For Chrismukah (our annual family celebration) this year, I decided to try to make Grandma’s brisket again. I had tried one time before, and it wasn’t QUITE right. So I called up my aunt to get the low down on the recipe.
We started by browning up some onions.
Then we put slits into the pot roast and put in slices of garlic. (I think our meat was not exactly the best cut for brisketing… but it was all Whole Foods had that day).
Then we browned the meat.
And set it up to cook on top of the onions for a good long time topped with ketchup , red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, and a bit of water. We covered and simmered it, removed the liquid as it formed (from the onions breaking down) leaving about 1/4 to 1/2 inch of liquid in the bottom (because, to quote my aunt quoting my grandma, “You want a pot roast, not stew meat”). I cooked it until fork tender. And it was close… but still not quite right. I think the cut of meat was definitely a big part of the problem. Well… guess I gotta try again!
Mike set to making some latkes. He went ahead and grated up the potatoes (one of my LEAST favorite jobs).
And fried them until golden. They tasted great at first, but we put them in the warming tray to keep them warm and they were never quite the same. Bummer. Note to self: Always fry latkes to order.
We also made our famous brussels sprouts and some roasted cauliflower.
While I wasn’t 100% happy with how it all turned out, luckily, the family thought it was great (or they at least told me it was). I looked at it as a learning experience!
