Beef Brisket Rarebit with Poached Hen’s Egg

Have you ever met anyone who doesn’t like cheese on toast? I haven’t. Add some slow cooked Lochalsh beef brisket on top and you’ve got a delicious brunch dish that’s indulgent and filling. This has been a firm favourite on the café menu since we opened, and we love to see customers enjoying this tasty Highland rarebit.

Serves 2

Ingredients

500g Beef brisket Sea salt

1 bottle dark Skye ale 3 tbsp Worcester sauce 150g unsalted butter 150g plain flour 500ml whole milk

2 tbsp English mustard 1 block Orkney smoked cheddar 4 slices sourdough, toasted 1 egg for poaching

Method

Start by preparing your brisket for slow cooking. If you have a slow cooker, rub the meat with sea salt, pepper and 1 tbsp of mustard, then add to the pot with dark ale and 2 tbsp of Worcester sauce. Slow cook on high for 6 hours or until tender and pulling apart. If you don’t have a slow cooker, place your brisket into a deep roasting dish and cover with two layers of tinfoil before putting into the oven at 150°C for 5 hours or until tender and stringy. While your beef is cooking make the smoked cheddar sauce. Melt butter in a pan then mix in plain flour until you reach a doughy ball consistency. Slowly add splashes of milk while continuing to stir until you have a velvety bechamel. Add 1 tbsp of mustard, 1 tbsp of Worcester sauce, smoked cheddar and seasoning. You can add a splash of dark ale if you have any leftover!

To build the dish, toast your sourdough and get an egg poaching. Pour your cheddar sauce onto your slices of toast. Crumble a little more smoked cheddar on top and place under the grill so the cheese is bubbling and browning slightly. Once your cheesy slices are ready, get them on a plate then place a generous amount of pulled beef brisket on top. Try and make a nest shape out of the beef for your poached egg to sit nicely on top.