Mom would be impressed by this brisket
Brisket, for me, is an aromatic memory. The scent of it wafted through my childhood home for hours as the meat braised slowly, with the familiar bouquet of bay leaf and onion, the beefy perfume of the simmering broth.
Granted, this was quite a few years ago, in the fairy-tale land of brisket and noodle kugel, where all was right with the world.
My mother was a brisket expert, with a method from which she never veered. First, she would shower the meat with a popular commercial brand of “seasoned salt,” then slice up an onion or two. The brisket was plunked into a large copper-bottomed Revere Ware skillet (she had the whole set, down to the smallest saucepan). A bay leaf and a couple of cups of water were the only other ingredients — though it’s possible there was a beef bouillon cube tossed in too.
The lid went on, and the meat was placed in the oven at a low temperature. Three or four hours later, out came a perfect brisket, deeply flavored, moist and succulent. It was a foolproof recipe with no bells or whistles. The only variable was the meat itself. If it was well marbled with fat, the result was juicy; if it was too lean, it could be dry. Fatter was always preferable.
I had tasted others families’ versions of brisket, some made with ketchup or chili sauce, some in a sweet-and-sour sauce, some teriyaki-esque. None could compare; my mother’s was far superior. I loved the intense flavor of the broth and nibbling on the salty long-cooked onions. It was so tender, you could cut it with a fork.
It was welcome for a weeknight dinner, or a cold sandwich the next day, but it was also special enough to serve on Friday night. For the Jewish New Year, it was absolutely standard fare.
Like beef short ribs, a prime brisket is no longer the cheap cut it once was. But the investment is well worth it. Among its other virtues, it tastes best prepared a day or two in advance and reheated.
Cooking a brisket last week, I aimed for the benchmark example I was raised on. There were minor differences. One was making my own seasoned salt with salt, pepper, paprika and cayenne. Adding a few cloves and allspice berries seemed appropriate. I also wanted tons of caramelized stewed onions, which I cooked separately on top of the stove.
While my brisket could not, of course, compete with the glorified-in-memory perfection of my mother’s, the heady aroma swirling around my apartment came pretty close.
Classic beef brisket with caramelized onions Time: Yield:
About 4 hours, plus overnight marinating
6 to 8 servings 3 tablespoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper 1 teaspoon paprika (preferably Hungarian)
Pinch of cayenne
5 to 7 pounds beef brisket, not too lean
1 cup red or white wine
12 cloves 1 whole head of garlic
3 bay leaves
3 allspice berries
6 large onions, peeled, and sliced crosswise 1/4-inch thick 3 tablespoons olive oil
Parsley sprigs, for garnish
1/4 cup slivered scallions (optional)
In a small bowl, mix together salt, pepper, paprika and cayenne. Season brisket generously on all sides with salt mixture. (Use about 2 tablespoons and reserve remaining mixture.) If possible, wrap and refrigerate several hours or overnight, then bring to room temperature.
Heat oven to 300 degrees. Place brisket in a shallow roasting pan or earthenware baking dish. Pour wine and 2 cups water over the brisket, then add cloves, garlic, bay leaves and allspice berries.
Scatter about 1/3 of the sliced
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onions over brisket. Cover with foil or a tight-fitting lid. Place in oven and bake for about 3 hours or until meat is quite tender when probed with a fork. (Be careful not to overcook; you want slices, not shreds.)
Meanwhile, place a large skillet over high heat and add olive oil. Add remaining onions and season with remaining salt mixture. As onions begin to brown, reduce heat to medium. Cook, uncovered, turning onion slices with a spatula every few minutes until caramelized and fork-tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Add 1/2 cup water to onions and simmer a few minutes more. (For more flavor, use broth from the brisket pan instead.) Onions may be prepared in advance and reheated.
To serve, transfer brisket to a cutting board. Trim extraneous fat from meat. With a large knife, cut meat across the grain into 1/4inch slices. Strain braising liquid into a saucepan (discard solids left in strainer) and skim any rising fat from surface.
Arrange sliced meat on a platter. Cover with caramelized onions and ladle some hot braising liquid over. Garnish with parsley sprigs and sprinkle with scallions, if using. Serve remaining juices separately.
For ease of serving (and increased flavor) prepare the brisket a day in advance, cover with braising juices and refrigerate. Next day, lift the lid off and discard congealed fat. Reheat, covered, in a 350-degree oven for about 1 hour.
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