Flavorful braised brisket soars with 'flying disk' matzoh balls

Red Wine-Braised Brisket With Aunt Rifka's Flying Disks is a great stick-to-your-ribs meal that can be modified to serve as a main dish for Passover.

Before we get to the brisket, let's discuss the “flying disk” accompaniments, which are really flattened matzoh balls.

It was my husband's Aunt Rifka who pinned the Space Age sobriquet on them. Actually, the disks are dense and heavy — not light and fluffy — which is why Bill's Aunt Yetta described them as “sinkers” (rather than “floaters,” if you are familiar with matzoh ball density).

Whatever, they're delicious. And they'll turn out just fine if you cook them in the water several days ahead, then park them in the refrigerator, covered, until it's time to reheat them in the gravy.

I developed this recipe with the flat cut of brisket in mind because it's widely available. Brisket of beef is a tough cut from the breast or lower chest of the animal. It has two parts: the flat, or first cut, and the point, or second cut.

The flat is evenly shaped. There is a fat cap on top, but relatively little internal fat. Shaped like a triangle, the point has lots of fat running through it.

As we all know, fat makes meat juicier. It's also a conductor of flavor. Accordingly, if you can find the point cut — it's not so readily available these days — and if you're in a damn-the-torpedoes, bring-on-the-saturated-fat mood, go for it. It needs to be cooked low and slow — and in advance, as it is here.

The braised meat and its liquid need to be refrigerated overnight, and can be done three days in advance.

• Sara Moulton is host of public television's “Sara's Weeknight Meals.” She was executive chef at Gourmet magazine for nearly 25 years and spent a decade hosting several Food Network shows, including “Cooking Live.” Her latest cookbook is “HomeCooking 101.”