It’s Raining Meat, Hallelujah!
Editors Note: I love matzah ball soup, I love begals and cream cheese and lox, and I love latkes. One thing I don’t love: brisket. Now I know my Oma made a killer beef dish at all of our Holiday feasts, but I stuck with the chicken and mashers. Who knew that it might take a Brit to convince me to retry this particular cut of cow. Here is Britannia’s take on Brisket with Gorgonzola Cream Sauce (though not a Kosher combo.)
My house mate, 30MinuteAbs, was having a birthday and he wanted a party (nothing new there). I’ve never really cooked for more than twelve to fifteen people before, but on this occasion I was set a challenge–a party for fifty people.
Usually my vegetarian friend from Brooklyn would take on the duties, but this time the guest of honor wanted meat and he wouldn’t cook with meat…So, I was set to task. I considered the variables: oven space, cost, time, quality of product. The best option that I could come up with was brisket: it’s easy, it’s reliable and it’s not steak.
4 x 5lbs of brisket is what was cooked, yes my math got that to 20lbs too! I was unsure on how this was going to turn out. Using the logic that cheese makes everything better (and so the meat wouldn’t dry out,) I made a Gorgonzola cream gravy to go with it. I had gone to a friend’s party two nights before the event and there was a filet topped with blue cheese, this was my inspiration for the gravy. I have to say this was one of my finer culinary moments, catering company anyone?!?!
The recipe is for forty servings; maybe divide everything by 4 or 8 depending on people, for normal usage. Recipe post jump.
Brisket with Gorgonzola Cream Sauce
Gorgonzola Cream Sauce:
12 Cups of Heavy Cream
12oz of Gorgonzola Cheese Crumbs
8 tsp Parsley, crushed
1/4 cup of Parmesan Cheese
Salt and Pepper
Boil the cream, leave at a low boiling temp for 45 minutes, constantly stirring. Remove from stove and add remaining ingredients, whisk until cheese is melted. Serve immediately. (Not pictured because it just seemed like a vat of cream, looked and tasted great though.)
Brisket:
4 – 5lb Brisket
Rub:
12 tsp Olive Oil
Zest of 1 Orange
8 Bay Leaves
10 tsp Thyme
10 tsp Rosemary
4 tsp Cloves
12 Shallots
8 Cloves of Garlic
Salt and Pepper
Extras :
2 Leeks
4 Large Onions
Bottles of Ale
8 tsp of Balsamic Vinegar
Blend all the ingredients, other than the brisket and vegetables (obvi) until it forms into a paste. Rub paste over briskets, all over. Cover and leave in fridge overnight.
Chop the leek and onion in chunks, fry in a little olive oil. Place each brisket in an oven dish. Place the onion and leek to the side of the brisket in the oven dish. Pour the ale and the balsamic vinegar in a bowl and mix, pour around the side of the brisket until the level of the beer is just half way up the side of the brisket.
Roast for 3.5 hrs, on 350 degrees.
Serve with the cream.
Wait, you had room in your oven to cook 4 briskets at once?
Yup, it was a tight squeeze but the four dishes fit side by side over two shelves. On convection. I did rotate periodically to be on the safe side.
that’s a ton of meat, brit! sauce sounds amazing. I bet for extra jewiness (not kosherness) you could throw some horseradish in the gorgonzola.
great call with the horseradish! although, actually, not sure if the strength of the blue cheese would be too much if added with the strength of the horseradish.
I think we need our cheese expert, joehoya, to help us out with this one.
Horseradish and gorgonzola definitely work together, though the combination is not for the faint of heart or delicate of palate.
This looks delicious, but I remain firmly convinced that the best way to cook a brisket is to barbecue it – low and slow heat over 8-10 hours makes for deliciously smoky meat that isn’t quite as fatty but is still nice and tender.
As for the question of how much you need: a single 5-pound brisket should serve 6 or 8 people easily if you’re serving it with sides.
!
so relieved JH had my back on that one.
!
so amazed you people take my word for these things!
you are an accomplished cheese reviewer on an enemy blog, JH.
i just wasn’t sure about the combo b/c im soo not a blue cheese fan, although i can usually handle Gorgonzola b/c its a little less pungent.
I will say that I used more of a creamy Gorgonzola, melted well in the cream. I used more than I would have normally as the sauce wasn’t looking as thick as I had liked so I just threw in what I had left, turns out the flavour was just right.
who is your vegetarian friend from brooklyn?
this is not match.com, brian
My vegetarian friend is Tim, he’s not really from Brooklyn, he just sleeps there while he’s at school. He cooks with us in DC every Sunday night. In fact, we are both in NY this weekend, I’m attempting Cornish game hen and I’m going to cook around Jewish Artichoke, have no idea with that one.
cornish game hen is not vegetarian. brendan, you know i’m spoken for…
I’m hearing es-singles.com
I’d register a profile… young free and dashingly single, who can apparently cook!
brilliant.
we will add this enterprise to our endless simmer media conglomerate
this was fantastic! so easy to make and so good as well. I can not wait to make this again…maybe this weekend for the charger game! I just got my order in from Celebrity Foods so it will be perfect!
bravo gansie an hellava masive cooking accomplishment , go brisket, let’s try some at home, we’ll keep the sauce on the side
sorry, britannia, that dad gansie accredited me with your fantastic meal. i’ve alerted him to his mistake.