ABOUT 12 YEARS AGO, JASON,
my husband, who is Jew-
ish, insisted on making me
his three-ingredient brisket
for Hanukkah. He lined a
roasting pan with enor-
mous sheets of heavy-duty
foil, plopped a 5-pound bris-
ket on top, then slathered it
in a combination of Lipton
onion soup mix and canned
cranberry sauce. I remember
looking on in dismay as he
assembled this nightmare.
When it was done braising,
I was informed we wouldn’t
eat it until the next day—it
was better if chilled over-
night because he could then
remove much of the fat, slice
it easily, and rewarm it in all
the juices. As lowbrow as it
seemed, it was, to my sur-
prise, incredibly delicious.
Now, after over a decade of
cooking professionally and
discovering some of the best
recipes in the country, it is
still our tradition to make
this brisket for Hanukkah.
My version’s a little fancier,
but the original is still close to
my heart. —JUSTIN CHAPPLE,
CULINARY DIRECTOR-AT-LARGE