Brisket is synonymous with Jewish cuisine. It seems as though every bubbe has their own recipe that has been passed down from generation to generation. A fall-apart brisket was the centerpiece of our Hanukkah meal, with umami-rich gravy pooling onto our plates loaded with crispy potato latkes. Recreating the texture and taste of beef for a plant-based dish is challenging, but king trumpet mushrooms and grated tofu help mimic the look and feel of brisket. Serve it with roasted potatoes or latkes, or try it in a challah bun and slaw for a play on a “pulled beef” sandwich.
Ingredients
“Brisket”
- King Trumpet Mushrooms 1 ½ lbs
- Extra-Firm Tofu 1 x 14 oz block
- Olive Oil ½ cup
- Soy Sauce 3 Tbs or Gluten-Free Tamari if preferred
- Smoked Paprika 2 Tbs
- Garlic Powder 1 Tbs
- Black Pepper ½ tsp
Sauce
- Yellow Onion 1 medium, peeled and quartered
- Garlic 4 cloves, peeled
- Dry Red Wine 2 cups
- Ketchup 1 cup
- Soy Sauce 2 Tbs
- Dijon Mustard 2 Tbs
- Dried Thyme 1 tsp
- Mustard Powder 1 tsp
- Fresh Parsley chopped, 2 Tbs
Cook It
- Preheat the oven to 400℉.
- Make the “brisket”: Use two forks to shred the mushrooms into strips. Put them in a large bowl.
- Drain the tofu. Using the largest holes of a box grater, grate the tofu into the bowl with the mushrooms. Add the olive oil, soy sauce, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and black pepper and toss with the mushrooms and tofu until well combined.
- Transfer the mushroom and tofu mixture to a large rimmed sheet pan and spread it into an even layer. Roast for 30 minutes, or until golden. Set aside.
- Make the sauce: While the mushrooms are roasting, in a blender or food processor, puree the onion, garlic, red wine, ketchup, soy sauce, Dijon mustard, thyme, and mustard powder until smooth.
- Pour the sauce over the roasted mushroom and tofu mixture, stirring until evenly distributed. The liquid will evaporate while it roasts, making a thick sauce.
- Return the sheet pan to the oven and roast for 30 to 35 minutes, stirring halfway through, until the mushrooms and tofu are deep brown.
- Serve topped with the chopped parsley.
Note: Store in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat, thaw and transfer to a baking dish. Bake at 350°F until heated through. To make this kosher for Passover, be sure to use a Passover-friendly soy sauce alternative.
Variation: For a less traditional, yet very tasty, flavour more similar to a pulled barbecue “beef,” in lieu of ketchup, try adding your favourite barbecue sauce.
Recipe reproduced from Nosh Plant-Forward Recipes Celebrating Modern Jewish Cuisine by Micah Siva © The Collective Book Studio/distributed by Simon and Schuster. With permission from the publisher.
