User's Guide

How To Make Your Best Brisket, With Charlie Kleinman

Photo: Courtesy Wexler’s

Wexler’s Charlie Kleinman describes himself as a “bad Jew” for wanting to eat bacon on Rosh Hashanah, but despite that he’s got some good ideas for you on how to make this year’s holiday brisket the best ever. “To me, the most important thing is that brisket is one cut of meat with two distinct sides. People all too often think lean is good, but the reason brisket is good and is what it is, is because of the fatty side. That’s what makes it stand up to the barbecue and the smoking. You need that fat and you need that connective tissue to melt in.”

“The other most important thing is that you season a brisket ahead of time,” Kleinman says. “Whether you salt it or brine it, [give it] an hour if you have an hour or six hours if you have six. It’s a dense piece of meat and in order to get your salt all the way through you need to do it ahead of time.” Finally, try getting creative with your braising agents, and don’t shy away from the booze. “In my family, we do a fairly simple red wine-braised brisket with some carrots and some tomato product. But really there’s no limit to the variations. For example at Wexler’s I might smoke it for a while and braise it in bourbon. I think alcohol is a great way to braise because it adds complexity and dimeions of flavor.” As for dessert, “I keep thinking of apples and honey… Go to Dynamo Donuts and get the maple/apple/bacon doughnut and be a bad Jew having a good Jewish dish.”

How To Make Your Best Brisket, With Charlie Kleinman