Sometimes, yes, that is – sometimes – I don’t test tradition. In the case of brisket, I hesitated and reached out to my father for a recipe recommendation. He quickly sent me a link to Nach Waxman’s recipe for Brisket of Beef on Food52.com. Not only has this recipe been crafted from the best parts of Waxman’s traditions – it’s been served to the Obamas and acclaimed by writers who claim they are the biggest “lovers of brisket.” And, I’ll give it to these folks – the recipe is amazing. It is a test of patience and time but is the most tender and rich of briskets that I’ve eaten. It obviously smells good too – do you see Winston on the left of the photo??
Food 52 summarizes this recipe saying, “Waxman says he will “absolutely” be serving this recipe for Hanukkah, with latkes, pickled green tomatoes, and sauerkraut warmed in a little olive oil and beer. Another friend said that this would be akin to serving roast turkey on Halloween. Whatever your tradition tells you is right — and whether you’re a brisket newbie or an old hand — this recipe will make this winter better than the last.” I agree, my winter is so much better in making this.
I served this brisket between fluffy rolls in slider-form for my #HappyEverything cocktail party. They were a huge hit and all 3.5 pounds of brisket was devoured!
- 1, 6-pound first-cut (a.k.a. flat-cut) beef brisket, trimmed so that a thin layer of fat remains (we only ought 3.5 pounds)
- 1 to 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons corn oil (or other neutral oil)
- 8 medium onions, peeled and thickly sliced (we used 4)
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- Kosher salt
- 2 to 4 cloves garlic
- 1 carrot, peeled (we used 2)
Heat the oven to 350°F.
Spread the tomato paste over the brisket as if you were icing a cake. Sprinkle with salt and more pepper to taste, then add the garlic and carrot to the pot. Cover the pot, transfer to the oven, and cook the brisket for 1 1/2 hours.
Mod Meals on Mendenhall 