Anne BralyMy newest son-in-law is Jewish and, as such, I'm committed to learning more about the cuisine associated with Jewish holidays. The next one on the calendar, Rosh Hashana, starts Thursday and beef brisket, a cut of meat from a cow's breast or lower chest, is a popular entree.
Jews traditionally prepare it by braising it in a roasting pot, a method I've found takes quite some time to produce a tender cut, and it's not always successful. Brisket can be one of the most-difficult cuts to tenderize. It requires long, slow-cooking at a low temperature, either for a day in the crock pot or a 200-degree oven or an all-day simmer on the stove.
Short ribs are another possibility, but further research found a delicious cut known as the "second-cut" brisket, better known to butchers as the "deckle" cut.
"People generally want the flat cut," says Will Rains of Don's Meat Market in Hixson. While some butchers may grind the second-cut for hamburger, Rains, the grandson of market owner Don Rains, says he cuts it from the brisket and rewraps the second-cut for sale.
Not all mainstream grocery stores carry the second-cut, but most meat markets either carry it or can order it for you, including Whole Foods, where it's sold for $8.49 per pound, the same price as its tougher, flat-brisket brother. At Don's, you'll get it for $4.99 per pound, while the flat-cut brisket runs $1 per pound higher. The second-cut has a lot more fat, but it's much more flavorful and tender.
Since fat is such a no-no, it's best to prepare the second cut a day or two ahead of serving time, allowing the layer of fat to rise to the top of the pot and congeal after refrigeration. Then it's just a matter of taking a spoon or spatula to skim it off then reheating the meat before slicing and serving. Making it in advance also allows all the flavors of this scrumptiously tender brisket with port and cloves to marry and melt in your mouth. The recipe is from ziplist.com.
Second-Cut Brisket with Cloves
1 second-cut brisket (6 to 7 pounds)
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 1/2 tablespoons black pepper
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 bunch lemon thyme or regular thyme
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 white onions, thinly sliced
1 cup ruby port wine
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 whole cloves
4 whole bay leaves
2 1/2 pounds ripe but firm plums, halved and pitted
garnish, if desired
Season brisket all over with salt and pepper. Place in a large container and cover with garlic and half the thyme sprigs. Cover and refrigerate overnight, or for at least 4 hours. Let meat stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking. Wipe off garlic and thyme.
Heat oven to 325 degrees.
Place a very large Dutch oven over high heat. Add oil. Place brisket in pot and cook, without moving, until browned, about 7 minutes per side. Cut meat into two chunks and sear in batches if it doesn't fit in a single layer. Transfer to a plate.
Add onions to pot and reduce heat to medium-high. Cook onions, tossing occasionally, until golden brown around the edges and very tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Pour in port and wine and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Stir in cloves, bay leaves and remaining thyme. Scatter half the plums over the bottom of the pot and nestle brisket on top. Scatter remaining plums over meat. Cover pot and transfer to oven. Cook, turning every 30 minutes, until meat is completely fork tender, about 5 hours. After 4 hours, uncover the pot so some of the liquid can evaporate and sauce can thicken.
If you have time, let brisket cool completely in the pot, then refrigerate, covered, overnight. This makes it easier to remove the fat from the top with a slotted spoon. Reheat meat in a 300-degree oven for about 45 minutes before serving, if necessary. If sauce seems thin, remove meat from the pot and bring liquid to a simmer. Let cook until it's reduced to taste. Slice meat and serve with the plum sauce, garnished with thyme leaves if you like. Makes 12 to 14 servings.
On the road
If you happen to be traveling along Interstate 75 between Chattanooga and Knoxville, take time to visit Sweetwater Valley Cheese Farm, where some of the South's best cheese is produced from cows grazing on the fields. You can't help but notice them as you drive up the hill toward the cheese shop.
Take Exit 68 and pick up a block of the most-popular cheese, sharp yellow, or the second most-favorite, buttermilk, which is usually a mild cheese, though it can sometimes be a little on the sharp side, I was told.
And if you're looking for one of the farm's flavored cheeses, try the tomato herb and see for yourself why it's also a bestseller. Check out all the farm's varieties ahead of time at sweetwatervalleyfarm.com. If you want to buy it locally, you'll find certain selections of Sweetwater Valley Cheese at Georgia Winery in Ringgold, Ga.; Cook's Food Store in Cleveland, Tenn.; and in Chattanooga at Earth Fare, Fresh Market, Ramsey's Produce and Log House Produce.
And if you bring home some smoked gouda, one of my favorites, try replacing it for your cheddar cheese the next time you make au gratin potatoes. You'll have a taste experience you'll not soon forget.
Contact Anne Braly at abraly@timesfreepress.com.