, about 5 minutes. Return brisket to pot. Add stock and bring to simmer. Spoon some of vegetable mixture over brisket.
Cover pot and place in oven. Roast brisket 2 1/2 hours, basting every 30 minutes with pan juices. Add prunes and remaining 1/3 cup apricots. Cover; roast until brisket is tender, about 30 minutes longer. Cool brisket uncovered 1 hour. Chill uncovered until cold, then cover and keep chilled overnight.
Spoon off any solid fat from top of gravy; discard fat. Scrape gravy off brisket into pot. Place brisket on work surface. Slice brisket thinly across grain. Bring gravy in pot to boil over medium-high heat. Boil to thicken slightly, if desired. Season gravy with salt and pepper. Arrange sliced brisket in large oven-proof dish. Spoon gravy over. Cover with foil. (Can be made 2 days ahead; refrigerate.)
Rewarm covered brisket in 350°F oven about 30 minutes (or 40 minutes if chilled). Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.
Recipe from Epicurious.com: Brisket with dried apricots, prunes, and aromatic spices
