Schmaltz, Yiddish for chicken fat, was used instead of oil in Eastern European Jewish cooking, Ephraim Greenblatt says.
By LINDA GRADSTEINShmaltz – Ashkenazi soul food in Jerusalem(photo credit: Courtesy)
Ephraim Greenblatt has done it again. First he opened Hatch, a brewpub in the Mahaneh Yehuda outdoor market, where it quickly became impossible to find a seat. Now there is Shmaltz, a unique 60-seat deli in Ramat Eshkol.Schmaltz, Yiddish for chicken fat, was used instead of oil in Eastern European Jewish cooking, Greenblatt says. He says that butter was available only in the spring and summer, which is a problem in any case for observant Jews, who don’t mix meat and milk. While non-Jews used lard, Jews turned to chicken or goose fat called schmaltz.He uses it as a spread for sandwiches and in his chopped liver. Greenblatt says there are not many Ashkenazi restaurants outside of haredi neighborhoods such as Mea She’arim. Shmaltz aims to make this food accessible to everyone.It opened in February, just weeks before the corona shutdown. After a few weeks, it began making deliveries, which it will continue doing even after it is able to reopen. On Wednesday and Thursday nights, it even delivers to Beit Shemesh, Modi’in, and even the far-flung Ra’anana, all cities with a high concentration of Anglos, who know what a good pastrami sandwich tastes like.The star at Shmaltz is the overstuffed sandwiches. While at a deli in Brooklyn, you might get a corned beef sandwich; here you get The Sweet and Sour (NIS 55) with cubed corned beef, charred cabbage, sweet and sour sauce, and pickled pepper rings served on ciabatta. If you want a cold sandwich, try the Smoked turkey sandwich (NIS 55) with a large portion of smoked turkey breast, lettuce, tomato, mustard, pickled onions and the “aioli your dreams are made of,” for those of you who dream of aioli.My favorite sandwich was the #18 (NIS 55), a pile of house-cured and smoked pastrami, coleslaw and mustard. It was everything good pastrami should be – greasy, salty and chewy. I am already dreaming about getting it again (as opposed to aioli, which I rarely dream about).There is also a huge deli salad, with romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, and lots and lots of meat in a garlic dressing.A big hit with my kids was the corn dog (NIS 24), a jumbo hot dog dipped in corn batter and fried.Everything, including the pickles, is made in-house. You can also buy the meat separately at reasonable prices to make your own sandwiches at home. There is corned beef (NIS 41 for 200 gr.), smoked turkey (NIS 36 for 200 gr.), and pastrami (NIS 42 for 200 gr.). The deli even sells the schmaltz (chicken fat) for NIS 28 for a 200 ml. jar, and fabulous chopped liver for NIS 33 for a 200 ml. jar.All of the food was packed well, and did not seem to suffer from delivery.
On Fridays, the deli sells a special pre-Shabbat menu that includes cholent and kishke (stuffed derma, for those of you from New York). I’d go for the party pack, which is enough for four people and includes cholent and kishke, coleslaw, and a six-pack of cold beer (NIS 249).As long as we’re talking about beer, don’t miss the Frose (NIS 78 for a 1-liter jar), a frozen rosé wine, slushy. It is simply divine, and it’s worth going to Shmaltz just for this. Just make sure you have a designated driver!The writer was a guest of the restaurant.Shmaltz7 Paran Street058-746-2589 (058-SHMALTZ)Kashrut: Harav Weiner (Mehadrin)Hours: Noon to 10 p.m. once reopened fullyNIS 25 delivery charge, NIS 150 minimum order
