Jim Cohens Sephardic Brisket Recipes

JIM COHEN'S SEPHARDIC BRISKET

Steps:

• Soak the dried peppers in lukewarm water for 30 minutes. Seed, remove the stems and chop into tiny pieces.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Season the brisket with the salt and pepper and dredge with flour. Heat the olive oil in a large heavy roasting pan and brown the brisket on all sides. Remove from the pan.
• In the same pan, over medium heat, sauté the onions and ginger until the onions are transparent.
• Add the pepper and deglaze with the orange juice. Reduce for a few minutes.
• Add the brisket and enough stock or water to cover. Add the cinnamon stick, bay leaf and peppercorns.
• Cook in the 400-degree oven, uncovered, until the brisket is tender, about 3 hours, turning at half hour intervals.
• Remove the cinnamon stick and bay leaf.
• Purée the sauce in a food processor or blender.
• Cool and refrigerate a few hours or overnight. Remove the congealed fat that float on the top of the liquid.
• A half hour before serving, bring about 4 cups water to a boil. Steep the tea bags in the water to make a strong tea. Discard the tea bags.
• Put the prunes and apricots in the tea to plump for about half an hour. Then drain them.
• Reheat the brisket, the sauce, and the plumped fruit.

SEPHARDIC BRISKET

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F. Soak the chiles in lukewarm water for 30 minutes. Seed them, remove the stems, chop the flesh into tiny pieces, and set aside.
• Season the brisket with salt and pepper to taste and dredge with flour. Heat the oil in a heavy roasting pan just large enough to hold the brisket snugly and brown the brisket on both sides, 5 to 7 minutes per side. Remove from the pan.
• In the same pan, over medium heat, add the onions and ginger and sauté, stirring occasionally, until the onions are transparent. Add the reserved chiles and deglaze with the orange juice. Reduce the liquid by half. Add the brisket and enough stock or water to cover the meat. Add the cinnamon stick, bay leaf, and peppercorns. Place in the oven and cook, uncovered, until the brisket is tender, about 3 hours, turning at 30-minute intervals.
• Transfer the brisket to a platter. Remove the cinnamon stick and bay leaf from the liquid and pour it into a food processor or blender. Purée until smooth. If the sauce is too thin or not flavorful enough, reduce in a pan over medium heat. Cool the meat and the sauce separately, then cover and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight.
• When ready to serve, preheat the oven to 350°F. Bring 4 cups of water to a boil. In a large bowl, steep the tea bags in the water to make a strong tea. Discard the bags. Put the prunes and apricots in the tea to plump for about 30 minutes, then drain them. Meanwhile, slice the brisket against the grain and place the slices in a pan. Remove the congealed fat and pour the sauce over the brisket. Add the fruit to the sauce, cover the pan with aluminum foil, and heat the brisket in the oven until hot, about 45 minutes. Check the seasonings before serving.

JOAN NATHAN'S RUGELACH (CINNAMON, CHOCOLATE, OR APRICOT)

Steps:

• To make the dough, place the cream cheese and the butter in an electric mixer fitted with a paddle. Cream at a low speed until combined, about 2 minutes. Add the flour and salt and mix until a very soft dough is formed, about 2 more minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line 2 cookie sheets with baking parchment (or a Silpat baking mat).
• Mix the ingredients for the apricot or chocolate filling and divide the dough into 4 balls. On a lightly floured surface roll the balls out into 4 circles about 1/8-inch thick and 9 inches in diameter. Spread the apricot or chocolate filling over the dough. If using the cinnamon-sugar filling, brush the melted butter on first, then sprinkle the combined cinnamon and sugar.
• Using a dull knife, cut each circle into 16 pie-shaped pieces about 2 inches wide at the circumference. Roll up from the wide side to the center. Place the rugelach on the lined cookie sheets. Bake in the oven on the middle and lower racks, switching after 12 minutes, also switching back to front. Continue baking about 13 more minutes, or until golden brown. Remove the rugelach to racks to cool.
• Sprinkle the apricot and chocolate rugelach with confectioners' sugar just before serving.