Brisket Latkes Recipes

RACH MAKES THE EASIEST BRISKET EVER

Steps:

• In a large cast iron skillet or large cast iron enamel Dutch oven over medium-low to medium heat, caramelize the onions: melt butter, add onions, season with bay, salt and black pepper and white pepper, thyme, cook to golden and soft, 25 minutes, then add sherry if using and remove to bowl
• Meanwhile, bring meat to room temperature
• Season liberally with salt and pepper
• Preheat oven to 325˚F
• Return skillet to medium-high heat with oil, 2 turns of the pan
• Brown meat 5 minutes on each side, then top with caramelized onions, add the broth and melt in the demi-glace or bouillon and add Worcestershire
• Cover pan with heavy foil or lid and bake 3 to 3½ hours to very tender, then slice and serve

BEEF BRISKET

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• On a cutting board, mash the garlic and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt together with the flat-side of a knife into a paste. Add the rosemary and continue to mash until incorporated. Put the garlic-rosemary paste in a small bowl and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil; stir to combine.
• Season both sides of the brisket with a fair amount of kosher salt and ground black pepper. Place a large roasting pan or Dutch oven over medium-high flame and coat with the remaining olive oil. Put the brisket in the roasting pan and sear to form a nice brown crust on both sides. Lay the vegetables all around the brisket and pour the rosemary paste over the whole thing. Add the wine and tomatoes; toss in the parsley and bay leaves. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and transfer to the oven. Bake for about 3 to 4 hours, basting every 30 minutes with the pan juices, until the beef is fork tender.
• Remove the brisket to a cutting board and let it rest for 15 minutes. Scoop the vegetables out of the roasting pan and onto a platter, cover to keep warm. Pour out some of the excess fat, and put the roasting pan with the pan juices on the stove over medium-high heat. Boil and stir for 5 minutes until the sauce is reduced by 1/2. (If you want a thicker sauce, mix 1 tablespoon of flour with 2 tablespoons of wine or water and blend into the gravy).
• Slice the brisket across the grain (the muscle lines) at a slight diagonal. Serve with potato pancakes.
• Using a box grater or food processor, coarsely grate the potatoes and onions. Put the grated potatoes and onions together in cheesecloth or a tea towel and twist it to squeeze out the excess liquid. Put the dry potatoes and onions in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Fold in the egg whites and chives to bind the mixture together.
• Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat and coat with 1/4-inch of oil. For each pancake, take about 2 tablespoons of the potato mixture and drop into the hot oil; gently flatten with a spatula so they fry up thin and crispy. Fry for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until golden. Remove to paper towels to drain; season with salt while the potato pancakes are still hot. Continue frying, adding more oil as needed, until all of the mixture is used up. Serve immediately with apple sauce, if desired.

POT ROAST BEEF BRISKET

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 160C/140C Fan/Gas 3.
• To make the brisket, season the beef all over with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large flameproof casserole and brown the beef over a high heat for 8-10 minutes, turning every couple of minutes. Remove the beef from the casserole and set aside.
• Add the sliced onions to the casserole and fry for 5 minutes or until nicely browned. Stir in the thyme and bay leaf and cook. Return the beef to the casserole. Stir the tomato purée into the hot beef stock and pour around the beef. Add the wine and bring to a gentle simmer on the hob. Cover with a lid cook in the oven for 3 hours, turning after about 1½ hours.
• Heat another tablespoon of oil in a large non-stick frying pan on a medium heat. Fry the quartered onions for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the carrots and celery and cook for a further 5 minutes, until the onions are softened and all the vegetables are lightly browned.
• Remove the beef from the oven and nestle the vegetables around it. Cover and return to the oven for a further 1-2 hours.
• To make the potato latkes, whisk the egg and egg yolk together in a small bowl. Place the onion and potato in a large colander, mix well and squeeze out as much liquid as possible over a sink. Place the squeezed vegetables in a clean bowl and add the beaten eggs, flour, salt and parsley or chives (if using) to the onion and potatoes. Season with lots of pepper and mix well.
• Pour 2 tablespoons of the oil into a large non-stick frying pan and place over a low-medium heat. Take a handful of the potato mixture and form into a loose ball. Place in the pan and flatten with a spatula until around 1.5cm/½in thick. Repeat with 3 more balls of the potato until you have 4 latkes cooking at the same time.
• Cook the latkes for 6-8 minutes on each side until golden-brown and cooked through. Don't be tempted to increase the heat or the latkes will burn on the outside before they are ready in the middle. Put on a baking tray and set aside while you cook the remaining latkes. Add an extra 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil to the pan between batches.
• Turn the oven up to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. When you are almost ready to serve the latkes, reheat on the baking tray in the oven for 10-15 minutes, or until hot and crisp.
• Lift the beef out of the casserole with a couple of forks and place on a board or serving platter. Cut off the string and carve into slices. Serve with the poached vegetables, latkes and the rich cooking liquor for gravy.

BRISKET LATKES

Steps:

• To make the brisket: In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and parsley. Spread dry rub on both sides of brisket evenly. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or pot on medium-high heat. Sear the brisket on both sides "until the smoke detector goes off." Remove meat and set aside. Using the remaining oil and "good bits" on the bottom of the pan, sauté carrots and onions, scraping the bottom until the veggies are soft, about 8-10 minutes. Add the tomato paste and stir until thoroughly mixed. Put the brisket back in the pan, and cover with the red wine, beer, and ginger ale. Place the brisket into the oven, and cook for at least three hours. When the meat is fork tender, remove the meat and set aside on a large cutting board. Carefully shred the brisket into small strands using two forks. Let the sludge rise to the top of the pot liquid and skim it off. Strain out the carrots and onions and using a food processor, blend them with 1-2 cups of the cooking liquid. In a medium bowl, add 2 cups of shredded brisket and 1/2 cup of processed cooking liquid and mix until combined. To make the latkes: Peel the potatoes and cut in half. In a food processor, grate the potatoes, onion, and garlic in batches. Place in a large bowl. Add flour, salt, pepper, and paprika and combine. Add beaten egg and mix. Squeeze out excess liquid from potato mixture. Add 2 cups of shredded brisket and mix until combined. Squeeze out the excess liquid a second time. In a large skillet, heat 1/4 inch vegetable oil on medium-high heat until hot. Scoop a handful of latke mixture and squeeze out any liquid. Form into patties and fry 3-4 minutes on each side, or until golden brown and crispy. Place latkes on plate lined with paper towel. After 1 minute, transfer to a baking sheet with a wire rack on top. Serve warm with applesauce. Makes 2 dozen latkes.