Slow Cooked Brisket of Beef
with a Medley of Root Vegetables
~ Slow Sunday ~
Sunday 21st August 2011
Dimanche 21 Août 2011 ~ St Christophe
Daylight, bird song, scrunching toes in the anticipation of a relaxing day ahead ~ that’s me awaking slowly on a Sunday morning after a wonderful evening with friends; luxuriating in a rare “lie in”, the dishwasher has been emptied, the crockery and cutlery has been put away and today’s dinner is sorted, this is my kind of weekend morning……oh hang on…….something is not right……oh no……I scramble out of bed, stagger downstairs, pull on my wellies (Wellington boots) and stomp across the wet grass with my nightie trailing and flapping around in the heavy dew ~ I shout bonjour to a startled looking neighbour, (It’s official, all Brits are mad, I can see it in his eyes as he wanders in for a bowl of coffee to steady his nerves at such a sight.) and finally arrive at my destination, the HEN HUT! I forgot to let the hens out! I can hear them chuntering away inside, and when I open the door they SWOOP out in a flurry of feathers all wearing disgruntled looks on their peeved “henny” faces……
And then as if to get their own back on me in the most fowl way, they charge straight into my wild meadow flower garden to reek havoc on my flowers……I bet they don’t lay any eggs today to further spite me!
But I don’t care ~ because I can go back to bed with a cuppa and a book and have another snooze if I so desire, because I had the foresight to start dinner off last night, well in the early hours of the morning to be precise and there is a rolled brisket of beef slowly cooking in my slow cooker/crock pot and all is well on the culinary front. I put it on to cook on the lowest setting at 0200 in the morning ~ after the aforementioned crockery and cutlery clearing session, and it should be done by 1pm this lunch time. I also added onions, all sorts of root vegetables, a drop of wine and some seasoning……..recipe to follow. I shall serve this with a Romanesco cauli I have and that will complete the meal ~ very easy and very peasy!
It may seem a very Autumnal dish to serve in August, but the weather has been bizarre lately, swinging from hot and humid to cold and misty…….so, in the interests of pure greed and laziness, I have taken a risk and made a comfort dish that cooks all by itself ~ and judging by the weather, I may have been too pessimistic as the sun is out and the mercury is rising, but we are still going to enjoy this, and anyway, think of all that beef for sandwiches later on……..I love a beef and horseradish sarnie.
This is such a wonderful recipe, a meal in one pot actually although I do like the brighten the plate up with a bit of greenery such as cabbage or broccoli, and of course you can add potatoes for a real rib-sticking meal, perfect during the coldest of months…….but today, I am serving it with some Romanesco cauli ~ half for this meal and half to be cooked later, but that’s another recipe. I used a variety of roots ~ carrots, swede (rutabaga), turnip, parsnips and LOTS of onions.
If you don’t have a slow cooker/ crock pot, this is just as good when cooked in a low oven for about the same time, 8 to 11 hours ~ great for you Aga and Rayburn cooks out there; it DOES need slow cooking to ensure that the brisket becomes meltingly tender and soft, as well as the veggies, plus slow cooking really does add bags of taste and flavour to this dish. I have cooked this in my Godin wood-burning stove in the midst of Winter with great results.
Time for the recipe, so I can get on and relax some more……I have a busy week ahead, more guests arrive midweek and I will have to start making jams, jellies and chutneys with my garden fruit next week……so, today is a newspaper, book, TV and lounge lizard day, a “me” day and nobody is going to stop me!
(Serves 4-6 people)
INGREDIENTS:
1.5kg/3lb 5oz beef brisket joint
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon English mustard powder, such as Colmans
4 onions, peeled and sliced into thick rings
6 carrots, peeled and cut into thick discs
1 small swede, peeled and diced into cubes
2 large parsnips, peeled and cut into large discs
1/2 turnip, peeled and diced into cubes
150ml (1/4 pint) wine or ale, or water mixed with half a stock cube
1 teaspoon anchovy essence/sauce
1 tablespoon mushroom ketchup
METHOD:
Season the beef brisket generously with salt, black pepper and the mustard powder, rubbing it in well and all over the joint.
Place all of the root vegetables in the bottom of the slow cooker/ crock pot.
Place the seasoned brisket of beef on top of the root vegetables; add the anchovy essence/sauce and mushroom ketchup to the wine/ ale or stock and pour it over the vegetables, being careful not to pour it over the seasoned beef brisket.
Turn the slow cooker/ crock pot into the “low” setting and cook for between 8 and 11 hours; the time varies according to the make, size and type of slow cooker/crock pot.
Serve piping hot with the gravy juices and steamed greens and/or potatoes on the side.
See you later, oh yes, my phone is off the hook and I am not answering the door!! BUT, I will be back with more daily ramblings and recipes tomorrow.
PS: My early morning teaser of that Yorkshire Pudding loaded with meat ~ see previous post, was a trick! It is NOT a slow Sunday meal, but a post slow Sunday meal ~ easy and quick to make, recipe to follow……
Karen
River Rat says
Karen, that looks scrumptious but what's mushroom ketchup??? I was nodding my head at the list of ingredients until I arrived at that one.
Rattie
La Table De Nana says
WE love this kind of meal..Must admit I hate dew on my jammie bottoms..:)
I have to ask what is mushroom ketchup also..I get it..just have never seen it..I am thinking it's mushroom falvored ketchup?
Inspired by eRecipeCards says
I am bad… I think of crock pots as seasonal cooking. Late fall, winter are about the only times I use mine. Love your photo and what a great day to have a morning free! All but those pesky hens!
Karen S Booth says
Thanks Rattie! I will post a comment on mushroom ketchup in a minute! XX
Monique ~ yes, not nice ~ wet jammie bottoms! I will add a comment about mushroom ketchup after this………….XX
I know what you mean Dave, I also think of slow cookers as being wintery, but I wanted an easy time today!!
Thanks all!
Karen S Booth says
I first noticed this G E O Watkins Mushroom Ketchup some years ago in a small delicatessen.
So what is this Mushroom Ketchup? Well if you are expecting it to be similar to tomato ketchup, then you couldn't be more wrong. It is more like a sauce and not the HP type, but the Worcestershire kind.
G E O Watkins was established in the 1830's and made this mushroom ketchup from an original recipe, still used today and is in fact very much like the ketchups that were around in the 1800's, although not necessarily as we would perceive a ketchup to be nowadays.
This was the secret ingredient Victorian cooks used to add flavour, depth and colour to their steak and kidney pies, stews, gravy, puddings, roasts, soups, sauces and casseroles.
Its uses are plentiful; simply by adding just 2 tablespoons to the fillings of meat pies will not only add rich colour, but also a wonderful spicy mushroom flavour. Using it as a marinade for meat and poultry, then basting with it will leave you with juices to make a rich, dark, mushroom tasting gravy, or my favourite a good splash in cream of mushroom soup, giving it an excellent richness (not just homemade either, try it in the tinned varieties too).
Choclette says
You may not have been too happy about your chooks trampling your wild flower meadow, but they do look very content and it's a perfect picture too. The meadow looks wonderful, despite them. Hope you enjoyed the rest of your Sunday.
Karen S Booth says
Thanks Choclette,I thought they made a pretty picture in the wild meadow flower garden too…and I got eggs too!
Karen
Prairie Rose says
Looks like wonderful comfort food!
Your flowers are so lovely.
Thank you for the link to your stoves! You are so lucky!!
What a lovely stove you owe:)
La Table De Nana says
I'll have to look for it thanks for the clarification!
Fabulicious Food says
I am currently looking at this post having had a very large Sunday roast myself…so I wouldn't fit it in. Definitely one for another weekend! Looks delicious.
Hesten Blumenthal uses mushroom ketchup, so you are in good company!
Mary says
This looks like a wonderful stick-to-the-ribs kind of dish. Air conditioning has made it possible for us to eat whatever whenever and your brisket looks wonderful. I hope you got an extra hours sleep. Have a great day. Blessings…Mary
Janice says
What a coincidence, I cooked brisket this weekend too! Mine was marinated in red wine for 24 hours, then cooked in the wine with herbs and veg. Everyone enjoyed it and my DIL asked for the recipe!
Your recipe looks lovely, the meat is just falling apart, delicious.
A Trifle Rushed says
I love mushroom ketchup and for anyone wondering it's widely available, my local Sainsbury's and Waitrose both stock it!
Your brisket looks wonderful and you've prompted me to use the slow cooker again!
Karen S Booth says
Prairie Rose ~ I just thought you might be interested to see my Godin stoves, glad you were!
Karen
Ren ~ thanks, so you too, a big Sunday lunch! LOL! I am in good company then, if Hesten Blumenthal uses mushroom ketchup, I use it in shepherd's pies too…..
Karen
Mary ~ I am all refreshed and perky now thanks!
Karen
Janice ~ Ohhhh, that sounds divine, are you going to post the recipe maybe? I would love to try that!
Karen
A Trifle Rushed ~ merci!! I also use the slow cooker to make jam sometimes, it works like a dream!
Karen
Irma says
I cooked a brisket for the first time a few weeks ago. I used a Delia's recipe, but it turned out tough, dry and boiled. I got a very flavoursome soupie-gravy, but the meat was tasteles. I only cooked for 3 hours (what the reciep said).
Yours looks so tender and delicious! I'll have to try again following your recipe. I'm dreaming about the beef brisket leftovers!
Irma says
And definitely I have to get me some of that mushroom ketchup!