Quick and easy, no-fuss salt beef

I know brining your own beef to make salt beef from scratch is very on-trend, but you can buy it readypickled in so many places now and frankly, although I love pickling, the idea of having a piece of beef submerged in brine in my garage, needing turning every day for over a week, simply doesn’t appeal. However, cooking a piece of pickled beef for a couple of hours and serving it with rye bread, pickles, coleslaw, latkes and mustard or piccalilli definitely appeals! Here’s how to do it. . .

INGREDIENTS

1.6kg flat piece of pickled beef brisket (this is available in many supermarkets and from butchers) 2 bay leaves

2 onions, peeled and halved 6 carrots, peeled but left whole 1 tsp black peppercorns 4 allspice berries

METHOD

Put the pickled beef into a large pan with all the other ingredients and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil, skimming away any scum that rises to the surface.

Reduce the heat, cover and simmer gently for 2½–3½ hours, or until a fork pushed into the meat slides in easily – it should be really soft.

Lift the meat onto a board and slice it into fairly thick slices. Serve hot or cold, with whatever accompaniments you prefer.

Recipe adapted from Cherish: food to make for the people you love (Headline)