Lizzie Rosman, Award Winning Brisket Maker!

Congratulations to Lizzie Rosman, Windsor Square resident and winner of the Brisket Cook-Off  held last night at the Los Angeles Tennis Club’s third annual Latke Night.

Actually,  Rosman is a two-time winner this Hanukkah. She also won the brisket-making contest at her children’s elementary school, Temple Israel of Hollywood Day School, an annual tradition where winners are recognized on a trophy at the school. Pretty impressive right!

Rosman told us she used a different recipe for the tennis club’s latke night.

“I had to shake it up a little bit, because when I won Temple Israel, I made little Rueben sandwiches and I think I won strictly because I had bread. But I couldn’t do that here, so I got experimental with some of the ingredients,” said Rosman, who explained that it’s a new recipe but it’s based on her experience cooking brisket over the years.

Rules for the LATC Brisket Cook-Off prohibited any garnishes or any added sauce. The contest was judged by a panel of “expert” tasters as well as members who lined up to taste the ten entries for a “people’s choice” winner. Rosman won in both categories. (This writer also entered the contest with a NY Times recipe; next year I will try Lizzie’s!)

Brisket is a staple for Jewish holidays, especially for Ashkenazi Jews. It’s a cut of meat from the breast or lower chest of the animal and is usually very tough and fatty, requiring a long cooking time to tenderize the meat. Rossman learned to cook her Polish grandmother’s recipe as well as recipes from her husband Mitchell Schwartz’s family.

“I was just adding stuff to make this different,” said Rosman. I think you know there has to be spices, there has to be acid, there has to be fat and so I added different flavors of all of that and it smelled good while it was cooking and it turned out well.”

“It was really fun. I am so surprised and so excited,” said Rosman, who is a new member to the club and also a new tennis player. She said her brisket win made up for a tennis loss earlier in the day.

Here’s the recipe for anyone who wants to try it.

Lizzie Rosman’s Brisket

7 lb. brisket
1 pack Liptons Onion Soup Mix
3 T olive oil mixed with 1 tsp crushed red peppers and minced garlic
1 bottle Heinz chili sauce
A few shakes of Trader Joe’s Hoisin Sauce

2 onions
1 T brown sugar
Lawry’s seasoning salt

Preheat oven to 325.
Rub Lipton’s spice packet and the oil/red pepper mixture onto brisket on the non-fatty side. Melt 1 T butter in Dutch oven, and sear brisket on both sides for 3 minutes
Turn brisket to fat side down and pour Heinz chili sauce and Hoisin sauce on top.
Add water to the pot so that 1/2 the brisket is submerged.
Cover tightly with tinfoil.
Cover tinfoil with lid to Dutch oven
Cook at 325 degrees for 3 hours

Remove from oven, cool completely.

Sauté onions w/sugar and Lawry’s until carmelized. Add to bottom of serving dish.

Slice brisket once it is cool and layer on top of onions. Cover tightly. Spoon some of the cooking liquid on top.
Reheat at 200 for 2 hours and serve.