April is by far my favorite month of the year. This time of year holds so much promise and renewed hope for a great year that it leaves one feeling uplifted. In my world, April is filled with holiday celebrations, birthdays, and season openers around major league baseball. Where usually all of these fun events are sprinkled throughout the month of April, this year all the goodness is wrapped up in one week. This means lots of dinners, drinks, and cooking crammed into 7 days for my family.
Between April 5th and April 12th of this month we will celebrate Passover, Easter, my Father's 60th birthday, and my 29th. This "holy" week has been a somber one for me since September 2001 when my father died. We spent every year around this time celebrating the holidays and our birthdays together. Let me not forget that we also were always in "our" seats at Shea Stadium cheering on the NY Mets on Opening Day during the first weeks of April.
As an adult and soon to be wife, I have slated this week to hold a more positive feel from this point moving forward. This year I will partake in two Passover meals starting with one in my home. The second night will be spent in my mothers home with our loved ones. At our dining tables, we will be bringing together our traditional family with our informal one (friends that are our family). We will share wine and break matzo in environments filled with laughs and hope. This year I will honor his life and continue to prepare for my newly evolving one.
This weeks recipe comes straight from my mom's kitchen (with a few of my own tweeks thrown in along the way). I am beyond thrilled and so proud to share this recipe with you all this week. I have personally eaten this brisket for so many of the Jewish holidays that I have lost track. Some of my fondest memories of family gatherings include platters of this sweet and savory brisket in the center of the table. I remember traveling home from college for Passover and smelling the brisket from the driveway when mom was working in the kitchen. Although it is a 2 day process, this brisket has so much flavor and tradition behind it, that it is well worth the wait. I began testing out my own ways of making my mom's recipe over the past 4 years and I think that I have come up with a great product that even she is proud of.
Before venturing into the world of braising, it is important to understand the cut. Brisket comes from the chest portion of the cow. While it is super flavorful, it can be tough and chewy. Thus, it is best to use brisket for pot roasts and for braising as we are in this recipe. What you are left with at the end of the day is a succulent and fork tender meat that gets tastier and tastier over time. Enjoy!
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours
Ingredients:
1 (5-7 lb) brisket, washed and drained
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 can Coca-Cola
1/2 cup dry red wine
1/4 cup honey
4-5 Tbsp. ketchup
1 cup baby carrots
1 Lipton onion soup packet
salt
pepper
My Tip: get a disposible aluminum roasting pan to prepare and cook your brisket in. It provides enough space for this huge slab and beef and can be thrown away at the end of the meal.
Preparation:
1. Place brisket in a roasting pan. Mix all seasonings and liquids together in a mixing bowl and pour over brisket.
2. Preheat oven to 325° Fahrenheit.
3. Cover and bake at 325° Fahrenheit for approximately 4 hours, flipping half way through the cooking process to ensure even cooking and coverage in liquid.
4. Remove from the oven and set on counter. When cool, thinly slice the brisket against the grain. It is very important to remember to slice the brisket correctly. Otherwise, you will have chewier pieces. As you slice, place the meat back into the pan juices.
5. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
6. Remove brisket from the fridge an hour or 2 prior to reheating. Let it get to room temp on your counter.
7. Heat oven to 375 degrees and reheat covered for 1 hour or until heated through. Half way through, add in your baby carrots.
My Tip: It is best to prepare the brisket the evening before it is served as the taste is enhanced after it sits in the fridge.
As I gear up to celebrate a week filled with many joys, I wanted to reflect a bit on starting my last year of of 20's. I feel as though I have found my comfort zone and my voice. I am so in love with my life and am excited about the direction that it is headed. Who knows what the next year of my life will bring (other than marrying the most amazing man at the end of the year). What i am sure of is that I will make sure that it will be filled with food and ALOT of love.
I will repeat myself and say that I continue to be grateful for this platform (my blog). I know that my dad would be reading this weekly and may have even been a contributor at some point with his cooking talent. I am sure of this because he was my biggest cheerleader. I miss him every minute of everyday. He loved unconditionally and in return I now love just the same. He was a remarkable man and I dedicate this blog to him.
Happy 60th Birthday, Pops and happy eating to all!
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