Cajun Barbecue Brisket
When you host a hungry team of teenagers, starving after a game or meet, quinoa isn’t going to cut it. We created this Cajun spiced barbecue brisket to rival any smokehouse version. It’s tender, flavorful, and certainly well spiced. Though it takes some time and effort, it’s well worth it. And it’s so much tastier than takeout. We like to cook it a day before we serve it. Since the meat needs to marinate overnight, you may want to start two days in advance. Reheat it in its sauce.
SERVES 8 TO 10
Dry Rub and Brisket
2½ tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons paprika, preferably smoked
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons dry mustard
2 teaspoons onion powder
1½ teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon ground bay leaves
¾ teaspoon ground coriander
¾ teaspoon ground savory
¾ teaspoon dried thyme
⅛ teaspoon ground cumin or chili powder
½ to 1 teaspoon kosher salt
1½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 (5-pound) “second cut” brisket, deckle, or French roast, trimmed of excess fat
The Mop
4 cups beef or chicken stock
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons olive or grapeseed oil
2 to 3 medium onions, chopped (about 2½ cups)
1 celery stalk, chopped
½ red or green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped (about ½ cup)
1 small head garlic, cloves separated and minced
½ teaspoon dry mustard
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne
Finely grated zest and juice of 2 lemons
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 (12-ounce) bottle natural smoky barbecue sauce, or Homemade Barbecue Sauce (see box)
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 medium carrots, peeled, trimmed, and halved lengthwise
The day before you cook the brisket, combine all the dry rub ingredients in a small bowl. Reserve 2 tablespoons for the mop. Rub the remaining dry rub all over the brisket. Put in a resealable plastic bag or a covered container and refrigerate overnight.
Bring the brisket to room temperature.
To make the mop, combine the stock, bay leaves, and oregano in a medium saucepan and bring to a slow simmer over medium heat. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, celery, bell pepper, garlic, mustard, salt, black and white peppers, cayenne, and the reserved 2 tablespoons dry rub and sauté until the vegetables have softened and the mixture is fragrant, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer the mixture to the stock in the saucepan. Add the lemon zest and juice, vinegar, and barbecue sauce and simmer until reduced by one-quarter, 30 to 45 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid, heat the olive oil. Add the brisket and brown, turning once, 3 to 5 minutes per side. (The spices will char a little.) Add the mop and carrots, cover, and braise in the oven until the brisket is tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp-pointed knife, about 1½ hours. Let the brisket sit for 20 minutes then transfer to a cutting board. Set the pot with the mop and carrots aside.
Slice the brisket thinly across the grain, return it to the pot, maintaining its original shape. (You can make the brisket through this point and then refrigerate until the next day.) Cover and return to the oven (still at 350°F), and braise, basting occasionally, until very tender, about 1 hour. Serve.
SHARING STORIES ACROSSTHE GENERATIONS
Gathered around the table in the synagogue kitchen, ninety-three-year-old Leon tried to explain to a group of ten-year-olds that cooking was much more complicated when he was their age. “To make chopped liver, first we had to kill the chicken,” he related.
The children’s eyes widened as they listened to history firsthand. They were gathered in one of the classes from the Jewish Journey Project, an alternative after-school Jewish education program for third-to seventh-graders, conceived by JCC Manhattan. JJP, in conjunction with local synagogues, offers hands-on experiential classes in subjects such as film or cooking, and outreach programs to make Jewish education more relevant to today’s youth. In this particular class, children cook with seniors from DOROT (an Upper West Side organization that serves older adults) while sharing stories and memories.
Leon reminds the children that there was no supermarket, no real recipes, and not very much money back in Poland when he was a child. “We gathered the coins we had and went to the farmer and got what he had and came home and cooked it.” He goes on to explain that none of the families in his village had ovens in their homes. The women would assemble their Shabbat stews from meat, barley, potatoes, and whatever else they had, and they would bring their stews (called cholent) to the communal bakery, which kept its ovens on all night. Shabbat afternoon, the women would stop at the bakery to pick up their cholent for Shabbat lunch. As the community of women came together they would laugh as they tried to identify which of the identical pots belonged to each family.
For Leon, cholent is a metaphor for the Jewish people, all of whom come from different places and perspectives but become so much better and richer when “stewed” together over time. For the children enrolled in the JJP program, who have never heard of a dish that takes twenty-four hours to cook, it’s an eye-opening experience and a meaningful way to learn their cultural history.
So much good happens in these JJP afternoon sessions. The children get a sense of a world that textbooks can never describe, and the seniors become teachers, grandparents, and friends to the children. Everyone learns about Jewish traditions, history, and classic Jewish food.
Meatballs
It’s not easy to make light, delicious, authentic-tasting meatballs without adding milk. These dairy-free meatballs (which work in a kosher kitchen) are so good, though, that any Italian nonna would approve. Serve them over pasta with additional chopped parsley sprinkled on top, or over Sautéed Greens with Shallots (here) or Lemon-Thyme Zucchini “Spaghettini” (here).
SERVES 6 TO 8
½ cup plus 2 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
½ small onion, minced (about ¼ cup)
2 garlic cloves, minced (about 2 teaspoons)
½ cup packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, minced (about ¼ cup)
1 pound ground dark-meat turkey
1 pound ground lean beef
2 (½-inch-thick) slices challah
¼ cup chicken or vegetable stock
1 extra-large egg, beaten
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup bread crumbs (optional)
3 cups marinara sauce (homemade or store-bought)
Heat the 2 teaspoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the parsley, and set aside to cool.
In a large bowl, combine the turkey and beef and mix with your hands. Add the onion mixture and mix into the meats.
In a small bowl, combine the challah with the stock and allow the bread to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the egg, salt, and pepper to the bread mixture, then stir into the meat mixture. Using your hands, mix until the bread has broken down thoroughly and combined with the meat. Let sit for 20 minutes.
Form the mixture into meatballs, using ¼ cup for each. If using bread crumbs, place in a large shallow dish and roll the balls in the crumbs to coat completely. (Breading the meatballs before browning ensures a crustier, classic meatball. You can brown them without the crumbs for a more tender result.) Transfer the coated meatballs to a second plate.
Line a plate with paper towels. In a 12- or 14-inch skillet, heat the ½ cup olive oil over medium heat. Working in batches, brown the meatballs, turning as necessary, 2 to 3 minutes. Do not allow the meatballs to cook through. Place the browned meatballs on the prepared plate.
Wipe out the pan and add the marinara. Return the meatballs to the pan, cover, and simmer over low heat until the meatballs are cooked through, about 1 hour.
Pot-au-Feu
Pot-au-feu (a meal of boiled meat and vegetables) is a traditional Alsatian dish that was made often by the large Jewish community that has lived in Alsace for over 1,000 years. As the author Joan Nathan has explained, the Shabbat pot was commonly hung over the fireplace to simmer all night as the fire died down and turned into embers. The next day, the stew would be complete and ready to eat. Considered a French classic today, modern versions, such as ours, start a day in advance, but don’t need to be simmered through the night.
Traditionally this dish is served as two courses. Start with the broth garnished with some chopped herbs. But leave a bit of the broth behind in the pot to keep the meat and the vegetables warm and moist. For a more informal dinner, we like to serve the broth in a mug, which can accompany the main course. Condiments are an important part of this dish, making for a very social gathering. Try: Parsley Oil (here); coarse-grain mustard and gherkin pickles; Apple Beet Horseradish Relish (here); sriracha or hot sauce.
5 pounds short ribs, cut across the bone into 3-inch-thick slabs (about three 6-inch pieces)
2 quarts chicken stock or water
1 tablespoon juniper berries, roughly crushed
4 whole cloves
¼ teaspoon black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
6 (2-inch) sprigs fresh thyme, plus more for garnish (optional)
2 small yellow onions, halved
4 to 6 garlic cloves, peeled
2 medium leeks, white and light green parts only, quartered lengthwise
½ pound cipollini onions or small shallots, peeled
1 small celery root (about 8 ounces), peeled and cut into 6 chunks
1 medium parsnip, peeled and cut into 6 chunks
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 6 chunks
1 pound fingerling potatoes or Red Bliss new potatoes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish
Trim the short ribs of excess fat, leaving silverskin intact and the meat attached to the bones. Place in a heavy stockpot or enamel Dutch oven. Add the stock or cold water to cover the ribs by 1 to 2 inches. Bring to a simmer and skim the bits of foam and scum as they are released.
Meanwhile, tie the juniper, cloves, peppercorns, bay leaves, and thyme sprigs in a cheesecloth bundle. Add the cheesecloth bundle, yellow onions, and garlic to the pot and stir. Cook, uncovered, at a gentle but steady simmer, skimming occasionally, for about an hour.
Add the leeks, cipollini onions, celery root, parsnip, carrots, and potatoes. Add more stock or water if needed, so the meat and vegetables are just covered by liquid. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper if necessary. Simmer until the meat is yielding but not soft, about another hour. The vegetables should be just fork-tender. If they are done before the meat, remove them with tongs, so they do not overcook, and set aside.
When the meat is done, allow the stew to cool in the broth for at least 1 hour. Remove cheesecloth bundle and discard. Remove the vegetables and refrigerate separately. Keep the meat and broth in the pot and refrigerate overnight (for a clearer broth you can strain it before refrigerating).
The next day, remove the congealed fat from the top of the broth and meat, and discard. Gently reheat the broth together with the meat and vegetables over low to medium-low heat. This could take as long as 45 minutes. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper if necessary.
To serve the broth as your first course, ladle it into individual soup bowls. Serve garnished with a sprinkle of minced parsley. Remember to reserve some of the broth to keep the meat moist in the pot. Meanwhile, leave the meat and vegetables in the covered pot and keep warm over a very gentle heat.
To serve the main course, lift the meat from the pot and thickly slice across the grain. Arrange on individual deep plates, surround with vegetables, and add a splash of broth.