Smokey Shredded Beef Brisket

Enjoy barbecue flavours without the hassle of firing up the grill.

Hands-on time 35min. Cooking time about 8¼hr. Serves 8 1tbsp vegetable oil 2kg (4½lb) boneless rolled beef brisket, string/elastic removed 2 onions, thickly sliced 1 litre (1¾ pint) beef stock 4 garlic cloves, peeled 4 bay leaves FOR THE BOURBON SAUCE 300ml (½ pint) bourbon or whisky 100g (3½oz) light brown soft sugar 100g (3½oz) tomato ketchup 100ml (3½fl oz) cider vinegar ½tbsp smoked paprika (sweet or hot) 1tsp cayenne pepper 2tsp ground cumin 1tbsp onion granules 1tbsp garlic granules TO SERVE, OPTIONAL Soft buns Coleslaw

1 Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat and brown brisket all over. Transfer to the slow cooker (cut brisket in half if you can’t fit it in whole).

2 Add onions to the pan and cook over low-medium heat, stirring occasionally, until deep golden. Gradually stir in stock, scraping up any sticky brown bits from the base of the pan; bring to the boil.

3 Pour onion mixture over the beef, add garlic cloves and bay leaves; season. Cover and cook on low for 8hr, until the meat is tender and falling apart.

4 Make the sauce 30min before serving. Set aside 1tbsp of the bourbon/whisky in a small bowl, then stir together remaining sauce ingredients with some seasoning in a large pan. Simmer for 15-20min, stirring occasionally, until thickened. Stir in reserved bourbon/whisky; set aside.

5 Lift brisket out of cooking liquid on to a board; roughly shred with two forks. Add to the sauce and stir to coat. Serve in soft buns with coleslaw, alongside your favourite vegetables, if you like. PER SERVING (without buns and coleslaw) 702cals, 46g protein, 41g fat (17g saturates), 16g carbs (15g total sugars), 0g fibre GET AHEAD Prepare to end of step 4 up to 3 days ahead. Cool meat in liquid, cover and chill. Cool sauce, cover and chill. To serve, lift meat out and shred. Reheat in a pan with the sauce until piping hot, adding a splash of the cooking liquid if mixture looks dry.

FREEZE AHEAD Once shredded and coated in sauce, cool, transfer to a suitable container and freeze for up to 1 month. To serve, defrost overnight in fridge. Reheat in a pan until piping hot, adding a splash of water if mixture looks dry.