Passover has always been my favorite Jewish holiday, because it is a time when family and friends gather to enjoy a special meal after we recount the story of our ancestors’ victory over the ancient Egyptians. We will also pray for those who are living under tyranny today. We are fortunate to enjoy special foods and wine during the Seder meal that recall the journey the ancient Israelites took to the Promised Land. We only use unleavened bread (matzo) because in their haste to flee from their oppressors, they didn’t have time to let their bread rise. It warms my heart that my children and grandchildren carry on the traditions of my childhood by reading from the Haggadah as we recount the story of the Exodus. In my childhood, my grandfather conducted the Seder all in Hebrew, which few of us understood. It was hours before we began to eat. Today my daughter leads the service, while we all participate. This is the second year in which we will celebrate without our beloved Gaston, whose dramatic reading of the 10 plagues that God visited upon the ancient Egyptians before they let our people go, will never be forgotten by anyone who was lucky enough to hear him.
Passover Brisket
4- to 6-lb. brisket flat cut
2 large, sweet onions, sliced
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. olive oil, plus more for greasing the pan
1 lb. cremini mushrooms, sliced
2 Tbsp. potato starch
1 cup dry red wine, with more as needed
salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350°F. Trim fat from brisket. Caramelize onions in olive oil with a teaspoon of salt over low heat, in a large sauté pan. Add mushrooms, raise heat to medium, cover the pan, and sauté until liquid has almost evaporated. Save ½ cup of liquid for sauce. Cool. Remove ingredients from pan.
Grease a large roasting pan or Dutch oven with a little more olive oil. Place brisket in a pan and brown meat on top of the stove.
Using the sauté pan, mix potato starch with cooking liquid to create a slurry. Add red wine. Cook over low heat until a smooth sauce is made. Add caramelized onions and sautéed mushrooms to the slurry mixture, and pour over the meat.
Cover with aluminum foil if using a roasting pan, or use the lid of the Dutch oven, and roast for at least 3 to 3½ hours. Remove the cover and cook an additional ½ hour, until very tender, adding a little water or more wine, if needed. Check to see if salt and pepper are needed.
Remove from the oven and let rest ½ hour; slice before serving. Enjoy!
