James Martin Roast Brisket Recipes

POT ROAST BEEF BRISKET WITH RED WINE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 120°C fan. With a small sharp knife, pierce deep slits all over the joint of beef. Poke the garlic slices well into the slits, ensuring they are completely hidden within the meat so they won't fall out and burn when you are browning the beef. Season all over with salt and pepper.
• Add half the oil to a deep, flame-proof casserole (a heavy cast iron one is ideal) and set over a high heat. When the oil is smoking hot, carefully add the beef and brown well all over. The deep caramelisation adds much in terms of flavour, so take your time to get a bit of colour into it.
• Remove the beef to a plate, reduce the heat to low and add a little more oil to the casserole, followed by the onion, carrot and celery, stirring to soften a little for a couple of minutes. Return the beef to the pan, along with any juices on the plate and pour in the beef stock and red wine and tuck in the thyme. Bring up to a simmer then cover with a tight fitting lid and slide into the oven. Allow to cook very slowly for around eight hours. When the beef is ready, it is really very tender - test by trying to tease the meat apart a little with a fork. It should give easily. If not, cook for a little longer.
• Turn off the oven. Lift the meat from the casserole, set it on a heatproof plate and put in the oven to keep warm. Remove two tablespoons of cooking sauce and place in a heatproof glass to cool. Set the casserole on the hob over a medium heat and simmer for about 10 minutes to reduce the sauce a little. Stir the cornflour into the cooled reserved juices to form a smooth paste. Pour into the casserole, stirring until the sauce thickens. Turn off the heat, taste to check seasoning. Cut the beef into thick rustic slices and serve with gravy poured over.

POT ROAST BEEF BRISKET

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 160C/140C Fan/Gas 3.
• To make the brisket, season the beef all over with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large flameproof casserole and brown the beef over a high heat for 8-10 minutes, turning every couple of minutes. Remove the beef from the casserole and set aside.
• Add the sliced onions to the casserole and fry for 5 minutes or until nicely browned. Stir in the thyme and bay leaf and cook. Return the beef to the casserole. Stir the tomato purée into the hot beef stock and pour around the beef. Add the wine and bring to a gentle simmer on the hob. Cover with a lid cook in the oven for 3 hours, turning after about 1½ hours.
• Heat another tablespoon of oil in a large non-stick frying pan on a medium heat. Fry the quartered onions for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the carrots and celery and cook for a further 5 minutes, until the onions are softened and all the vegetables are lightly browned.
• Remove the beef from the oven and nestle the vegetables around it. Cover and return to the oven for a further 1-2 hours.
• To make the potato latkes, whisk the egg and egg yolk together in a small bowl. Place the onion and potato in a large colander, mix well and squeeze out as much liquid as possible over a sink. Place the squeezed vegetables in a clean bowl and add the beaten eggs, flour, salt and parsley or chives (if using) to the onion and potatoes. Season with lots of pepper and mix well.
• Pour 2 tablespoons of the oil into a large non-stick frying pan and place over a low-medium heat. Take a handful of the potato mixture and form into a loose ball. Place in the pan and flatten with a spatula until around 1.5cm/½in thick. Repeat with 3 more balls of the potato until you have 4 latkes cooking at the same time.
• Cook the latkes for 6-8 minutes on each side until golden-brown and cooked through. Don't be tempted to increase the heat or the latkes will burn on the outside before they are ready in the middle. Put on a baking tray and set aside while you cook the remaining latkes. Add an extra 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil to the pan between batches.
• Turn the oven up to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. When you are almost ready to serve the latkes, reheat on the baking tray in the oven for 10-15 minutes, or until hot and crisp.
• Lift the beef out of the casserole with a couple of forks and place on a board or serving platter. Cut off the string and carve into slices. Serve with the poached vegetables, latkes and the rich cooking liquor for gravy.

BEER-BRAISED BRISKET POT ROAST

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2. Mix the stock cube with the tarragon and pepper in a small bowl. Rub over the brisket and season. Heat the oil in a large flameproof casserole dish or roasting tin over a medium-high heat, add the brisket and brown well on all sides.
• Stir in the ale and beef extract, then tip in the sugar and onion flakes and add enough of the beef stock to come two-thirds of the way up the sides of the brisket. Bring to the boil, cover and roast in the oven for 3 hrs, checking every 30 mins to see if the brisket is tender (but you may need to roast it for up to 5 hrs). Transfer the brisket to a board and leave to rest for 15 mins. Slice and serve with the stock spooned over and some steamed long stem broccoli on the side, if you like.

BRISKET OF BEEF WITH GRAVY

Steps:

• Preferably use a casserole dish that you can use on top of the stove to make it easy for you to make the gravy
• 1) peel and smash your garlic
• 2) top, tail and peel shallots
• 3) make a pint of beef stock
• 4) chuck your garlic, carrots, shallots and beef into a casserole dish
• 5) pour in 1 pint of beef stock (and wine, if applicable)
• 6) Stick the lid on and sit in the oven on about 160 for anything up to 3 hours (just keep checking it, i'm sorry i'm not sure of the exact time, but it's not the end of the world if it's a bit pink in the middle)
• 7) When you feel the beef is done, take it out and stick it on a chopping board for carving
• 8) scoop out those gorgeous tender vegetables, and put them in a pan with the lid on to keep warm
• 9) onto the gravy - mix the cornflour with a splash of water to make a paste (this is important, otherwise you will end up with lumps of cornflour :puke:)
• 10) add to casserole dish and top up with as much beef stock as you need to make your gravy, although you can always freeze some to add to casseroles or just to use in the future (nb: if you don't have a casserole you can use on top of the stove, pour the juices from the casserole into a medium sized saucepan and use this)
• 11) simmer this (it should be bubbling but not boiling) on the hob until it thickens, you can always add more cornflour or some gravy granules if it isn't thickening after a few minutes.
• 12) while the gravy is going, slice up the beef by sticking a fork in it and slicing thinly as possible (leave the string on and just take it out as you go, otherwise it will be quite difficult)
• 13) Half of this will make a meal in itself with your choice of potatoes for 2... if you've got more people, i'd do some extra vegetables... cabbage, peas, carrots whatever!!

SLOW COOKER BRISKET WITH GOLDEN ALE GRAVY & HORSERADISH MASH

Steps:

• Season the brisket all over with salt and pepper. Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan (or use the sear function on your slow cooker) and sear the meat all over until browned. Transfer to a plate. Add another drizzle of oil, if needed, and fry the onions with a pinch of salt until lightly golden, about 12 mins. Sprinkle over the flour, stir until well-mixed, then pour in the ale and scrape the bottom of the pan to pick up any browned bits. Tip everything into the slow cooker (if using a frying pan).
• Add the yeast or beef extract, sugar and vinegar, then the beef and herbs. Top up with stock until the brisket is just over half submerged. Cover and cook for 7-8 hrs on low until tender. Remove the meat from the slow cooker and cover to keep warm. Use the reduce or simmer function on your slow cooker and simmer for 10-15 mins until the gravy has thickened to your liking. If your slow cooker doesn't have a simmer function, pour the gravy into a pan and simmer on the hob until thickened. Add a pinch more salt, sugar or a dash more vinegar if needed. If you like your gravy to be extra-thick, mix the cornflour with a splash of cold water, then add to the pan and bubble for a few minutes.
• Just before you remove the meat from the slow cooker, start on the mash. Cook the potatoes in a pan of boiling salted water for 20 mins until very tender when pressed. Drain and steam-dry for a few minutes before mashing with the horseradish, butter and crème fraîche. Scatter with parsley to serve. Cut the brisket into wedges and serve with the gravy and mash.