Pomegranate Brisket
Whenever the Jewish holidays come around there’s one thing I start thinking about: the food. Growing up in a Jewish household I learned to love all kinds of food. But my favorites were always the ones served during Rosh Hashana or Yom Kippur or Hanukkah or Passover or… you get the picture. While latkes (potato pancakes) are my number one, I also love a good brisket.
I know brisket can be made any time during the year, but I always make it for the holidays, including Hanukkah… and since Hanukkah starts this Sunday, I of course will be making another brisket. In the past I’ve made ones bathed in a Lipton Onion Soup and Dijon mustard sauce as well as ones marinated in lemon juice and pomegranate seeds. They’re both delicious and I love making them. But last year I wanted to try something new. So, I went to one of my favorite food blogs and found an interesting brisket made with pomegranate molasses.
When it comes to classic Jewish food, Tori Avey has it covered. She not only creates delicious dishes using tried and true recipes, she also tells the stories and histories of how those recipes came to be. But while she has plenty of the classics on her site, Avey also likes to put new twists on some of the standards. This Pomegranate Molasses brisket is the perfect example.
While pomegranates are often consumed during Rosh Hashana, there’s nothing that says you can’t eat them in December, especially since they’re still in produce sections and farmer’s markets everywhere. My kids can’t get enough of those little red seeds (arils). They look like rubies. So, I try to incorporate them into as many things as possible. While the arils are only used as a garnish in this dish, there’s still plenty of pomegranate flavor thanks to the pomegranate molasses that the brisket marinates and cooks in.
While Avey makes her own molasses, I went to a Persian market and bought a bottle that was recommended. See, the problem with store bought pomegranate molasses is that they can run tart or sweet. I wanted something in the middle, which was what I got. The sweet/tart molasses gave me a brisket that was rich with plenty of fall flavor and went perfectly with some delicious potato (or sweet potato) latkes. I can’t wait to make it again. Maybe next time it won’t even be a holiday.
Notes
Adapted from Tori Avey.
Ingredients
- 4-5 pound brisket
- 1/2 cup pomegranate molasses
- 1/2 cup olive oil, divided
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 onions, thinly sliced
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Rinse the brisket and pat dry, then place in an oven-safe roasting dish.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together pomegranate molasses, ¼ cup olive oil, minced garlic cloves, cinnamon, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
- Pour half of the marinade over the top of the brisket. Turn the brisket over and pour the rest of the marinade over the brisket so both sides are evenly coated. Cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight.
- When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Heat 1/4 cup of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Remove the brisket from the marinade and brown on both sides (about 5 minutes per side) in the skillet.
- While the brisket browns, stir ¼ cup of water into the remaining marinade in the roasting dish. Transfer brisket back to the roasting dish, making sure the fatty layer is on top.
- Using the same skillet, saute the sliced onions for 10-15 minutes, scraping up any brown bits as they cook. Once the onions are nicely browned and caramelized, pour them over the top of the brisket. Spoon some of the marinade from the dish over the onions.
- Cover the dish with foil and roast in the oven for 4-5 hours. Depending on the brisket, you may need to add water to keep it moist while it cooks. Check halfway through and add more water if needed. The brisket will shrink by about 1/3 as it cooks, and is ready when it shreds easily.
- Scrape the cooked onions off the top of the brisket and set aside. Place the brisket on a cutting board. Let rest for 10 minutes, then cut the fat off the top and slice.
- Pour the marinade into a sauce pan. Add the reserved onions and use an immersion blender to blend them into the sauce to make it thicker. Add a little salt and pepper to taste. Bring the sauce to a boil.
- Place the sliced brisket back in the roasting pan. Pour the hot sauce over the sliced brisket and serve with rice or roasted vegetables. My favorite way to enjoy brisket is with roasted carrots and potatoes.
