I first had Salt
Beef in Smiths of Smithfield (London
As it happens I’ve only ever had Salt beef in London and
Salt beef has
become fashionable of late, as it takes a cheaper cut of meat and turns it into
something divine, think of it as pulled pork but with beef. I believe (could be
wrong) that this comes from the States.
So the prep time
is a week is it, surely you’re having a laugh? No and if I’m honest that’s
what’s been stopping me from making it before, the amount of planning etc ..., finding a box big enough to keep it in and convincing the other half, that
sacrificing half the fridge for a week is worth it. I think, now we’ve eaten it,
she will agree.
The brining part
of the recipe came from Diana
Henry in the Daily Telegraph, the rest of the recipe is my own
Ingredients
and Equipment
You will need a
massive container, bowl or similar receptacle to hold the meat and all of the
liquid. I opted for one
of these lads from Sainsburys
You’ll also need
a suitably sized sauce pan with lid to simmer the beef
Brine
275g (9¾oz) soft
light-brown sugar
350g (12oz) coarse
sea salt
2 tsp black
peppercorns
½ tbsp juniper
berries
4 cloves
4 bay leaves
4 sprigs of thyme
Beef
2.5 Kg of Brisket
2 Carrots cut
into chunks
1 onion peeled
and halved
2 bay leaves
6 peppercorns
2 Sprigs of thyme
Put all the
ingredients for the brine into a very large saucepan, pour in 2.5 litres (4½
pints) of water and gradually bring to the boil, stirring to help the sugar and
salt dissolve. Once it comes to the boil, let it bubble away for two minutes. Take
off the heat and leave to cool completely.
Usually brisket
comes pre-rolled I found it easier to untie the meat and lay it flat in the
container
Pierce the meat
all over with a skewer or as in my case a knife. Put it in your large container
(something non-reactive) and cover the meat with the brine; it must be totally
immersed. I put two small side plates on top to hold it down. Cover and leave
in the fridge for 7 days
After a week
remove the meat and discard the brine. Rinse the meat thoroughly under a cold
tap and then pat dry with a paper towel.
Re-Tie the beef, you may need two people for this
Place the beef
along with all the other ingredients in a large pan and then cover with cold
water.
Bring to the
boil, cover and simmer for 3-4 hours. Make sure it’s a very low simmer
By the end you
should be able to push a skewer into the beef with little resistance.
You could serve
hot with Mash and gravy, on this occasions I went for Sandwich
Using thick
sliced wholemeal bread, layer on Mayo, English mustard, sliced pickles, the
beef,
Emmental cheese and rocket.
Then chomp down,
gorgeous
