Easy holiday beef brisket - Brief Article - Recipe

Sunset, Dec, 2000 by Linda Lau Anusasananan

Jewish family favorite for a traditional holiday meal

Nashville native Ruth Silvian became a Jewish cook through marriage. In 1940, touring the country as a dancer in musical revues, she met a nice young man who happened to be the son of a rabbi. Some culinary realignment was in order. After a self-directed tutorial on the Jewish kitchen--studying cookbooks and collecting recipes from neighbors--Silvian struck upon her own blend of Southern style and kosher traditions.

One of her specialties is twice baked beef brisket topped with slow cooked onions. When she visits her daughter, Mary Beth Taggart, in Novato, California, the entire family requests this mildly sweet-and-sour dish, along with the accompaniments she typically gives it: boiled red potatoes, candied carrots, and asparagus. If they're celebrating Hanukkah, they start with latkes, and Taggart adds a light salad of greens with fruit and an apple pie for dessert.

Silvian advocates braising the brisket at least one day before serving it, then chilling the meat and sauce separately. When the cold meat is sliced, then reunited with its onion sauce for reheating, it soaks up the pan juices and becomes amazingly moist and succulent. Double baking also gets a lot of the prep work for a large dinner party out of the way ahead of time.

Twice-baked Beef Brisket with Onions

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 5 hours, plus about 2 hours to cool

NOTES: Purchase a whole fresh beef brisket (not corned) or 2 center-cut pieces. Oven-braise the brisket up to 2 days ahead; chill meat and pan juices separately. To serve, slice meat and reheat in sauce. If desired, divide pan juices and meat evenly between 2 casseroles (9 by 13 in. each) in step 3.

MAKES: 16 to 18 servings

1 beef brisket (7 to 8 lb.; see notes)

2 envelopes onion soup mix (1 oz. each)

2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar

2 onions (1/2 lb. each), peeled and thinly sliced

1 1/2 cups dry red wine

Salt

1. Trim and discard fat from brisket; rinse meat. Lay brisket, fattiest side up, in a 12- by 17-inch roasting pan. Sprinkle onion soup mix, brown sugar, and onions evenly over meat. Pour wine evenly over onions. Cover pan tightly.

2. Bake in a 325[degrees] oven until brisket is very tender when pierced, 3 1/2 to 4 hours. With 2 wide spatulas, transfer meat to a platter. Let meat and juices cool about 2 hours. Cover separately and chill until meat is cold, at least 4 hours or up to 2 days.

3. Lift off and discard solid fat from pan juices. Thinly slice brisket across the grain, leaving slices in place; with a wide spatula, transfer neatly to pan with juices. Cover pan tightly with foil.

4. Bake in a 350[degrees] oven until meat is hot, 40 to 50 minutes. Serve with pan juices. Add salt to taste.

Per serving: 268 cal., 40% (108 cal.) from fat; 27 g protein; 12 g fat (4.1 g sat.); 12 g carbo (0.4 g fiber); 350mg sodium; 84 mg chol.

Salad with Cranberries, Pears, and Cashews

PREP TIME: About 30 minutes

NOTES: Instead of salad mix, you can use bite-size pieces rinsed and crisped iceberg lettuce; you'll need about 2 heads (3 to 3 1/2 lb. total). The recipe can be halved to serve a smaller crowd.

MAKES: 16 to 18 servings

1 1/2 teaspoons grated orange peel

1/3 cup orange juice

1/2 cup raspberry vinegar

1/4 cup salad oil

2 tablespoons honey

1 cup sweetened dried cranberries

3 firm-ripe Bosc pears (7 oz. each)

12 quarts salad mix (1 1/3 lb.), rinsed and crisped (see notes)

1 cup roasted salted cashews

Salt and pepper

1. In a wide 10- to 12-quart bowl, mix orange peel, orange juice, vinegar, oil, and honey Add cranberries.

2. Rinse, dry, quarter, and core pears; cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices and put in bowl. Mix gently.

3. Add salad mix and cashews; mix gently to coat with dressing. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Per serving: 126 cal., 48% (60 cal.) from fat; 1.7 g protein; 6.7 g fat (1.1 g sat.); 16 g carbo (1.9 g fiber); 53 mg sodium; 0mg chol.