Kelley got the recipe from a man named Marc that used to work at the Pharmacy; it’s a family recipe (always the best kind!). This brisket, with its gravy, is perfect for dipping challah bread into or served with something to soak it up, such as mashed potatoes, pureed cauliflower or rice.

Amazingly Tender Brisket

Recipe by Marc from Pharmacy

Servings

6

6 ounces

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Calories

450

kcal

This amazingly tender Brisket will be the hit of your Holiday Meal.

Ingredients

• 1 Brisket, trimmed of fat

• 2-3 packages of Onion Soup Mix/Beefy Onion

• 1 Beef Broth Carton (32 ounces), low sodium

• 1 Large White Onion, sliced

• 1 Bottle of Red Wine

• Salt

• Pepper

• Onion Powder

• 4 cloves fresh garlic, minced

Directions

• Trim the fat off the brisket.
• Season both sides of the brisket with onion powder, salt and pepper.
• Place the brisket on top of the Soup mix and sprinkle one to two more packages on top of the brisket.
• Open one package of Onion Soup mix and pour it on the bottom of a large roasting pan.
  
• Add crushed garlic and 3/4 of the onion slices to the top of the meat.
• Pour the bottle of red wine around the meat.
• Add the rest of the onion slices to the liquid.
• Put the brisket, covered with foil, into a 350 degree oven for one hour and baste.
• If the liquid is low, add the beef broth to keep it moist. Baste every hour for the next five hours. Base your time on the size of the brisket.
• Once cooked through, cool and slice against the grain. Put the sliced meat back in the juice to soak up more of the liquid.

Notes

• You can freeze the meat (if cooked days in advance) and reheat or keep in the refrigerator and reheat. You can add another package of soup mix at this point to the liquid, as this creates the gravy to serve. Keep covered with foil when reheating.

As children, we grew up Catholic, went to Catholic Grade and High School. Kelley was a more devote Catholic than I, volunteering to administer the Eucharist and teaching Sunday School at her home parish. Her husband, however, wasn’t Catholic and was never fully comfortable going to Mass, so when they moved to Tallahassee, they became members of the Methodist Church; it was a better fit for the whole family.

When they moved back to Miami, Kelley remained active in their local Methodist Church, attending Sunday services and teaching Sunday school. As their children grew older and started their own lives, her participation dwindled and eventually, ceased. During the Pandemic, Kelley (who’s always been interested in the Jewish faith) decided to explore her curiosity and take a class called “Intro to Judaism.” There are many tenants of the Jewish religion that ring true for her and, at this point in time, she is seriously considering converting to Judaism.

I have to say this information, at first, caught me by surprise and I didn’t quite understand it. Of course, it isn’t my place to understand, and I am supportive of Kelley’s religious journey, wherever it made lead. I suppose it has to do with the fact that I’ve never felt compelled to follow any particular religion. I was baptized and raised Catholic, but there was much about that religion (such as the fact that women can’t be priests) I never agreed with. If I would explore any religion, it would probably be Buddhism. I don’t know much about it but some of their ideas- non-attachment to material things, karma and practicing meditation- ring true for me.

But, I digress.

Zeke and I arrived, wine and cookies in hand, for Rosh Hashanah dinner last Monday. It was absolutely delicious, quite a special meal and I felt honored to be included; Kelley had been cooking for days. Gracie (Kelley’s five-year-old granddaughter) rushed to greet us at the front door. She couldn’t wait to show us our favors (little honey pots), the Gingerbread Cookies she helped decorate and the table runner she helped color, with Rosh Hashanah symbols.

Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year and one of Judaism’s holiest days. It marks the creation of the world and begins a ten day period of Introspection and Repentance. It’s a time for prayer, good deeds, reflecting on past mistakes and making amends. This seemed timely for me, since lately I’ve been going through a lot of things in my house to get rid of. Now that all of the children have left the house, there’s lots of stuff left behind to go through; this seems to be a time of purging and cleaning up, which always feels cathartic. A new beginning, out with the old…

Our meal Monday night was really a feast for the books. Appetizers were Fish Spread (to represent the Fish Head) on beet chips and Blue Cheese Stuffed Dates (that Allison made), served with Prosecco and Pomegranate Juice as our pre-dinner cocktail. We then sat down at the beautifully decorated table for dinner, with lots of crystal, a pomegranate (for sweetness) and candles. As Kelley read The Blessings, we ate a first course of Matzo Ball soup, followed by Brisket in Red Wine, Mushroom and Leek Kugel, Roasted Vegetables with honey and Challah Bread. She blessed the candles, wine and bread and Gracie lit the candles.

Despite the title of this post (my attempt at humor), I am a Challah Bread girl. It’s typically baked into a circle for Rosh Hashanah, to replicate the circle of life. The brisket Kelley made was so juicy and tender, you could cut it with a fork and went perfectly with the kugel and lovely veggies, sprinkled with fresh rosemary. We had an abundance of sweets with four desserts! An Apple Honey Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce, Gingerbread Cookies, Chocolate Tahini Pie and Cardamon Cherry Rugelach cookies I made (NYT’s Food Section).

Can I eat?

I asked before dessert.

“Yes,” Kelley said. “There is no blessing of desserts.”

But, who knew because it was my first Rosh Hashanah Meal!

If I had one comment about Rosh Hashanah Dinner, it would be that there was lots of apples, honey and bread. We, in fact, dipped both the apples and the Challah into the honey, in hope that the new year will be sweet. I do like the idea of taking a period of time to reflect and re-evaluate one’s life from time-to-time. As such, I admire Kelley’s determination to not just stick with the status quo and grow complacent, but to constantly seek and explore new ways to better her, and her family’s, life.

At home, in the garden, I’m clearing out an area in the back to make a meditation, rock garden, inspired by a book I recently read (The Samurai’s Garden) for my Book Club. It’s been a lot of hard work, but I can finally see it taking shape. As I clear out one part of the garden, it becomes apparent what needs to be done next- a plant moved, a bush cut back, a bamboo screen secured. It’s taken me a while, but the time has given me the luxury to really study the garden and decide how I want it to look.

While I was in the cleaning-out mode, I removed all the Bromeliads from my fountain by the front door. I’d planned on taking them out, cleaning them up and putting them back in the fountain, but my housekeeper Isa saw the cleaned-out fountain and said:

Nice. I like it.

Isa

This made me look at the fountain in a new way and I realized, I too, liked it better empty. So I moved the bromeliads to another part of the yard and now my fountain is back to it’s original state. Sometimes, we need to remove items in order to see things more clearly.

So, wishing you a L’Shaha tova (Happy New Year) if you’re Jewish and a Happy Start to Fall (September 22), coming up, if you’re not. Clean out, clear out, reflect, forgive and make room for all the good things coming your way. I will publish the recipes for the Matzo Ball Soup and Brisket in a future Foodie In Miami.

Up Next: Brisket in Red Wine Recipe.