For my next Passover/Pesach recipe we are going with a classic red wine braised brisket with apples. This recipe borrows from the first step of the seder, Kadeish (קדש). In the step of Kadeish, which roughly translates to “sanctification”, we make a blessing on and drink the first of four cups of wine. The apples are also a call back to Charoset that I have have been leaning heavily on in my recipes this holiday season.
The goal here is keep it simple and used ingredients that you should already have in the house to enhance the humble brisket, just like Bubby used to make. Also, this recipe is meant to accommodate the fact that many people have the custom to only eat meat at the Seder if it is cooked in a lot of liquid.
Brisket Buying Basics
Brisket is always a crowd pleaser in my house and is pretty forgiving, especially if you braise it. Briskets are generally a larger cut so they are great for feeding a large crowd. Look for a one with a good amount of intermuscular fat and a thin layer of fat on top. I recommend going with domestic grain fed beef for this recipe. It will help ensure a much more tender final product. It will be more expensive than an imported grass fed brisket, but it is worth it for the Passover seder in my opinion. Also, don’t be afraid to buy a whole packer brisket that includes the first and second cut. It should be a little cheaper and you can have the butcher split it for you. You can use the first cut for sededr as it slices nicely, and freeze the second cut for future use.
A classic brisket recipe with red wine and apples making it great for Passover, just like Bubby used to make.
- 5 lb First Cut Brisket
- 3 tbsp Olive oil
- Salt and Pepper To taste
- 4 Large Apples Peeled, cored, and sliced in to to ¼" slices
- 4 Large Onions Peeled and sliced
- 4 Cups Sweet Red Wine Use something you would drink. Do NOT use cooking wine.
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Place your skillet on the stove over high heat. Season your brisket with salt and pepper on all sides to taste and lightly coat it in olive oil.
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Once your skillet is ripping hot, use it to brown the brisket on all sides.
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While the brisket browns preheat your oven to 250°F.
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Add a layer of apples and onions to the bottom of your roasting pan.
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Add your brisket to the roasting pan and cover with another layer of apples and onions,
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Slowly add wine until the liquid comes 3/4 the way up the brisket. You may not need all of the wine.
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Cover the pan tightly with foil and place in the oven. Cook for three hours, then carefully flip the brisket, recover with foil, and cook for another two hours or until desired tenderness is reached.
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Allow to cool and slice in to ¼ inch slices.
Don’t forget to check out our other Passover recipes: