As someone who went to Catholic school for most of my life, kosher cooking isn’t exactly something I was exposed to. I have a general understanding of what it means to keep kosher, but I really never took the time to delve into what it really means. I was recently sent a cookbook called The Kosher Carnivore: The Ultimate Meat and Poultry Cookbook by June Hersh. Not only is it filled with really delicious sounding recipes, but the author took the time to even include a “Kosher 101” in the introduction.
Did you know that giraffes are considered acceptable for human consumption as identified in the Torah? (Sorry, thought that was a fun fact). Animals that chew their cud and have cloven hooves are considered acceptable, which includes the more commonly eaten cow and lamb. Bird-wise, it seems a little more lenient. In general, predators or scavenger birds are prohibited but most birds are ok for consumption. Meat is considered kosher when it meets a specific criteria when slaughtered and butchered. Kosher eating also means that meat and dairy cannot be within the same meal, but neutral foods, like oil and eggs, can be used.
Whew. Ok. Now that I’ve completed Kosher 101, I’m ready to try to make a staple of Jewish cooking: brisket, specifically Brisket Ragout over Pasta! At the suggestion of the author, I shredded the brisket and served it in a ragout over pasta.
Ingredients:
- 1 (2.5-3 lb.) brisket
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- olive oil
- 2 carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 leeks, cleaned and and sliced
- 2 medium onions, sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 1 (28-oz) can whole tomatoes, drained
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 cups beef stock
- 1 box farfalle pasta, cooked al dente
- 1 cup panko
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Pat the meat dry with paper towels and season both sides with 1 teaspoon of the salt and 1/2 teaspoon with olive oil, and brown the brisket over medium heat until a nice crust begins to form, about 10 minutes. Remove the meat to a plate and reserve.
Add a coating of oil to the pot. Add the carrots, leeks, and onions and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until they are soft and lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
Add the garlic and stir. Pour in the wine and remaining salt and pepper and cook for 1-2 minutes.
Crush the tomatoes and add to the pot. Add the brisket and bay leaves. Add the stock but leave the top third of the brisket above the liquid, you want it to be able to brown while roasting.
Cover the pot and put in the oven for 2-3 hours or until the meat is fall-apart tender.
When the brisket is finished, remove it from the pot and shred.
Remove the bay leaves and blend the mixture remaining in the pot. (If using an immersion blender you can do this in the pot. If not, use a blender but remove the center of the top and cover with a paper towel. Be very careful, the mixture will be very hot!)
Add the shredded brisket to the sauce.
Cook the pasta according to box directions. Stir into the sauce.
Add the panko, garlic, and herbs to a small saute pan over medium heat. Cook until toasted, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle over the ragout before serving.
Note: this recipe is not Passover-friendly.
The slow roasted brisket is so tender and tastes awesome with the ragout. I loved the extra crunch added with the breadcrumbs.
The cookbook is filled with equally amazing sounding recipes, including Simplest Korean Kalbi Ribs, Moroccan Lamb Shanks with Pomegranate Sauce, and Crispy Fried Chicken to name a few. If they are anything like the brisket, I am going to be one happy carnivore.
So the next time you need some protein inspiration, be sure to check out The Kosher Carnivore!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours, 30 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours, 45 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients
- 1 (2.5-3 lb.) brisket
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- olive oil
- 2 carrots, cut int 1-inch pieces
- 2 leeks, cleaned and and sliced
- 2 medium onions, sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 1 (28-oz) can whole tomatoes, drained (I used Muir Glen)
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 cups beef stock
- 1 box farfalle pasta, cooked al dente
- 1 cup panko
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Pat the meat dry with paper towels and season both sides with 1 teaspoon of the salt and 1/2 teaspoon with olive oil, and brown the brisket over medium heat until a nice crust begins to form, about 10 minutes. Remove the meat to a plate and reserve.
- Add a coating of oil to the pot. Add the carrots, leeks, and onions and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until they are soft and lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
- Add the garlic and stir. Pour in the wine and remaining salt and pepper and cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Crush the tomatoes and add to the pot. Add the brisket and bay leaves. Add the stock but leave the top third of the brisket above the liquid, you want it to be able to brown while roasting.
- Cover the pot and put in the oven for 2-3 hours or until the meat is fall-apart tender.
- When the brisket is finished, remove it from the pot and shred.
- Remove the bay leaves and blend the mixture remaining in the pot. (If using an immersion blender you can do this in the pot. If not, use a blender but remove the center of the top and cover with a paper towel. Be very careful, the mixture will be very hot!)
- Add the shredded brisket to the sauce.
- Cook the pasta according to box directions. Stir into the sauce.
- Add the panko, garlic, and herbs to a small saute pan over medium heat. Cook until toasted, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle over the ragout before serving.
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