Shortly after we moved back to the U.S. from France (some ten years ago) my kids befriended our new-to-us neighbors. In fact, as luck would have it, our two families hit it off; and it was often there that we’d all end up after school or on Friday evenings, staying for dinner, never running out of things to talk about.
My neighbor and her husband weren’t strict with their religion, but they did honor it, and they celebrated Jewish holidays. One year she invited my kids to a Passover seder. My five-year-old daughter and eight-year-old son came home wide-eyed that night, talking about the singing and readings in a language they didn’t know, and about a very delicious “soup with mushy balls in it.”
I think I’d call my friend a modern Jewish cook. She loved food and making it, she loved traditions, but she also loved bringing her own sensibility to what she made. Maybe that’s why Leah Koenig‘s Modern Jewish Cooking struck a chord with (gentile) me. I’m a sucker for culinary cultures and traditions where the past connects one generation to the next, each one bringing its own touch to the table.
We lost touch with our old neighbors after we moved again, although I miss their family and their friendship (and their food) still. I keep meaning to write, but maybe instead I should send a copy of Modern Jewish Cooking, and reconnect in my own modern way.
— Shelly
“For many people, brisket is the Proustian madeleine of Jewish cooking. The rich, savory scent of caramelizing meat that perfumes the house as it cooks seems to stir people into a nostalgia-fueled fervor. There is no question that the brisket your bubbe made was the best ever, and you cannot compete with the layers of memories that flavor her version in your mind. That’s okay, because you have a few tricks of your own up your sleeve. This version slow-cooks the meat in a sweet and tangy mixture of honey and red wine until it sighs and falls apart at the touch of a fork. I included the red wine as a nod to stracotto, the Roman Jewish take on brisket, which simmers beef in wine and spices. Serve it for Rosh Hashanah dinner, and start building the next generation of memories.” — Leah Koenig
Modern Jewish Cooking
Recipes and Customs for Today’s Kitchen
by Leah Koenig
Photography by Sang An
Chronicle Books
- 4-5 lb / 1.8-2.3 kg brisket, preferably second cut
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 3 large yellow onions, halved through the root and thinly sliced
- 8 sprigs fresh thyme
- 8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 2 bay leaves
- 1½ cups / 360 ml dry red wine
- 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- ¼ cup /95 g honey
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic poweder
- 1 cup /240 ml chicken broth
- Preheat the oven to 325°F/165°C. Generously sprinkle both sides of the brisket with salt and pepper.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a Dutch oven or large pot set over medium-high heat. Add the brisket and cook, turning once, until browned on both sides, 8 to 10 minutes total. (If the brisket does not fit all at once, cut it in half and sear it in batches.)
- Remove the brisket from the pot and set aside on a cutting board. Add the onions, thyme, garlic, and bay leaves to the pot, followed by ½ cup/120 ml of the wine and the vinegar. Cook, stirring often, until the onions soften slightly and the mixture is fragrant, about 5 minutes.
- Whisk together the remaining 1 cup/240 ml wine, honey, onion powder, garlic powder, broth, and 1 tsp salt in a medium bowl until fully combined. If you used a Dutch oven, lay the brisket on top of the onions and pour the wine mixture over the top. Cover and transfer to the oven. If you used a pot, transfer the onion mixture to a roasting pan and top with the brisket. Pour the wine mixture over the top. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and transfer to the oven.
- Cook the brisket for 2 hours. Remove from the oven, uncover, and carefully turn the meat to the other side. Re-cover and continue cooking until the meat is fork-tender, 2 to 21/2 hours more.
- Remove from the oven and transfer the brisket to a cutting board. Cover loosely with foil and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing. Locate the thin lines running in one direction along the brisket and use a sharp knife to cut thin slices perpendicular to those lines. Remove and discard the thyme sprigs and bay leaves from the cooking liquid. Use a slotted spoon to remove the onions and arrange around the brisket. Spoon the desired amount of pan juices over the brisket. Serve hot.
Brisket’s flavor and texture improve with age, so while you can certainly serve it right away, it will taste best if you make it a day in advance. Once the brisket has chilled in the refrigerator overnight, spoon off and discard any excess fat congealed at the top and transfer the meat to a cutting board. Thinly slice the brisket against the grain (meat is easier to slice when it’s cold), then place the slices back into the Dutch oven or roasting pan, spooning some of the saucy onion mixture over the top. Warm in a 300°F/150°C oven until hot and bubbling, 20 to 30 minutes.
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