Baseball & Brisket: New York, New York!

Last week a nippy wind blew through our weekly farmers market. The vendor turnout was smaller than usual, but the selection and the quality were wonderful. Inspired by the sudden chill in the air and the final night (we hoped!) of the World Series---Yay, Yanks! ---I was inspired to stock up on fresh winter veggies and late harvest apples.

What an amazing treat! Brussels sprouts, still on the stalk. Isn’t this cool? From Stan-Pat Farm, NY.
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And exceptional apples: Ginger Gold & Honeycrisp (“world’s crispest apple”)-Red Jacket Orchard, NY

Yum! Classic New York Brisket on an autumn night! Possibly NOT very PC, I am sure we should be eating steamed fish and steamed veg. Oh well….Maybe the organic, fresh-picked perfection of the market’s produce makes up for its old time-y red meat-and-gravy-ness of this traditional one-pot dish?

I use the recipe from The Brooklyn Cookbook [Knopf Cooks American Series) by Lyn Sttallworth and Rod Kennedy Jr. 1992]---probably out of print* but a charming mainstay for classic foods of our childhoods. The book was a gift to me from a friend who was perhaps hoping I’d suddenly produce dishes more like his mother used to make, who knows? (Never happened! Who can cook like Mom did? All that love…).

*available used on Amazon.




The recipe:

• Brisket      
• 1 can beef broth + 2 cans of water
• Adolph’s meat tenderizer
• 1 pkg of Knorr onion soup
• Garlic powder
• 5 or 6 small onions, peeled
• 3 large carrots cut in thirds
• salt & pepper to taste/ as desired
• PLUS! Secret ingredient! I won’t tell, nuh-uh, not me, but I will admit to adding a small can of cranberry sauce, a trick from a friend’s dad to make rich gravy.

Rub all the dry stuff into the meat, in heavy, oven-proof pot with a lid. Mine is LeCreuset, blue. Cover meat with the liquid [you can also add up to 1 C. of leftover wine if you have it.] Be sure there is enough liquid to entirely cover the meat and veg. Add the carrots & the onions. Seal the pot with aluminum foil then the heavy lid. Bake at 350 degrees for at least 3 hours.

***Hint*** I try to make this dish the day ahead and refrigerate because that way all the fat rises to the surface and solidifies; it can then be skimmed off with a slotted spoon. Reheat on low on stove.

Serve with egg noodles. I used homemade noodles from Millport Dairy, an Amish farm the sells at the farmers’ market.

Delicious! And easy to serve without missing any of the game. Homemade peanut butter cookies, also from Millport Dairy &/or crisp apples for dessert. Who says baseball requires beer and chips?