Beef brisket (slow cooked)
I love a meal which gives me lots of left overs, this slow cooked beef brisket is ideal as it really is just set and forget and then you have mouth watering meat to use for the week. We like to make tacos, shredded beef burgers, toss through stir fried rice or use in a grilled cheese sandwich.
Ingredients
4 large garlic cloves, smashed with the back of the knife
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning
4 sprigs fresh rosemary, needles striped from the stem and chopped
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 (2 kilos) beef brisket, (not corned beef)
Coarsely ground black pepper
2 large carrots, cut into chunks
3 celery stalks, cut into chunks
2 large red onions, halved
2 cups dry red wine – use beef stock if you don’t want to use wine.
1 can whole tomatoes, crushed
1 handful fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
3 bay leaves
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (optional)
Preheat the oven to 180
On a cutting board, mash the garlic and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt together with the flat-side of a knife into a paste. Add the rosemary and continue to mash until incorporated. Put the garlic-rosemary paste in a small bowl and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil; stir to combine.
Season both sides of the brisket with a fair amount of salt and ground black pepper. Place a large roasting pan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat and coat with the remaining olive oil. Sear the brisket to form a nice brown crust on both sides. Lay the vegetables all around the brisket and pour the rosemary paste over the whole thing. Add the wine or stock and tomatoes; toss in the parsley and bay leaves. Cover the pan tightly with aluminium foil and transfer to the oven. Bake for about 3 to 4 hours, basting every 30 minutes with the pan juices, until the beef is fork tender. (should just fall apart)
Remove the brisket to a cutting board and let it rest for 15 minutes. Scoop the vegetables out of the roasting pan and onto a platter, cover to keep warm. Pour out some of the excess fat, and put the roasting pan with the pan juices on the stove over medium-high heat. Boil and stir for 5 minutes until the sauce is reduced by 1/2. (If you want a thicker sauce, mix 1 tablespoon of flour with 2 tablespoons of wine or water and blend into the gravy).
Slice the brisket across the grain (the muscle lines) at a slight diagonal.