Wednesday with Marlena Spieler

Now that's a brisket!
Kishke mix
I know what it looks like
Kishke..before I rolled it in foil. Next time, I'll just do foil.


Brisket with Kishke

Kishke means guts..or sausage in Yiddish. According to my husband, it tastes like turkey stuffing. It is kind of a cross between stuffing and polenta. I didn't use the recipe in Jewish Cooking, because I am almost postitive there was a misprint so I googled kishke and sort of made up my own mixture. It worked out! I hope Marlena would approve. Oh hell yes...she would.

Pot roasted brisket is one of my all time favorite meals. Slow cooking means uber tender beef. It is a perfect meal for the holidays..or for Shabbat. It can be served warm or cold.

Ingredients:

3 1/2 pound brisket
3 onions-2 sliced in 1/4 inch rings
2 - 3 bay leaves
7 garlic cloves...5 chopped
2 cans of beef stock
10 small red potatoes
3 tsp paprika
4- 5 tsp salt and 3 tsp freshly ground pepper ..to put over brisket and a bit for the kishke.
2 carrots peeled and chopped thick
2 celery stalks chopped thick

For kishke:

3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup of couscous
1 carrot, 1 celery stalk, 1/2 onion, 1 tsp. paprika, 2 garlic cloves all pulsed in food processor until mixed and finely chopped
1 package of matzo ball mix
cheesecloth or foil wrap
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup fried crisp onions (chop first)--let cool.
salt and pepper

For the Brisket:

Put a layer of onions and 2 bay leaves on the bottom of a large pan or baking dish. Put brisket down, fat side up. Salt, pepper, and paprika on top. Then the onions, celery, carrots and garlic. Pour two cans of beef stock around the beef. Cover with foil and put in 325-350 degree oven for two hours. Add the potatoes and kishke about one hour before brisket is done. 15 minutes before it is done, take everything off of the top of the meat and let it get brown and a bit crispy on top. Raise the temp to 400 for this process. Slice brisket against the grain...about 1/8" thick.
For the kishke, put ingredients into a bowl and mix with a spoon. Remember, you've already mixed some of it in the processor. Let it chill for an hour in the fridge. Take it out and lay your cheese cloth or foil wrap down on a clean surface. Put the mix down the center and roll. It will look like a long sausage. If using cheesecloth, be sure to tie both ends. I used cheese cloth and foil wrap. Put it in the pan with the roast for the last hour of cooking..when you put the potatoes in. The mixture will expand. You will let it cool a bit..then slice like polenta. I poured some of the meat juices over the kishke, beef and potatoes. You could make gravy as well. I threw some dilled green beens on the plate...love em!

Be sure to go and check out Eileen and Shankari's blog for their featured recipes for Wednesday.