Gramma Sera Fritkin's Russian Brisket
Recipe adapted from "Cooking Jewish" by Judy Bart Kancigor.
Recipe Ingredients:
About 4 1/2 pounds first-cut beef brisket
6 lemons, juiced
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Garlic powder to taste
2 (2.4-ounce) packages dry onion soup mix
3 tablespoons dark or light brown sugar
1 (12-ounce) bottle chili sauce, such as Heinz
1 head garlic, cloves separated and peeled
2 pounds very small red potatoes
Cooking Directions:
- Place the brisket in a large glass baking dish or in a resealable plastic bag, and add the lemon juice. Cover the dish with plastic wrap or seal the bag, and marinate, turning the meat occasionally, in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Rinse the lemon juice from the meat, and sprinkle both sides of the meat liberally with pepper and garlic powder. Place the brisket, fat side up, in a large roasting pan.
- Pour water to a depth of about 1 inch around the meat, and sprinkle 1 envelope of the onion soup mix, brown sugar, three fourths of the chili sauce, and the garlic over the meat. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and roast for 2 1/2 hours.
- Add 1/2 cup water to the remaining chili sauce in the jar, shake, and stir this mixture into the liquid in the roasting pan. Add some of the remaining soup mix to taste. Add the potatoes and baste with the liquid. Roast, uncovered, until the potatoes are fork-tender and caramelized, 1 hour. The liquid will reduce to a rich, caramelized sauce. If it becomes too thick, stir in hot water, 1/4 cup at a time, until it reaches the desired consistency.
- Remove the meat from the pan, slice it diagonally across the grain, and serve with the potatoes and sauce.
Makes 8 servings.
Recipe adapted from "Cooking Jewish" by Judy Bart Kancigor. For buying information visit www.cookingjewish.com