Low, slow and unhurried — from the butchers at Toronto Kosher.
Choosing your brisket
- Whole brisket — feeds a crowd; the thicker end stays juicier, the leaner end slices neater.
- Single brisket — the classic Shabbos slicer. Leaner, so keep liquid halfway up the meat.
- Double brisket — richer and more forgiving; the one we'd point a first-timer to.
- Pickled & pastrami — already brined; rinse before cooking and skip added salt entirely.
The braise that never fails
Sear hard on both sides. Soften onions in the same pot. Add the brisket, liquid to reach halfway (stock or wine), cover tight, and hold at 300°F — about 1 hour per pound, until a fork twists easily. Rest before slicing against the grain. Better still: chill it overnight and slice it cold — the slices come out neater and the flavour settles.
Cholent, properly
- The meat: flanken and cholent meat carry the flavour; marrow bones make it silky. Boneless chuck holds its shape for neat portions.
- The order: beans and barley at the bottom, potatoes around the walls, meat and bones in the middle — the centre cooks gentlest.
- The liquid: cover everything by two fingers before Shabbos.
- The extras: kishka on top for the last hours; a whole egg tucked in becomes a Sephardi-style haminado.
What to reach for
Flanken and cholent meat are the backbone of the pot, and marrow bones give it body. For a brisket, work backwards from your table — a single feeds a smaller crowd, a double or a whole carries a full Yom Tov.