Brisket Stewed with Black-Eyed Peas

From 'Israeli Soul,' the new cookbook by James Beard award-winning chefs, Michael Solomonov and Steven Cook.

October 25, 2018

Brisket Stewed with Black-Eyed Peas (Courtesy of Michael Persico)

Serves 8 to 10

We ate this soupy-stew at Gohar, a Persian restaurant at the end of a strip mall in the industrial area of Kfar Saba, north of Tel Aviv. A recent tech boom in the neighborhood has made parking difficult, but the pots of stick-to-your-ribs Persian classics set on a hot plate for the lunch rush remain unchanged. The richness of the brisket (we like the flat, or first-cut) and black-eyed peas is perfectly balanced by the stewed greens, the haunting acidity of dried lime, and tons of fresh dill.

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Ingredients

1 (6-pound) beef brisket

1½ tablespoons kosher salt

1 tablespoon ground turmeric

1 dried lime, crushed and ground in a spice grinder

¼ cup canola oil

3 large onions, finely chopped

Garlic cloves from 1 head, thinly sliced

2 quarts chicken stock

2 cups dried black-eyed peas, soaked for 4 hours or up to overnight

3 bunches lacinato kale (about 15 stalks), stemmed and chopped

Handful chopped fresh dill

Steps

Rub the brisket with the salt, turmeric, and dried lime. Cover and refrigerate for at least 24 hours or up to 2 days.
Preheat the oven to 500°F. Place the brisket on a rack in a baking pan. Roast for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside. Reduce the oven temperature to 275°F.
Heat the oil in a deep ovenproof pot. Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring, until the onions are translucent. Add the brisket and the stock. Cover and braise in the oven for 2 hours. Check and add water if necessary. Remove from the oven, add the black-eyed peas and kale, cover, and braise for 2 more hours, or until the beans and brisket are fork-tender. Serve with the dill.

BRISKET STEWED WITH BLACK-EYED PEAS is excerpted from ISRAELI SOUL © 2018 by Michael Solomonov and Steven Cook. Photography © 2018 by Michael Persico. Reproduced by permission of Rux Martin Books/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.