Ask your butcher for a whole piece of brisket already cooked and smoked
Preparation time: 25 minutes, plus soaking time
Cooking time: 90 minutes
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
2 kg whole piece ready-cooked smoked brisket
For the glaze:
85ml honey
65g brown sugar
75g tomato sauce
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
RED CABBAGE RELISH
1 red cabbage, finely shredded
1 large carrot, peeled and finely shredded
1 large red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
2 large paprika peppers, deseeded and finely shredded
DRESSING
250ml red wine vinegar
250ml olive oil
65ml fresh lime juice
35g finely chopped coriander
50g brown sugar
2 tsp finely grated orange zest
pinch of ground allspice
1 tbsp cumin seeds or ½ tsp ground cumin
1 bay leaf
1–1½ tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
METHOD
Preheat oven to 160 °C.
Wash the brisket under cold running water to remove excess salt. It can be left in a bowl of water for an hour, changing the water after 30 minutes. Pat dry with paper towel.
Cut two large pieces of foil and position them in a roasting pan, one lengthways and the other on top of it widthwise.
Place the brisket on the foil.
Mix the glaze ingredients well and pour over.
Draw the edges of the foil up to the centre and “balloon” the foil around meat to make a pocket of air between meat and foil.
Bake for 1½ hours, by when you should have a tender brisket coated in a lovely sticky glaze.
For the relish: blanch the cabbage in a large pan of salted boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain in a colander and cool.
Transfer to a bowl and toss with the carrot, onion and paprika peppers.
Whisk dressing ingredients in a bowl or shake up in a jar.
Once the sugar has dissolved, let it stand for 20–30 minutes, remove the bay leaf and pour over the red cabbage relish.
Refrigerate until serving if not using immediately.
Serve with the hot sliced brisket and fresh rye bread.
Sharon Lurie is the author of Cooking with the Kosher Butcher’s Wife, published by Struik. Available from Kosher Deli; £19.99. Tel: 020 8381 4450