Meat mains
Pot roast beef brisket in ale
Brisket is an economical cut of beef and much underused. It’s suitable for a slow cook to tenderise the meat. It does shrink up a little in cooking but there’s still plenty to go round. Serve the pot roast with plenty of seasonal veg and, there’s lots of ready-made gravy so you’ll need some mash to mop up the juices
Cook's notes
This is a basic recipe but by all means add extras if you like; a little garlic, some bay, use stock instead of ale if you prefer, or a mix of red wine and stock, it's up to you.
Ingredients
- 1.3kg beef brisket
- oil for frying e.g. sunflower or light olive
- 4 carrots
- 2 onions
- 2 celery sticks
- 1 tbsp plain flour
- 1 bottle of ale (500ml)
- 4 good thyme sprigs
- salt and pepper
Method
-
Step 1
Preheat your oven to 150°C/Gas 2. Rub the brisket with a little oil and season all over with a little salt and pepper. Heat a flameproof casserole, one with a lid, that one fits the meat fairly snugly. Fry the brisket to seal and brown it on all sides (this will take a good few minutes, longer than you might think).
-
Step 2
Transfer the brisket to a plate. Add the carrots, onions, celery to the same pan. Fry on a low heat, stirring now and then, for 10 minutes to get them on their way.
-
Step 3
Add the flour and stir for 2 minutes. Add the bottle of ale and thyme. Pop the brisket back in, with any juices from the plate. You want the liquid to be about two-thirds up the brisket, so top up with a little water or stock if needs be.
-
Step 4
Season with salt and pepper, bring up to a low boil, pop on a lid and cook in the oven for 4 hours until tender. Remove the beef and slice half of it to serve 4, saving the rest for leftovers.