Beef Brisket

Brisket of beef is one of the tastier but lesser used cuts in my view.  Brisket is taken from the breast section beneath the first five ribs, situated in the forequarter of the beast.  Succulent, juicy and delicious, I sometimes cook this meat in a casserole dish for a long time, and sometimes I slow roast it for hours Either way, it's a great taste.

If I'm busy doing other things, like writing or reading hubs, I sometimes buy a piece of brisket, trim most of the fat off and peel potatoes,parsnips and any other veg I happen to have: throw them all in a casserole dish and cook them for a few hours.

This time there was about a pound and a half of brisket, on the bone.

It takes very little time to prepare this meal and as its in the oven for hours, you can do plenty of other things while its cooking. Peel the vegetables, cut them into chunks and put them in the casserole dish. Place the trimmed meat on top of the potatoes to keep it off the bottom of the dish so it does'nt stick. Turn the oven on to high. Cover the brisket with water, or you could use stock. Add salt and pepper.

Put the lid on and put the dish in the centre of the oven. Give it 30 or 40 minutes at full heat so as to start the water boiling, then turn the oven down to a very low temperature. It can simmer away quite gently for 3, 4 or even 5 hours. Serve the brisket and I guarantee, it will be absolutely delicious. And it's so easy.

I put the bone from this joint in a deep pan with all the fat I've cut off it, cover it with foil and slow cook it alongside the casserole. The tasty fat that is rendered down is great for cooking roast potatoes.