Brisket sandwiches with beer onions and blue cheese

4 HOURS 30 MINUTES | SERVES 6 EASY

Newcastle Brown Ale is a great all-rounder for cooking, and for drinking. It has less hops than many modern ales, which means you get less of a bitter note after heating – perfect for slow cooking.

beef brisket 1.2kg, unrolled

onion 1, thickly sliced

carrots 2, thickly sliced

Newcastle Brown Ale 900ml (just less than 2 bottles – use the rest for the onions)

bay leaves 2 thyme sprigs 4 soft baps or crusty rolls 6 dolcelatte 150g

BEER ONIONS

butter 1 tbsp, plus extra to serve olive oil 1 tbsp

onions 2 large, finely sliced

Newcastle Brown Ale 150ml

• Heat the oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3. Season the brisket all over. Put the onion and carrot slices into a deep roasting tray and nestle the brisket in the middle. Pour over the ale, top up with water (about

1.5 litres) to just cover the brisket and add the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Cover in foil and cook for 4 hours until the meat is really tender and giving way when pressed. • Meanwhile, heat the butter and oil in a frying pan over a low heat. Fry the onions for 15 minutes or until soft. Stir in the ale, and simmer for another 30 minutes until it has evaporated and the onions have turned golden and caramelised. Season and add a pinch of sugar. Set aside.

• Remove the meat from the tray carefully and cover in foil to rest while you warm the beer onions through. Split the baps and butter each side. Put each cut-side down into a hot frying pan to toast until golden. Slice the brisket (spooning over some of the cooking juices, if you like) and serve stuffed into the toasted rolls with the beer onions and some melty dolcelatte.

PER SERVING 633 KCALS | FAT 34.9G SATURATES 16G | CARBS 33.1G | SUGARS 6.9G FIBRE 3.2G | PROTEIN 43.7G | SALT 1.3G