So, kosher beef aspic…I always worry about whether it will set, but it does, baruch Hashem.
I take plenty of beef bones, especially knee bones and pieces with lots of cartilage, which provide the collagen that helps it set. I also use pieces of beef. Everything goes into a large pot. The more bones and cartilage, the better.
Pour in cold water to cover everything by about 5 cm. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down as low as possible, so that bubbles rise slowly and only occasionally. Let it cook like this for about 7 hours.
The main thing is for all the meat to have come away from the bones. Then add a whole onion, a couple of whole carrots, salt, pepper, a bay leaf and peppercorns; you can also add allspice. Cook in the same way for another hour, then turn off the heat. Fish out the bones and discard them. Keep the meat and cartilage!
Put them in a separate bowl to cool.
Take a large, shallow serving dish with sides at least 5 cm high. Put crushed garlic on the bottom and spread it across the whole base. Arrange finely chopped pieces of meat and cartilage on top. The cartilage will be soft and will not be noticeable among the meat, but it will provide plenty of collagen to help the aspic set.
I usually aim for a layer of meat with an equally thick layer of jelly on top, but it depends on how it turns out.
For decoration, I place slices of cooked carrot on the meat. Then I slowly and carefully pour the remaining broth through a sieve over the meat and carrots. I lay small sprigs of dill on top of the broth. Let it stand and cool, cover with cling film and refrigerate overnight.
I worry about whether it will set :)
It usually does :) The main thing is not to use too much water at the start.
I simmer it for at least 8 hours, or longer if there is a lot of liquid, although it is better to use less water in the first place: enough to cover the meat and bones by 2–5 cm.
That is essentially all there is to it. It is delicious with mustard and horseradish.
Recipe by Alla Finkel