Cook the perfect Beef Brisket and pull it with a fork | National Dish Recipe

Some people find roasting and cooking beef a real challenge, ending up with a disappointingly tough result, especially a beef brisket.

All that is usually missing though, is a little patience and foresight.

Brisket is a cheap (although annoyingly, that is changing) cut of meat from the lower front chest of the cow, just above the front legs – so it gets worked hard and is therefore naturally tough.

Cook it right though and something miraculous happens.

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Cook the perfect Beef Brisket and pull it with a fork | National Dish Recipe

Once you have cooked this, you can do any number of things with the finished result. You'll be able to pull it apart with a fork, leaving you with strands of the softest beef you can imagine. Run a hot sauce through it and shove it in a roll or just use the cooking liquor as a sauce, put in a bowl and cover (mashed potato would be amaze with it). You'll need a casserole dish - get that on to a hob, high heat with a little oil and put the oven on 140c (no more).

Course

Main Dish

Cuisine

British

Prep Time

15 Minutes

Cook Time

5 Hours

Servings

People

Ingredients

• 3 whole white onion peeled them all and slice two, cut the third in to quarters and leave seperate
• 2 fresh carrot peel them if you like, don't have to - but chop them in to chunks
• 2 sticks celery chop into chunks
• 350ml ale use your fav, even Guinness will do (not lager though)
• 500ml beef stock depending on the size of the joint and pot - you'll only add enough to just cover the meat
• 1kg brisket of beef
• 2 tablespoons tomato puree
• 2 whole bay leaves
• 1 decent handful fresh thyme

Course Main Dish Cuisine British Prep Time 15 Minutes Cook Time 5 Hours Servings People Ingredients 3 whole white onion peeled them all and slice two, cut the third in to quarters and leave seperate 2 fresh carrot peel them if you like, don't have to - but chop them in to chunks 2 sticks celery chop into chunks 350ml ale use your fav, even Guinness will do (not lager though) 500ml beef stock depending on the size of the joint and pot - you'll only add enough to just cover the meat 1kg brisket of beef 2 tablespoons tomato puree 2 whole bay leaves 1 decent handful fresh thyme

Instructions

1. Casserole dish should be on the hob - if you don't have a hob proof dish, use a pan for this and add to an oven proof version. Run oil on the beef and season very well with Maldon Sea Salt and cracked black pepper.
2. When the oil is hot, brown off the beef brisket on all sides and ends, remove and put to the side.
3. You may have been able to chop all your bits whilst browning it off, turn chop, turn chop. In which case, you can throw your sliced onions straight in with the thyme and bay leaves- you shouldn't need more salt. Give em a stir, fry for 5 and get all the beef treats off the bottom of the pan.
4. Put the beef back in and add the ale, tomato puree and enough stock to cover the beef brisket. Put the lid on and cook for three hours - leave it completely alone.

   
5. After three hours, carefully remove the pot and turn the beef brisket over. At the same time add all the carrots, celery and quartered onion.

   
6. I also added a spoonful of Fortnum and Mason Beef Extract - this is totally optional.

   
7. Cover and put back in for another two hours - don't touch it.
8. When done, remove the beef brisket from the liquor - see what I mean, you've got a ready made sauce here, almost like a stew.

   
9. Put it on a chopping board, remove any chef's string, cover with folk and let it sit for 10 mins. Then grab two forks and pull it apart. Don't forget to try some - uhhhhh.

   
10. Serve it however you planned.