Levana’s Easy Sweet-And-Sour Brisket
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
Adapted from “Levana’s Table: Kosher Cooking For Everyone,” by Levana Kirschenbaum, I have taken some liberties with this recipe. This tasty, tangy brisket shines for two reasons: It gets a zing from the addition of Coca Cola (a Southern twist) and it’s the only brisket recipe in my book with a blender sauce. If a whole bunch of ingredients and a little prep seem daunting, maybe get someone to chop/dice for you and wash your measuring spoons/cups/blender. Cook this the day before so all the flavors can marry and so you can easily skim any cooled fat off.
Serves 10–12
1 medium onion, peeled and quartered
One 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled
6 large cloves garlic
¼ cup Dijon mustard
½ cup dry red wine
1½ cups Coca-Cola
1 cup ketchup
¼ cup honey
¼ cup cider vinegar
¼ cup soy sauce
½ cup olive oil
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon each sea salt and coarsely ground black pepper
One 6- to 7-pound first-cut brisket
1) Preheat the oven to 350° F.
2) Put everything but the brisket into a food processor and process with the steel blade until smooth.
3) Place the brisket, fat side up, into a heavy baking pan (or a Dutch oven) just large enough to hold it, and pour the sauce all over it. Cover tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil (or put the top on) and bake for 2 hours. Turn bake uncovered for 1 more hour or until fork tender. (Hint: I don’t always do this.) Cool the brisket in the pan, then cover the pan and refrigerate overnight.
4) The next day, preheat the oven to 350° F. Transfer the brisket to a cutting board, cut off the fat, and cut your slices against the grain.
5) Taste the sauce to see if it needs reducing. If so, boil it down on the stove for a few minutes. Once it’s the way you want it, return the brisket to the sauce and warm in the oven for about 30 minutes.
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Levana Kirschenbaum is author of kosher cookbooks including “The Whole Foods Kosher Kitchen: Glorious Meals Pure and Simple.” She is founder of Levana Meal Replacement. Her blog is Levana Cooks.
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