M E D I U M D O N E W E L L A W E ’ R E
HIS BARK IS AS GOOD AS HIS BITE. SMOKE, NOT MIRRORS WITH IZZY'S BBQ.
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ISSUE J U LY 2 0 1 9
OVER THE BORDER, THROUGH THE WOODS: MEXICAN FIESTA.
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BRISKET: THE OG OF JEWISH EATING.
CONTENTS
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EDITOR'S LETTER
BE EQUIPPED Smoking Tools
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THANK YOU FOR SMOKING A Beginner’s Guide
GARDEN SALADS
Salads worth salivating over
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MEXICAN GRILL See what's cooking South of the Border
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GARDENING 101 INTERNATIONAL MARINADES
BUTCHER’S CUT: BRISKET The OG of Jewish Eating
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SOUS VIDE Sous vide for the grill
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RESTAURANT CHRONICLES Chef Isaac’s New Project: Gruit
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TRAVEL Cancun
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FESTIVALS BBQ Competition Season Has Arrived
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L’CHAIM Summer Wines & Mexican Beers
SALSA: A COLLECTION
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COOKBOOK REVIEW No Crumbs Left by Teri Turner
Put the jar away; it’s time for some real salsa.
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FOOD TRENDS Charcuterie
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MODERN HEIMISH Slay Summer Slaws
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RESOURCE GUIDE Charcuterie & Smokehouses
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INTERVIEW The Grub Company
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RECIPE GUIDE
A DAY IN THE LIFE BBQ Pitmaster
Esty Wolbe has become well known for her infectious, authentic and fun cooking style. She started the popular Facebook group, I Don’t Cook But I Give Out Recipes, an Instagram page (@cookingwithtantrums) and blog www.cookingwithtantrums.com (as a mom of 5, there are many) and hosts a popular show on www.kosher.com entitled Easy Does It. Look for her marinade article and cooking tips throughout the issue.
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e xplore 96 points
Well-known for its majestic views and breathtaking scenery, the Pacific Northwest is also home to one of America’s premier wine growing regions. Benefiting from the warm stable weather of the West Coast, mixed with the cooler nights of northern latitudes, wines from Oregon and Washington feature lively ripe fruit of New World wines mixed with the refreshing acidity that Old World wine. Open a bottle of Pacifica wine and explore the tastes of the Pacific Northwest.
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CULINARY SCHOOL
BY SHIFRA KLEIN Spearheaded by entrepreneur and passionate barbecue aficionado, Sruli (a.k.a. Izzy) Eidelman of Izzy's BBQ Smokehouse (Crown Heights, Brooklyn), has put kosher barbecue on the restaurant map. Inspired by Texas-style barbecue and what he learned from Ari White of Wandering Que, Sruli operates one of the most popular kosher restaurants in the country. Traditionally, barbecue was synonymous with grilling, a quick-cooking method that relies on high heat, utilizing a gas or charcoal grill, common mostly in the summer months. Texas or Southern-style barbecue is truly the opposite of grilling, utilizing a wood-burning fire for delicious, smoky flavor, as well as a low-andslow cook time for tender, melt-inyour-mouth textures.
experience and trial and error. Sruli himself started out of his Brooklyn apartment, preparing brisket and ribs for family and friends. While you can’t become a pro overnight, there are some easy ways to create a similar result at home. One of our most requested features was how to smoke at home, so we called in the expert. Sruli suggests starting with a typical charcoal (kettle) grill and adding wood chips to the mix. You can smoke chicken, brisket, ribs, or even corn and fish using this method. Cooking time varies.
The type of wood used when barbecuing (or smoking) greatly impacts the flavor of the meat, so barbecue pitmasters (experts in this style of cooking) each have their own favorite wood or wood combination. Sruli prefers oak and cherry woods. He says that combining a hardwood and fruit wood creates a great balanced smoky flaWhere there’s vor that he loves. smoke, there Becoming a professional pitmaster takes years of
can be you.
Remember, a charcoal grill will not work as perfectly as a proper smoker, but it is a great way for the home cook to impart a smoky flavor in an inexpensive, foolproof way. And as Sruly wisely shares, "It is a chill process, so have fun with it and don't take it too seriously."
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GRILLING GUIDE
The thing I love most about food is its ability to transport you to another time or another place. Aromas waft through the air, teasing and enticing, then you take that first bite and you know exactly what I’m talking about. You’re back in your grandma’s kitchen or on a tropical island you’ve never actually been to yet, or anywhere in between. Because, you see, we’re all foodies and this new-age term describes all humans who enjoy great food and the unspoken journey we embark on when we eat it. Marinades infuse flavor deep into the protein of choice, far better than a spice rub could ever do, so every bite is as delicious as the last. The longer you marinate, the bolder the flavor will be. However, after the maximum recommended time frame, any acid in the marinade will begin to break down or essentially “cook” the chicken, so always keep that in mind when choosing your ingredients.
When it comes to marinating meats, there are no major rules. Anything pretty much goes. Mix and match flavors in a way that feels right for you. On the following page, I provide an ideal cut for each marinade, but feel free to customize however you like.
All recipes require that the grill be covered during the cooking time listed.
If you don’t have access to a grill, or it is pouring rain outside, you can easily make the following recipes indoors either by broiling in the oven or using a stovetop grill pan. Follow the same cooking time as you would for an outdoor grill. While it won't have the exact same flavor, it will come pretty close.
The best way to avoid overcooking your chicken or meat is to use a meat thermometer. You can get one for as little as $10 on Amazon and it will eliminate all the guesswork. You’ve been there. Is it cooked yet? *slice* Nope, still pink. With a thermometer, you’ll know that as soon as the chicken registers at 165°F when inserted into the thickest part of the chicken, it’s perfect and you can pull it off the grill, intact. Allow to rest for a few minutes so the juices can redistribute and you’ll be rewarded with the juiciest grilled chicken you’ve ever had. Pinkie swear.
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THE OG OF JEWISH EATING. BY NAFTALI HANAU
A
s soon as Purim is over, the calls and emails start: “Do you have brisket?” “I need brisket for Passover!”
Brisket has come to be synonymous with Jewish holiday feasts, from Passover to Rosh Hashanah and even Shabbat. Once thought to be a “lesser” cut (it’s much tougher than say, a rib steak), brisket now occupies an exalted place, so intimately woven with family recipes, nostalgia and Jewish life that it’s hard for some to imagine a holiday without it. Which is why if you’re cooking your first brisket, you might be a little intimidated. There is no need to fear! Briskets can be large, so you may need a bigger roasting pan, but other than that, with some basic knowledge, cooking skills and proper ingredients, you’re on your way to a delicious meal.
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BUTCHER'S CUT
What is brisket? A whole brisket is made up of two muscles from the breast of the steer; the “first cut” or “flat cut,” is larger and leaner, the “second cut” or “point cut” is smaller and fattier. These pectoral muscles get a serious workout during the animal’s lifetime, which is why they must be cooked at a low temperature for a long time to convert the collagen in the meat into gelatin, making it tender and unctuous.
Which cut of brisket should you choose? It all depends on your preference. First cut or “flat cut” brisket is the most common brisket cut used for braising in traditional Ashkenazi cuisine. Its long, thick fibers run lengthwise across the whole muscle. Cooked to tenderness, first cut brisket can be sliced against the grain to produce tender, melt-in-your-mouth results. Cooked a little longer and those strands will separate, leaving you with meat that is ready to “pull” or shred, slather with BBQ sauce and enjoy.
Since the first cut is leaner, a lower grade/quality first cut brisket can dry out quite easily. However, it is not by definition a “dry” cut. With quality meat and attention to detail, you can prepare an incredible meal with first cut brisket. It is most commonly braised; it can also be pickled and made into corned beef.
Second cut brisket can be braised like first cut, but since it is more marbled and has a different grain, the results will be more tender and much richer. It also doesn’t slice as “cleanly” as the first cut, since it’s a smaller and thinner muscle. However, those chunky bits are delicious, and can be smoked or roasted with extra sauce to make “burnt ends,” a BBQ classic. Everyone has their preference; a whole brisket, much like a whole chicken, will satisfy everyone’s preferences around the table. Preparing either a first cut or a second cut will ensure you have only the kind of meat you love best.
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What about smoked brisket? Smoking is another method of slow cooking that is extremely popular for brisket, in and beyond the Jewish world. A long, low, 10+ hour gentle cook in a smoker will yield tender, smoky, delicious BBQ-style smoked brisket. For smoking, we recommend using a whole brisket with the fat cap intact – a thick layer of fat that bastes the meat while it cooks and keeps it from drying out. You can trim it off before serving. We offer “Packer Cut” (the thickest fat layer) and “Deli Cut” (slightly less) whole briskets, both ideal for smoking.
Read more about smoked brisket on pg. 14 where Sruli Eidelman of Izzy’s Barbecue shares a guide on smoking for the home cook.
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TRAVEL VIA COOKING
mexican grill by Shifra Klein
Photography by Schneur Menaker
Let’s see what the south is cooking What comes to mind when considering Mexican food? Ortega taco shells, salsa and guacamole were the most common responses I received. The truth is, these famous and delicious dishes are more an American adaptation of Mexican food known as Tex-Mex cuisine. In reality, there is a world of Mexican cuisine, flavors and spices that many don’t even know about. Mexico is about five times larger than California and has a diverse topography, economy, lifestyle and ingredient list. Some regions surround water while other, more inland regions have more of a ranch and farm lifestyle. As such, ingredients, cooking styles and food completely varies by region and results in Mexican food diversity. Many classic Mexican foods like mole, tacos al pastor and acidic spicy salsas have not yet made their way onto the typical kosher dinner table, which is why we were committed to making this feature as authentic as we could.
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TRAVEL VIA COOKING
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