Fall doesn't really happen around here.  In fact, October is the month when the weather starts getting hotter, for one of two hot seasons split by the harmattan (sandstorm) wind in January.

The broad-leafed umbrella trees here and there turn red and surrender their leaves, but are completely refreshed in two weeks.  It's unbelievable.

Nevertheless, it's High Holiday season, and that means there's one festive food I'll go to lengths to make: brisket.  This recipe comes from a family friend; it was always my favorite part of an annual tradition of stellar shared meals.  The sauce is sweet and tangy, like a barbecue sauce, I guess.  The flavors light up all my tastebuds. Apart from taking hours for the brisket to slowly cook, it's really quite easy.

I found brisket imported from South Africa in the freezer of a ZA store here.  In total it weighed about a pound, so I checked the sources online which said to cook an hour per pound.  I put it in the oven for an hour.  20-something minutes in I cut up some potatoes in small chunks, sprinkled with chicken stock & parsley, wrapped them in foil and tossed them in.

Lesson learned: you need to cook both of those items a long time.  Longer than an hour, even if the brisket's small - that extra time will soften the meat.  This one came out tough and gray.  Longer than 35 minutes for potatoes, even if they would be soft in half that time if you'd boiled them.  We ended up putting them in a baking dish for an extra half-hour and adding water to them with about 10 minutes to go.  I should have added water from the get-go.

The sauce, however, was a hit!

Lois's Brisket

Ingredients

5-6 lbs brisket
2 chopped onions
1 clove chopped garlic

3 tablespoons brown sugar
16 oz ketchup
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon dry mustard
2 teaspoons celery salt

Directions

Wash and dry brisket.
Sprinkle onion, garlic, salt and pepper, and wrap well in foil - you don't want any moisture escaping.  

Bake at 325 for five hours.  

Simmer remaining ingredients uncovered for 3 minutes.  

Slice brisket, pour sauce over it and heat at 350 for 3 minutes.


Serve and hear the sighs.