Braised Beef Brisket with Cannellini Beans Recipe

Ingredients

1.2kg flat beef brisket
2 onions
3 garlic cloves
A handful of rosemary, leaves only
2 tomatoes
1 beef stock cube
1 bay leaf
2 x 400g tins of cannellini beans
A handful of mint, leaves only
A handful of flat leaf parsley
1 tbsp capers
4 anchovy fillets
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 lemon

Prep: 30 mins | Cook: 3 hrs 40 mins

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Method

1. Preheat your oven to 160°C/Fan 140°C/Gas 3. Fill and boil your kettle. Unwrap the beef brisket and pat it dry with kitchen paper. Leave it to come to room temperature (about 30 mins). Peel the onions and thinly slice them. Peel 2 of the garlic cloves and finely slice them (set the third garlic clove aside for later). Pick and finely chop the rosemary leaves. Roughly chop the tomatoes.

2. Warm a heavy-based casserole dish or large, ovenproof pan on a medium-high heat for a few mins. When smoking hot, add 1 tbsp oil and the brisket. Season the meat with a good pinch of salt and pepper and sear for 3-4 mins on each side, turning once or twice, till browned. While the brisket is frying, pour 750ml hot water from the kettle into a jug and crumble in the stock cube. Whisk with a fork to dissolve.

3. When the meat has browned, use tongs to lift it out onto a plate. Turn the heat under the panto medium. Slide in the onions. Fry for 5 mins, stirring frequently, till the onions are golden brown. Add the garlic, tomatoes, rosemary and bay leaf and fry for 2-3 mins, stirring. Pour in the beef stock and bring to the boil. Return the brisket to the pan and cover with a lid. Slide the covered pan into the oven and cook for 2½ hours, turning 2 or 3 times.

4. Drain and rinse the cannellini beans. When the brisket has cooked for 2½ hours, add the beans to the pan. Add a little more water to the pan if needed to just cover the beans. Return the pan to the oven for 1 hr, till the meat is very tender.

5. While the beef and beans cook, make the salsa verde. Finely chop the mint and parsley leaves and pop them into a small bowl. Rinse 1 tbsp capers then finely chop them. Finely chop 4 anchovy fillets and the reserved garlic clove. Add all 3 to the herbs along with 1 tsp Dijon mustard. Grate in the lemon zest and squeeze in the juice. Stir in 2-3 tbsp olive oil, till the salsa has a spoonable consistency. It should be sharp and tangy. Add a little salt or pepper, if needed.

6. Carefully life the beef from the pan and use forks to shred it into small pieces. Stir the shredded brisket back into the pan. Divide the brisket and beans between warm plates and serve topped with the salsa verde.

Rating

This is lovely, with or without the salsa verde. I use tinned tomatoes instead of fresh, thyme instead of rosemary, and add a 3rd can of beans, and cook in slow cooker instead of oven - perfect family meal for 4 with plenty of leftovers for a second meal.

Rach

This was a lovely meal. The brisket and beans was pure comfort food and the sauce was sharp and complex. Will be making again.