Brisket Stewed
Source: Anonymous, 1846
History
"Brisket Stewed" is a recipe printed in The Jewish Manual (London, 1846), in the chapter "Directions for Various Ways of Dressing Meat and Poultry". The book was published anonymously as "Edited by a Lady"; the identity of the author was unknown at publication and was attributed only later, through scholarly research, to Lady Judith Montefiore — an attribution that is traditional rather than certain.
The recipe directs the cook to stew six or seven pounds of brisket in only enough water to cover it, seasoned with "a little spice tied in a bag," until the meat is tender and the spices are "sufficiently extracted to make the gravy rich and strong"; part of the gravy is then drawn off to gently stew seasonal vegetables cut into small shapes — "turnips, carrots, mushrooms, cauliflowers, or whatever may be in season" — and the meat is glazed and served with the vegetables arranged around it. It is one of several brisket preparations in the book.
The book's stated purpose was to guide "the young Jewish housekeeper" and to gather receipts "hitherto bequeathed only by memory or manuscript, from one generation to another of the Jewish nation," alongside plain English and French dishes then in general use.
Beyond this printed appearance, the historical record I could source does not document who ate this particular stewed-brisket dish, any geographic lineage for it, or any social, class, or status significance attached to it.
Ingredients
- 6–7 pounds brisket of beef
- water
- spices
- turnips
- carrots
- mushrooms
- cauliflowers
Instructions
- Place six to seven pounds of brisket in a stewpan with just enough water to cover it. Season with spices tied in a bag.
- Simmer until the meat is tender and the spices have extracted enough flavor to make the gravy rich and strong.
- Remove part of the gravy to another saucepan. Prepare a variety of vegetables (turnips, carrots, mushrooms, cauliflowers, or whatever is in season) cut into small shapes.
- Stew the vegetables gently in the gravy until tender. Glaze the meat, then pour the gravy into the serving dish and arrange the vegetables around it.