Beer-braised brisket pot roast
This is my favourite way to cook brisket – the beer and beef extract give it so much depth of flavour. Brisket can be a bit tricky to time, as it could be tender in as little as three hours, so after that point, check it every 30 minutes.
SERVES 6 PREP 5 mins plus resting COOK 3-5 hrs EASY
1 beef stock cube, crushed 1 tsp dried tarragon
2 tsp cracked black pepper 2kg rolled beef brisket
1 tbsp sunflower oil 500-550ml bottle of dark ale 2 tbsp beef extract
1 tbsp muscovado sugar 2 tbsp dried onion flakes 500ml beef stock long stem broccoli, to serve (optional)
1 Heat the oven to 150C/130C fan/ gas 2. Mix the stock cube with the tarragon and pepper in a small bowl. Rub over the brisket and season. Heat the oil in a large flameproof casserole dish or roasting tin over a medium-high heat, add the brisket and brown well on all sides.
2 Stir in the ale and beef extract, then tip in the sugar and onion flakes and add enough of the beef stock to come two-thirds of the way up the sides of the brisket. Bring to the boil, cover and roast in the oven for 3 hrs, checking every 30 mins to see if the brisket is tender (but you may need to roast it for up to 5 hrs). Transfer the brisket to a board and leave to rest for 15 mins. Slice and serve with the stock spooned over and some steamed long stem broccoli on the side, if you like.
GOOD TO KNOW folate • iron
PER SERVING 713 kcals • fat 42g • saturates 17g • carbs 10g • sugars 9g • fibre 2g • protein 69g • salt 1.9g
Pork belly is one of my favourite roasts. Because the flavour is so good, I often use thick wedges of potato to act as a trivet under the meat – they lift the pork away from the tin so the skin crisps up, and they soak up all the juices.
SERVES 8-10 PREP 10 mins plus resting COOK 2 hrs 25 mins EASY
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp mace
1 star anise, ground to a powder using a pestle and mortar 1 tbsp sea salt flakes
2.5kg bone-in pork belly, skin scored
50g butter, softened, for the tin 12 medium Maris Piper potatoes 1 bunch of thyme
454g jar pickled onions, drained 125ml chicken stock 1 Mix the thyme, mace, star anise and sea salt flakes together in a small bowl. Rub all over the pork belly. If you have time, transfer the pork to a tray and marinate in the fridge for up to 24 hrs, but this is not essential.
2 Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/ gas 7 and butter a large roasting tin. Cut a thin slice lengthways from both sides of each potato, then sit them flat in the prepared tin in one even layer (find out how to use the offcuts on page 107). Scatter over the thyme and onions, then pour over the chicken stock.
3 Sit the pork on top of the potatoes, skin-side up and roast for 30 mins. Reduce the oven to 180C/160C fan/ gas 4 for 1 hr 30 mins, until the skin is crisp. Transfer the pork to a board, then cover loosely with foil and leave to rest for 20 mins. 4 Return the tin with the potatoes to the oven and increase the oven temperature to 200C/180C fan/ gas 6 for 25-30 mins until crisp. Carve the pork into generous squares (you can use a bread knife to do this more easily) and serve alongside the fondant potatoes and caramelised pickled onions.
PER SERVING (10) 609 kcals • fat 42g • saturates 15g • carbs 15g • sugars 1g • fibre 2g • protein 42g • salt 2.3g