There's something to be said for quick and easy during the holiday season. All the baking, running around shopping, attending parties, more baking, wrapping gifts, visiting friends, and family, MORE baking, decorating, whew! Who has time to get too elaborate during Christmas?!
We recently had a unique for me at least Christmas party called a night in Bethlehem, at our church. The premise was that people would come "to be taxed and counted" to "Bethlehem". After traveling so far, of course they would want to eat and rest, so we had market stalls where food could be "purchased".
As I looked into middle eastern, and specifically Jewish recipes, I had a very hard time finding any truly traditional recipes for the time period of when the Savior, Jesus Christ, was born. I did find modern recipes that came from some of the many cultures that have come and gone in the middle east, as well as dishes picked up and embraced by the scattered tribes of Israel.
I found several recipes for beef brisket so I plucked a recipe off the internet, and made it my own with a change in an ingredient or two. It was a super hit, as the beef was served shredded in pitas, rolls or bagels, whatever they chose, and the sandwich could be layered with cucumber, salad greens and such. We also had classic Jewish deli chicken salad for those who aren't as big into beef, and to provide variety. There were plenty of sides and delicious treats, so we had a great feast, a delightful and spiritually uplifting program, and everyone left with full tummies and touched hearts. Since then he requests have come in for the beef recipe so here it is!
HOLIDAY BEEF BRISKET
A melt in your mouth beef that’s perfect for slicing and serving with traditional potatoes and veggies, or shredding and layering with onion and creamy horseradish on a sourdough roll, depending on how you want to serve it.
1 5-8 lb beef brisket, back fat trimmed
1 1/2 c. ketchup
1 1/2 c. fruit preserves or jam such as peach, apricot, apple, fruit based mincemeat, or a combo of those
1 package Lipton’s Onion soup mix
1 c. water
Place the brisket in a baking dish or pan large enough to hold it. in a bowl combine the liquid ingredients with the soup mix and pour over the meat. Turn the brisket to coat both sides. cover tightly with foil and place in the fridge for 12-24 hours.
Place directly in an oven set at 275 degrees and let cook for 6-8 hours, flipping once about half way through. You can also cook this in a slow cooker, but a lot of people like the crispy edges you get on the meat when it’s roasted in the oven.
The meat should pull apart easily when using two forks to test for doneness.
Once sliced or shredded put back in the pan it was roasted in to soak up more of the delicious juices, and keep warm until serving.
Enjoy!
A melt in your mouth beef that’s perfect for slicing and serving with traditional potatoes and veggies, or shredding and layering with onion and creamy horseradish on a sourdough roll, depending on how you want to serve it.
1 5-8 lb beef brisket, back fat trimmed
1 1/2 c. ketchup
1 1/2 c. fruit preserves or jam such as peach, apricot, apple, fruit based mincemeat, or a combo of those
1 package Lipton’s Onion soup mix
1 c. water
Place the brisket in a baking dish or pan large enough to hold it. in a bowl combine the liquid ingredients with the soup mix and pour over the meat. Turn the brisket to coat both sides. cover tightly with foil and place in the fridge for 12-24 hours.
Place directly in an oven set at 275 degrees and let cook for 6-8 hours, flipping once about half way through. You can also cook this in a slow cooker, but a lot of people like the crispy edges you get on the meat when it’s roasted in the oven.
The meat should pull apart easily when using two forks to test for doneness.
Once sliced or shredded put back in the pan it was roasted in to soak up more of the delicious juices, and keep warm until serving.
Enjoy!
