Yom Tov Tzimmes with Brisket

Good evening fellow bloggers! Welcome to a brand new edition of E.M.E.F. Today, I scoured high and low for an international meal that I thought you would all approve of. Well, we've covered the basics: Chinese, Mexican, American, and so forth. Today, I decided we are going to try Jewish food, or Hebrew. However you choose to say it. Our meal today is called "Yom Tov Tzimmes". It literally translates to "Good Day Meal". A tzimmes is is often part of the Rosh Hashanah meal, however, we will not be celebrating that today since it of course, is NOT Rosh Hashanah. In Hebrew, Jewish holidays and festivals, depending on their nature, may be called yom tov. A "Yom Tov" has similar obligations and restrictions to Shabbat, with the exception that you can cook, carry, and transfer fire (from a pre-existing flame). With that being said, let's get our grocery list and meet back in the kitchen shortly!

Yom Tov Tzimmes with Brisket

You will need:

• 3 to 5 pounds brisket
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 3 cups hot water
• 1 cup orange juice
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 4 or 5 carrots, cut into 2 inch pieces
• 3 sweet potatoes, peeled,  cut into 2 inch chunks
• 1 butternut squash, peeled, cut into 2 inch chunks
• 8 ounces pitted prunes (about 2 dozen)
• 5 ounces dried apricots (about 20 large apricots)
• Cornstarch and cold water

Are you ready? Excellent!

1. In a 6 quart Dutch oven with lid, heat oil over medium heat and brown the meat well, draining off excess grease.
2. Combine water, juice, honey, brown sugar, cinnamon and ginger; pour over meat.
3. Cover and bring to a boil.
4. Reduce heat and simmer for about 1 and 1/2 hours.
5. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
6. Arrange carrots, sweet potatoes, squash, prunes and apricots around the meat.
7. Cover pot and place in hot oven.
8. Bake for 1 and 1/2 hours.
9. Uncover and bake for 1 to 2 hours more, or until the meat is fork tender.
10. Remove the vegetables and fruit to a serving dish.
11. Remove meat to a carving board and slice against the grain.
12. If the sauce in the pan is too thin, combine a tablespoon of cornstarch and cold water and whisk it into the sauce to thicken.
13. Simmer until it reaches the desired consistency, or about 15 minutes to cook the cornstarch.
14. Serve sliced meat topped with sauce and surrounded by fruit and vegetables.

I hope you all enjoy this meal and leave some love if you'd like to see something else International. I live for ideas to share and new recipes to try. Thank you all for being such loyal readers! Have an amazing day!