The dust has just about settled but I had to share with you my gratitude to G-d for all I’ve received. DH and I hosted all the kids and grandkids together with my mom and we were over 30 people. They all took Covid tests so nobody would be nervous (though all those who can be vaccinated are) and we prepared for the glorious invasion.

We have grandkids old enough to participate in a minyan (quorom) and to be able to hold our own prayer in the house. So we had the joy of listening to our sons/sils/grandsons participate and be involved along with hilarious interludes of some of the other kids saying (in loud stage whispers) Savta! can I bring toys up for Shir/Bnaya or whoever? and traipsing through the playroom where the prayers were to collect them.

I made a ton of stuff but everyone pitched in and some of the highlights included babka by Dani, 2 kinds of potatoes by Racheli and fresh salad, rice by Yechiel and what I thought were cookies and apple crumble by Batya but she told me her daughter Maayan made them! Rach made her famous ice cream (2 kinds) and pecan crescents and yummy eggplants with toppings which Eyal whipped up in house in addition to chopping up salads, Daniella and Yehuda made roasted veggies in the oven and string beans with mushrooms, Netanel and Ayelet made gefilte fish and Dov brought tons of bottled water and helped put up the top of the Succah.

The grandsons slept in one succah on a bunch of mattresses strewn about and we ate in a newer one we built whilst the kids ran up and down the stairs roaring in delight and jumping like crazy people on the trampoline in the garden (and the sprinklers went on by mistake for about 10 minutes and they thought this was a riot). Games were played with gusto and people ate till they couldn’t move. Suffice it to say a grand time was had by all and when we compare it to last year with Covid ruling and being in a lockdown, I feel like doing a little jig in joy. They swept out of the house after helping to tidy up in great good humor and we all pray that next year, G-d willing we should do it all again. So, you can perhaps understand why I didn’t post before the holiday, kinda busy 🙂 .

Now this brisket recipe is a new one which I had planned to post but it got slightly mixed reviews the first time I made it and when I adjusted it leaving out one spice which was controversial it made a huge hit. In fact, I don’t have a picture of it sliced up cuz weren’t none left to photograph! The method is my tried and true one of long slow cooking in the oven so you gotta have 3 hours oven time but again, it’s passive time when you can go about your business and more or less ignore it in the oven. It’s crazy delish and easy to do.

Preheat the oven to 350 F/180 C. Take a nice piece of brisket and place in a pan large enough to comfortably contain it and remember you will be putting liquid in halfway up the sides so keep that in mind.

This was a bit of a beast so I cut off the end at the last minute and threw it into my mushroom, bean and barley soup. Onward. Take the honey and the Dijon mustard and put right on the brisket.

Let out your inner child and smoosh this with your hands (I use latex gloves) top and bottom all over the meat to coat it. Now take the granulated garlic powder, onion powder, paprikas, smoked and regular and shake with abandon atop the coating.

Now smoosh it into the coating of honey and mustard till it looks like this:

Mmmm looking yum already. K, last but not least, place the caramelized onions on top of the brisket and let sit for at least half an hour. Since you’ve just taken your meat of of the fridge it needs to get to room temp anyway, good timing.

By now your oven is at the right temp and the meat has absorbed some of that fab flavor. Good. If you’ve got your own chicken broth, awesome. Otherwise, (I had none left either) mix up 2 cups of hot water with 2 tablespoons of powdered chicken broth. Carefully pour on the sides (not over the meat) to about halfway up the brisket and cover tightly with foil or a lid. Place in hot oven for one hour and immediately lower to 325 F/165 C (or closest to it on your oven) and continue cooking for about 2 more hours or till brisket is tender and succulent. If serving immediately, let rest to redistribute the juices in the meat for at least 20 minutes covering with tin foil. If not, let rest anyway and I usually cut the meat after resting and store in the amazing gravy and reheat in it. This freezes really well and I actually think tastes better the next day. If I tell you only 4 skinny little pieces of meat were left (and disappeared again before I turned around) believe it.

Brisket in Honey and Mustard Sauce

2 rounded tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 – 3 heaping tablespoons honey preferably unheated
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 teaspoons granulated garlic
1 teaspoon onion powder
4-5 tablespoons caramelized onions Basic Sauteed Onions, A Kitchen Staple – OR one medium peeled, chopped onion sauteed till medium brown in 2 tablespoons of oil
2 cups chicken or beef broth, can be made with 2 heaping tablespoons powdered broth reconstituted with 2 cups hot water

Take a pan with high enough sides to contain brisket and liquid. Preheat oven to 350 F/180 C.

Rub brisket top and bottom with mustard and honey. Sprinkle all spices on top of brisket rubbing into coated meat. Sprinkle onions over top of brisket. Let rest for 1/2 hour in roasting pan which you cover with aluminum foil. Remove foil and pour broth carefully around sides of brisket not on top – broth should come about halfway up sides of the meat. Cover pan tightly with lid or double layer of tin foil. Bake 1 hour at 350 then lower temperature to 325 F and continue cooking about 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours or till meat is soft and tender. If serving immediately, let rest to redistribute the juices in the meat for at least 20 minutes covering with tin foil. If not, let rest anyway and I usually cut the meat after resting and store in the amazing gravy and reheat in it. Serve with mashed potatoes or rice. Freezes very well.