Sweet and sour brisket with golden raisins

Brisket is the Jewish holiday staple. In our family, Nana Arlene was in charge of making it. Like Taylor Swift, Arlene’s brisket had eras. There was a raisin phase, a mushroom phase, sometimes ketchup, always onions, and the one constant was Lipton onion soup mix. For this version I wanted to replicate that nostalgic smell and flavor but keep it really simple with just a few ingredients. Brisket is always better the next day, so I like to make it a day or two in advance and reheat when it’s time. And personally, I like to pull it apart rather than slice, but you can be like Arlene and whip out the electric knife. No question, though, the best part is the leftovers, which make really good sandwiches on toasted challah.

Serves 8 - 10

Prep: 15 – 20 minutes (plus overnight salting)
Cook: 5 – 7 hours

Ingredients: 

1x 2.75kg (6lb) beef brisket, with most of the fat trimmed

60g (¼ cup) plus ½ tbsp kosher salt

6 medium brown onions, quartered

3 tbsp vegetable (canola) oil

1 tbsp ground cumin

2 tbsp smoked paprika

300g (2 cups) golden raisins

480ml (2 cups) ketchup

60ml (1/4 cup) sherry vinegar

Method: 

• Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F).
• Rub the brisket with 60g (1/4 cup) of the salt, covering it evenly. Set a wire rack in a rimmed baking sheet and place the brisket on top. Transfer to the refrigerator, uncovered, to rest overnight or for up to 24 hours.
• Toss the onions with canola oil, cumin, and the remaining 1/2 tablespoon salt in a large bowl. Spread the onions evenly on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast for about 1 hour, until they’re just starting to char. They should look slightly blackened and deflated. Let them cool completely, then transfer to a  23cmx33cm (9 × 13-inch) baking dish. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and store in the fridge overnight.
• The next day, preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F).
• Pull the brisket and onions from the fridge. Rub the brisket all over with the paprika. Set the brisket in the baking dish over the onions, fat side up (whatever fat is remaining). Whisk together the raisins, ketchup, and vinegar in a medium bowl. Pour the raisin mixture over the brisket and cover tightly with aluminum foil.
• Transfer to the oven and braise the brisket for 4 to 6 hours. It should be fork-tender, meaning it falls apart with a gentle pull of the fork, and a test bite melts in your mouth. Let sit to cool slightly. You can slice and serve the brisket from here. Or, even better, cool completely, cover tightly with foil, refrigerate, and reheat it the next day.

Wine pairing: Try the brisket with a skin-contact (orange) white wine or with a lighter acid-driven red, like a Kékfrankos from northern Hungary.

Recipe adapted from Second Generation: Hungarian and Jewish Classics Reimagined for the Modern Table (Harvest)

Jeremy is chef patron of Agi’s Counter