Brisket. It’s a Rosh Hashanah tradition, but it’s boring, the same old cumbersome cut of meat. Until, that is, we put it in the hands of Bill Telepan, the chef and owner of an eponymous Upper West Side restaurant and one of the nation’s most celebrated culinary masters. Married to a Jewish woman, and introduced by her to the Jewish festivals and their corresponding dishes, he has deconstructed the brisket: he cooked it, chopped it, and recreated it again, as a pasta sauce.
Shredded Brisket Pasta
March 16, 2021
Ingredients
For the Shredded Brisket Pasta
- 4tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 3medium carrots
- 3medium celery ribs
- 3large red onions (a total of one pound)
- 1-⅓cup dry red wine
- 3cups veal stock
- 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 12garlic cloves
For the Optional: House-Made Egg Fettuccine
- 8teaspoons butter
- 3cups all-purpose flour
- ½teaspoon salt
- 2whole eggs
- 8egg yolks
- 2to 4 tablespoons water
Yield: Serves 6
Preparation
To make the Shredded Brisket Pasta
- Step 1
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Pat brisket dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat two tablespoons of oil in a 6-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then add brisket and brown on both sides, about 12 minutes total.
- Step 2
Cut carrots, celery, and onions into one-inch pieces, then pulse in two batches in a food processor until finely chopped.
- Step 3
Transfer brisket to a platter. Add one tablespoon of oil and chopped vegetables to pot, then sauté over moderately high heat, stirring, until softened and golden, about five minutes. Add wine, stock, tomatoes, and 10 whole garlic cloves and bring to a boil.
- Step 4
Return brisket with any juices on platter to pot and cover, then transfer to oven. Braise brisket, turning over once per hour, until tender enough to shred with a fork, about three hours. Transfer to a cutting board and cut into 2-inch chunks, then shred with two forks. Purée sauce in two batches in food processor or a blender (use caution when blending hot liquids).
- Step 5
Mince remaining two garlic cloves. Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a cleaned pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté garlic, stirring, for one minute. Add meat and sauté, stirring occasionally, for five minutes. Stir in sauce and season with salt and pepper.
- Step 6
Cook fettucine in a 6-quart pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain, then return to pot and add meat sauce.
- Step 7
Telepan tops the dish with grated pecorino cheese, but of course you’ll skip that part if you’re preparing a kosher meal.
To make the Optional: House-Made Egg Fettuccine
(makes one pound)
- Step 1
In a large bowl crumble the butter, flour, and salt between your fingers to make a course meal.
- Step 2
Beat the eggs with one tablespoon of the water. Form a well in the middle of the flour mixture and pour the eggs into the well. Incorporate the eggs by stirring in the flour mixture from the sides of the well a little at a time (if dough is too dry, add some more of the water).
- Step 3
When most of the flour is mixed in, form dough into a ball, transfer to a clean, flat surface, and knead for ten minutes.
- Step 4
Cover and let rest for 1 hour, refrigerated.
- Step 5
Using a pasta machine, roll into fettuccine noodles. Dry for at least 15 minutes on a pasta rack or baking sheet. Cook or refrigerate.
NOTE: If you don’t own a pasta machine, or don’t feel like rolling around in dough, you can use store-bought dry egg noodles instead.