Rosh Hashanah Basics
Happy High-Holidays! For those who do not know, the Jewish High-Holidays are this coming weekend. They are a time for celebration, a time for family, and a time for eating! If you are cooking for a crowd, and want a big centerpiece dish, look no further than the Brisket. Cook it however you like, but here are a few bullet points to help you purchase such a large piece of meat:
Don’t buy too much. If you ask your butcher for a whole brisket, that normally includes the two muscles of that full brisket: The Point, and the Flat. The Flat is lean, and the Point is fatty, so make sure you specify if you want them separate these muscles.
Know how many people you are serving. For a meal based on protein, its normally safe to figure about a half of a pound per person, pre cooking. Based on the nature of the long, slow cook that brisket normally requires, you will lose some weight while cooking. However, if you are serving lots of other things as well, maybe consider decreasing that to about a third or a quarter of a pound per person.
Don’t be afraid of fat! Brisket is a fatty cut, the more fat it has, the more flavor!
Another staple of Rosh Hashanah is chicken soup, which, if you’re making from scratch, requires an amazing homemade stock. Start by going to your local butcher or grocery store, and ask for chicken bones. These include the inner carcass, the wingtips, and other cartilage-heavy pieces. Once you have enough bones to lay out flat on a sheet tray, preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Lay out the bones, a whole onion, cut in quarters, and a head of garlic, cut in half. Roast these until the bones are golden brown. Add to a large stock pot with a few carrots, celery stalks, half of a lemon, peppercorns, and herbs de provence. Cover with water, bring to boil, and then keep at a simmer for a minimum of three hours, and up to 12. Skim the fat off of the top every half hour for a more clear, lighter broth. The most important thing- DO NOT ADD SALT!!!!!! While boiling things for a long time, when water evaporates, it leaves salt behind. Wait until you are portioning the soup to season with salt.
Good Luck with Rosh Hashanah!
