Ingredients
- beef brisket about 2.5kg
PEPPER CRUST
- black peppercorns crushed to make 4 tbsp
- smoked paprika 3 tbsp
- English mustard powder 3 tbsp
- ground coriander 3 tbsp
BRINE
- curing salt or prague powder 30g (optional)
- table salt 400g
- soft light brown sugar 100g
- black peppercorns 1 tbsp
- yellow mustard seeds 1 tbsp
- bay leaves 4
- whole cloves 4
- garlic 4 cloves, unpeeled
- juniper berries 5
- honey 100ml
Method
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Step 1
Put all the brine ingredients into a large pan with 4 litres of water. Bring to the boil then leave to cool completely.
-
Step 2
Trim some of the excess fat from the brisket.
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Step 3
Cut the trimmed brisket in half lengthways (this will make it easier to brine and cook).
-
Step 4
Put each brisket piece into a large, sealable food bag.
-
Step 5
Divide the cooled brine between the two bags, squeeze out the air and seal them, then put the bags seal-side up in a baking dish, and put in the fridge. Turn the meat over in the sandwich bags every day for 5 days.
-
Step 6
On the fifth day, remove the beef from the brine, pat dry with kitchen paper, and allow to come up to room temperature.
-
Step 7
Mix the crust ingredients together, then rub them evenly into the meat, covering every crease or fold. Rub any excess into the fat side.
-
Step 8
Heat the oven to 140C/fan 120C/gas 1. Sit the beef, fatty-side up, on a rack in a roasting tin filled with 3cm boiling water.Cover tightly with foil and cook for 4 hours. Cook for a few more minutes without the foil if the crust looks a little too wet.
-
Step 9
Leave to rest for 10 minutes then slice really thinly.This will keep for 4 days, covered, in the fridge, or cover and freeze half for later. Serve with rye bread, piccalilli and pickles.
Nutritional Information
- Kcals 259
- Fat 12.6g
- Saturates 4.7g
- Carbs 3g
- Protein 33.6g
- Salt 1.6g
