Kramer's Remarks

 “Line three is for you. Some guy wants a recipe for brisket.”  Now we have had some strange requests over the years but when Betty buzzed me on the morning of Erev Rosh Hashanah, I have to admit, I was surprised. Maybe, I shouldn’t have been. After all, we have been asked for many other items.  Mints, aspirin, bobby pins, and Tums are standards. Occasionally, it gets a little more challenging but we always come through.

A couple of months ago, someone forgot their heart medicine but we knew where the twenty-four hour pharmacy was and thankfully, things worked out. There was the wrinkled tallis problem, that was solved by Donald producing an iron and once, someone dripped candle wax on his tuxedo jacket but ice solved that problem. We even have a supply of pantyhose on hand. But brisket recipes – now that can get personal.

Of course, no one makes a brisket like my mother but do I dare give out the family secret. I needed time to think. I asked Betty to take a number and we’d call back. Bobbi Bernstein’s brisket is out of this world but she was at the beach. Amy Bennett makes a brisket to die for - no answer there.

What to do?  I asked the office personnel. When one of them asked, “What’s a brisket?” I knew I was in trouble. Actually Reuven Green, our Endowment Assistant did have one but it was tucked away in a drawer at his house. Apparently he hasn’t cooked that much in Charlotte. It seemed the only solution was to call mom and ask permission. So I did and in the spirit of the New Year, my mother gladly faxed me the recipe. Problem solved. Well, I notice she did leave out one of the ingredients.  In order to avoid this problem in the future, Reuven and I have a simple solution. If you believe that your brisket is better than anyone else’s, just call the office and invite us over for dinner. We’ll be glad to conduct an independent test. 

For those interested here is Mom’s recipe:

Ingredients other than the meat: 
salt (I use kosher salt),pepper, paprika,onion, optional:carrots and/or cut up potatoes 

On a sheet of waxed paper, mix about 1 full tablespoon of salt, 2 teaspoons of paprika and 1 teaspoon of pepper.

Cut a piece from an onion and dip onion into seasoning and rub over the entire surface of the meat. 

Boil water in kettle and at the same time place meat in roaster on top of stove and sear on all sides. 

Keep turning with fork until seared. 

Cut onion into slices (use two or three onions, 4 if they are small). Place on meat. 

Cover meat with boiling water. Cover pan, put in oven 325 or 350 degrees and roast for two hours. 

Check after an hour to be sure there is still water in the roaster. If not, add boiling water. 

After 2 hours (nothing will happen if it's left in another 15 minutes), turn heat off. DO NOT REMOVE PAN FROM OVEN! Let it remain in oven for one hour without heat on. 

Remove meat and cover it with foil so that it does not dry out. 
If other veggies, i.e. potatoes or carrots were used - remove them also. 

Gravy with onion pieces in it can be used as is, or can be strained. 
If freezing meat, slice and cover with gravy. 
Left over gravy can be frozen.

MEAT: If using brisket, only use first cut, the rest is too fatty. Top of the rib, which is much leaner, can be substituted for brisket. It is easier to get brisket at the your friend Jeff’s Koshermart!

Arthur B. Kramer