Food for Thought: How to Cook the Ultimate Holiday Brisket

Brisket is a popular choice for holiday tables because it is both flavorful and affordable says Chef Lisa Schroeder (www.lisaschroeder.com). Named “Chef/Restaurateur of 2010” by the International Association of Culinary Professionals, she excels at what she calls “Mother Food,” traditional slow-cooked dishes loaded with love.

She tells Food for Thought (FFT) she favors cooking a whole brisket because “It’s cheaper by the pound and gives you the best of both worlds: all the delicious fat and connective tissue that makes the meat succulent, tender and flavorful, and the volume so there is plenty for everyone.”

If a whole brisket is too unwieldy, she says to ask the butcher for a “front cut,” which is half the size.

To compliment the feast, she likes to cook potatoes right in with the meat “so they soak up the juices and become mouth-wateringly flavorful.” Add a fresh green vegetable like sautéed green beans, Brussels sprouts or grilled asparagus and you are done.

Chef Schroeder is happy to share her mother’s recipe for braised brisket. “To me it was and always will be the best.” Even better, it reheats beautifully so it can be cooked a day ahead. Remember to slice across the grain!

To purchase your brisket in time to cook it with the proper amount of "love," visit the following venues.

Town Meat Market, Garden City

The Town Meat Market aims to please and they have had plenty of practice. Serving Garden City and neighboring villages for more than 50 years, they have every conceivable type of meat: beef, chicken, pork and veal.

Their pantry also includes fish, appetizers, specialty foods, soups, sides and gravies. All of their meat is prime, says a spokesperson, and as far as brisket goes he says, “We carry the best.” Call ahead to order your holiday feast.

, Wantagh, New Hyde Park, Woodbury

With four generations of experience in quality and service, Iavarone Brothers is one of the top specialty foods companies in the area. Executive Chef Marco Giacometti tells FFT to always buy fresh brisket, not frozen, and ask for the “nose” or the fatty slab on top, to be trimmed. “You don’t need to pay for extra fat; brisket is inherently fatty.”

He sells Black Angus brand brisket and says to allow about ¾ pound per person. Though it takes hours to cook, be careful not to overcook or “it will fall apart.”

Suburbia Prime Meat & Fish Market, Merrick

With its “classic” rock n’roll décor and fun vibe, Suburbia is a different take on a traditional butcher shop and that’s just how owner David Feldman likes it. He serves top quality meats at reasonable prices to a very loyal clientele.

His brisket is prime meat and he suggests people buy a “well-marbled cut.” He adds that cooking until fork tender means “pulling the fork out of the brisket without picking up the meat and always slice across the grain.”  

RECIPE

Mother’s Beef Brisket Recipe from Chef Lisa Schroeder

Makes 12 to 14 servings

INGREDIENTS

1 whole beef brisket, about 10 pounds

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons salt (divided)

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper (divided)

1 1/2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoon Hungarian sweet paprika (divided)

1/3 cup vegetable oil

10 cups finely diced yellow onions (about 10 medium)

4 pounds red potatoes with skins (about 12)

2 quarts (8 cups) veal or beef stock, or canned low-sodium beef broth

DIRECTIONS

1. Using a long, sharp knife, trim excess fat from brisket to about 1/8 inch. Season evenly and all over the meat with 2 tablespoons of the salt, 1 tablespoon of the pepper (use less salt if using canned broth) and 1 1/2 tablespoons of the paprika.

2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Place a Dutch oven or deep roasting pan over high heat for several minutes (make sure the pan is large enough to fit the brisket lying down). You may need to cut the meat to fit into the pan. Be sure to cut it at the obvious, natural seam, which separates the fattier deckle from the lean first cut. This will make it easier to cut in the right direction for serving. When hot, add the oil and heat until shimmering. Add the brisket and brown for about 3 to 4 minutes on one side, then turn over and brown the other side, about 3 to 4 minutes more. Remove from the pot and set aside on a baking sheet or large plate.

3. Reduce heat to medium-high and add the diced onions to the pan. Sauté until they start to brown slightly. Lower the heat to medium, and continue to cook until they are very soft and slightly browned, about 15 minutes.

4. Return the brisket to the pot with the onions and pour in enough stock to barely cover the meat (you may need more or less depending on the size of the brisket and dimensions of the pot). Bring to a boil over high heat. Remove from heat, cover the pan tightly with either aluminum foil or a lid, and place in the oven.

5. While the brisket is cooking, cut the potatoes into 1-inch chunks. Keep them in cold water until ready to use.

6. After the brisket has cooked for 1½ hours, drain the potatoes in a colander and place in a large bowl. Toss the potatoes with remaining 2 teaspoons salt, 2 teaspoons pepper and 2 teaspoons paprika.

7. Remove the lid from the brisket and flip it so the top is now the bottom and submerged in the cooking liquid. Arrange the potatoes around the meat, making sure that most are submerged in the liquid rather than on top of the meat. Cover the pot and return it to the oven for another 45 minutes.

8. Remove cover from the pot (but if a lot of the meat is above the liquid, throw a piece of aluminum foil on top of it) and continue to cook until the potatoes are fork-tender (the fork should slide in and out without resistance), some of the liquid has reduced, and the brisket is done, about another 45 minutes. To check the doneness of the brisket, pierce it with a two-pronged fork. If the meat falls away and back into the pan, it is done. If the meat offers resistance or clings to the fork, return to the oven and continue to cook for another 30 minutes (or until it’s done, checking occasionally. There’s nothing worse than an underdone brisket. What a waste!).

9. Remove the pot from the oven. Using a wide spatula or tongs, lift the brisket out and place on a cutting board. Use a slotted spoon or spider to lift the potatoes out of the liquid and transfer to a serving bowl. Cover with foil to keep the potatoes warm while you cut the brisket.

10. Using a thin, sharp slicing knife, cut the brisket against the grain (Love Note), into ¼-inch-thick slices. (The grain pattern shifts from one direction in the thinner flat end to a slightly different direction in the thicker, fattier point end. Just keep an eye on the meat and shift the angle of your knife to accommodate. If you cooked them together, you can also separate the pieces of meat and slice them separately, making sure everyone gets a little of each.) Place slices on a serving platter. Pour a small amount of the gravy onto the meat. Pour the rest of the gravy into a sauce boat and pass with the potatoes and meat.

Whether you’re carving a turkey or slicing brisket, always cut the meat across the grain. This shortens the muscle strands, which makes the meat easier to chew and more tender.