Hanukkah Brisket & Latke Sandwiches

Make the brisket: Season the brisket generously on all sides with 2 teaspoons of the salt.

Heat the oil over medium-high heat in the Lowkey Lavender Braiser (or other Dutch oven) until very hot but not smoking. Add the brisket, fattier side down, and sear until deep brown and crisped in parts, 6–7 minutes. Carefully flip the brisket and sear another 6 minutes, then sear each of the narrow sides, standing up the brisket if possible, 2–3 minutes each side. 

Preheat the oven to 300°F. Remove the brisket from braiser and place onto a rimmed baking sheet, reduce heat to medium, then add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions soften but don’t caramelize, 6–7 minutes. Add the tomato paste, sweet and smoked paprikas, cumin, and cayenne, and cook until the tomato paste is absorbed and the spices are fragrant, 2 minutes. Add the beer, broth, honey, and remaining teaspoon of salt, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the sauce thickens a bit, 15 minutes.

Return the brisket and any accumulated juices to the braiser, then spoon some of the onions and sauce over the top, cover, place in the oven, and cook until the brisket is very tender, 4 ½ to 5 hours. Cool for at least 30 minutes (or, ideally, chill overnight, then remove and discard any solidified fat from the brisket and rewarm, covered, over low heat for 15-20 minutes). Uncover and use two forks to pull the brisket into bite-sized pieces. Check one more time for seasoning and enjoy!

Make the slaw:

In a medium salad bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, mustard, cornichons, relish, lemon juice, jalapeño, salt and pepper until smooth. Add in the carrots, both cabbages, and the scallions and toss to coat. Set aside.

Make the latkes:

Fill a large bowl with cold water. Using the large holes on the side of a box grater (or a food processor fitted with the shredder attachment), grate the potatoes and onions, transfer them to the water, and let them sit for 5 minutes. Place a clean kitchen towel on the counter near the sink.

Pull the potatoes and onions out of the water, and use your hands to squeeze out as much water as you can. Dump the potatoes and onions onto the towel, fold the towel over the mixture, and squeeze out and discard as much of the liquid as you can from the potatoes and onions. Add the squeezed potatoes and onions to a large bowl, then add the potato starch and eggs and mix until combined. Add the salt, and pepper and stir it all together.

Meanwhile, heat ¼ cup of the vegetable oil in the Cravings Lowkey Lavender Skillet over medium heat (don’t worry, they’ll still crisp, without burning). Working in batches, use 1 large cookie scoop or spoon to spoon a generous ⅓ cup of the batter into the skillet and gently spread into 4-inch-round, ½-inch-thick latkes. Fry until the latkes are golden and crisp, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Drain the latkes on paper towel-lined plates. Repeat with the remaining batter and oil.

Assemble the sandwiches: 

Spread one side of the latke with your desired amount of the shredded brisket, and top with about 2 tablespoons of the crunchy slaw. Enjoy open-faced or as a closed sandwich. Happy Hanukkah!