Brisket is one of the most iconic Jewish American dishes, though every family and every Jewish cook has their own way of preparing the meat. But before you are ready to decide on a recipe for your holiday table, do you ever ask where the meat comes from?
When I became pregnant with my daughter four years ago, and then again when we started serving our daughter solid food, my husband and I really began to think critically about the kind of food we were putting into our bodies and wanted to know where our meat was coming from. In the kosher world, the answer can be pretty depressing at times.
Grow and Behold is one of the few kosher companies providing pasture-raised meat. It’s not just kosher; it’s a higher quality of meat and the taste really shows. But more than that, it’s Glatt kosher meat you can feel good about feeding your family. Grow and Behold meats are produced from animals that spend the majority of their time living on pasture. No meat grown in a factory, but part of a healthy ecosystem.
While they are not available in stores, they offer free weekly home delivery in the New York City area and ship nation-wide anywhere that FedEx delivers. If you are looking to try something new to serve your family this Rosh Hashanah, give Grow and Behold a try, but order soon to get your meat in time for the holidays.
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I had a chance to get my hands on one of their beautiful briskets recently, and want to share our step-by-step simple cooking method for a classic, delicious (and easy) brisket. Check out our video below.
Regardless of the recipe you use, something new, old, traditional or not, there are a few important tips to remember when cooking brisket.
- How much meat? You will need around 1/4-1/3 pound per person, depending on the appetite of your guests and how many other dishes you are serving.
- Equipment? Cook the brisket in a Dutch oven, crock pot or pan where you can seal tightly with foil.
- How long should it cook? Cook until tender, not necessarily a specific temperature, which can be anywhere from 2-6 hours depending on the size of the brisket. It’s done when you can easily pull the meat apart with a fork.
- Pro tip: Brisket is better the next day. Cool, then refrigerate in the cooking liquid. Reheat in liquid at a low temperature so it doesn’t dry out.
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Ingredients
6 lb brisket
2 onions, sliced
1 Tbsp dried onions
1 Tbsp dried oregano
1 Tbsp dried parsley
1/2 Tbsp paprika
2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp kosher salt
1/3 cup ketchup
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 bottle beer
1/2 bottle of red wine
Directions
Remove brisket from the fridge and allow to come to sit for 30 minutes.
Heat a few Tbsp olive oil over medium high heat in a large pan.
Sear brisket on each side until brown and caramelized, about 5-7 minutes each side, though possibly a bit longer.
Remove brisket from pan and place into dutch oven or large baking pan.
Add another Tbsp olive oil to pan and sliced onions. Saute onions until translucent, scraping brown bits off the bottom as you cook.
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
When onions are completely soft and translucent, remove from pan and place on top of the brisket in pan.
In a small bowl combine dried onion, oregano, parsley, paprika, black pepper and salt. Add beer and mix. Pour over brisket.
In another small bowl, combine ketchup and brown sugar. Pour over brisket. Pour in about half bottle of red wine, or until brisket is at least half submerged in liquid.
Cover with lid or tin foil. Cook for 3-4 hours.
Allow to cool slightly. Remove brisket from pan and slice brisket, cutting against the grain. Place brisket back into sauce.
When ready to serve, reheat.
kosher
Pronounced: KOH-sher, Origin: Hebrew, adhering to kashrut, the traditional Jewish dietary laws.
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