Hairy Bikers Beef Brisket

Press this Hairy Bikers beef brisket with a fork after ninety minutes and it will still feel very firm, which is exactly what the book expects. Their Meat Feasts pot-roast gives a 1.2kg rolled joint up to 5 hours in red wine and stock, serving 6 at around 690 calories.

The point of all that time is turning a cheap cut into a special meal, which the book says is the beauty of a pot-roast. The same recipe also appeared on their BBC Best of British series, so this is the brisket most people are actually searching for.

The vegetables run on their own track though, since the onion wedges, carrots, and celery brown separately in a frying pan. They only join the beef for the final hour or two, so they poach in the gravy without dissolving into it.

Hairy Bikers Beef Brisket Recipe

Author: Alex Saidani Cooking Method:Braising Cuisine:British Courses:Dinner

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 30 minutesCook time:4 hours 30 minutesRest time: minutesTotal time:5 hours Servings:6 servingsCalories:690 kcal Best Season:Summer

Description

A seasoned, rolled brisket browns all over, then pot-roasts slowly on a bed of fried onions with thyme, bay, red wine, and tomato-enriched stock. Separately browned onion wedges, carrots, and celery nestle around the joint for the last stretch, until the beef yields completely and the cooking liquor becomes the gravy.

Ingredients

• 1.2kg well-marbled beef brisket, rolled and tied
• 4-5 tbsp vegetable oil
• 4 onions
• 3 bushy sprigs of thyme
• 1 large bay leaf
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 500ml hot beef stock
• 200ml red wine
• 4 large carrots, cut into 3cm chunks
• 6 celery sticks, cut into 4cm lengths
• Flaked sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Brown the joint: Season the brisket all over with a teaspoon of salt and plenty of pepper. Brown it in 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large flameproof casserole dish over a fairly high heat for 8-10 minutes, turning regularly, while the oven heats to 160°C.
2. Start the base: Thinly slice 2 of the onions while the beef browns. Set the joint aside, then fry the sliced onions in the dish for 5 minutes until nicely coloured.
3. Pot-roast: Stir in the thyme and bay for a few seconds, then return the beef. Mix the purée into the hot stock, pour it around the joint with the wine, bring to a gentle simmer, then cover and cook in the oven for 3 hours, turning the beef halfway.
4. Brown the vegetables: Cut the remaining onions into wedges, then fry them in a tablespoon of oil for 5 minutes. Add the carrots and celery for another 5 minutes until everything is lightly browned.
5. Finish together: Test the beef with a fork, and if it still feels firm, give it another 30 minutes covered before going further. Once it feels softer, turn it over, nestle the browned vegetables around it, then cover and cook for a further 1-2 hours until the joint yields completely to a spoon.
6. Carve and serve: Snip off the string and carve into slices, then serve with the poached vegetables and the cooking liquor as gravy. The book insists English mustard is a must alongside.

FAQs

Can I cook this brisket in a slow cooker?

The book cooks it in a low oven, but the recipe converts well because a slow cooker is just a sealed pot at low heat. Brown the joint and onions as written, then cook on low for 8-9 hours, adding the browned vegetables for the final 2.

Use 350ml of stock instead of 500ml though, since a slow cooker loses almost nothing to evaporation. If you fancy diced beef with the same hands-off patience, their beef and ale casserole skips even the browning.

Do the Bikers have spicier brisket recipes?

Two, and both are worth knowing about. Our Family Favourites has a coffee and chilli brisket, where ground coffee, cardamom, cumin, and chilli powder become an overnight rub, and the roasted garlic gets squeezed into the gravy.

Ultimate Comfort Food goes Caribbean instead, braising the brisket with whole pierced scotch bonnets, allspice, lime zest, and a splash of brandy at the end. That book is their Christmas one, so it doubles as a festive alternative to turkey.

Why does the meat still feel firm at the halfway turn?

Brisket is packed with connective tissue that only softens late, so firmness when you turn the joint at ninety minutes is normal rather than a problem. By the three-hour fork test it should feel much softer, and the book builds in the fix if not, since you simply give it another 30 minutes before the vegetables go in.

Trust the spoon test at the end instead of the clock, because the beef is done when it yields completely to gentle pressure.

Is this the same cut used for salt beef?

Yes, brisket is exactly the cut, and the Bikers brine one for 10 days in Meat Feasts to make their own corned beef from scratch. It is a completely different project from this pot-roast, built on curing rather than roasting.

The name confuses people because of the tinned stuff, which their corned beef and onion pie turns into a proper shortcrust dinner.

What do I do with the leftovers?

The headnote answers this itself, since the book says the joint makes great sandwiches if any survives. Slice the cold beef thin, and it wants strong company like English mustard, horseradish, or pickles on decent bread.

Whole simmered joints reward this thinking generally, which is why their gammon in coke works the same way, one long gentle cook on Sunday feeding sandwiches all week.