Rich slow-cooked brisket with tomatoes and creamy polenta
This is a hearty and umami-packed version of a classic Italian braised meat with cheesy, creamy polenta by Charmaine Katz. Slow cooking is the way to a stress-free life, giving you maximum reward for less effort. Take your time to extract as much flavour out of each step as possible. Brown the meat, sweat the soffritto to within an inch of its life, then let it all cook in the oven for 4 hours or so. The braised beef will get richer and deeper a day later as the flavours meld, so make extra if you want leftovers.
- Serves6
- CourseMain meal
- Prepare10 mins
- Cook4 hrs 30 mins
- Total time4 hrs 40 mins
Ingredients
- Essential British Beef Rolled Brisket (typical weight 750g), cut into 4-6 pieces
- 1 tbsp Essential Vegetable Oil
- 20g butter
- ½ x 500g pack frozen Cooks’ Ingredients Soffritto Mix
- 6 cloves garlic, crushed
- 6 anchovies, drained, to taste
- 1 sprig/s rosemary
- 2 sprig/s fresh thyme
- 200ml red wine
- 2 x 400g cans Mutti Peeled Whole Plum Tomatoes
- Pinch caster sugar, if needed
For the polenta
- 500ml whole milk, depending on how you like it
- 200g quick cook polenta
- 1½ tsp salt, or to taste
- 50g unsalted butter
- 50g Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated, plus extra to serve
- Pinch ground white pepper
Method
Preheat the oven to 180ºC, gas mark 4. Put a large casserole (enough to hold the beef and liquid) over a medium-high heat. Season the beef generously with salt all over, add the oil to the pan, then brown the beef in batches, on all sides. Once done, set aside on a plate and season generously with black pepper.
Deglaze the pan with a little water to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom, and reserve this liquid (unless it tastes burnt, and if so, discard). Melt the butter in the pan over a low heat, add the soffritto mix with a generous pinch of salt and sweat for 15-20 minutes, until soft, golden and smelling fragrant.
Increase the heat to medium, add the garlic, anchovies, rosemary and thyme and cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until the anchovies melt into the soffritto.
Add the red wine, and allow to reduce by half, then add the plum tomatoes and break up with a wooden spoon. Bring to a simmer, then nestle in the browned brisket pieces so they are half-covered, then add the meat resting juices and reserved pan liquid. Cover with a piece of baking parchment so it’s tucked in and protected, then put the lid on and cook in the oven for 4 hours to 4 hours 30 minutes, until the meat is soft and tender. Add a splash of water if it seems dry. Season to taste, adding a touch of sugar if the sauce is a little tart.
When the beef is ready, put 650ml water and 350ml milk into a large saucepan, season with the salt and bring to a simmer. It should taste overtly salty. Slowly whisk in the polenta, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. The polenta will thicken quickly and come away from the sides in around 3-5 minutes.
Off the heat, stir in the butter, parmesan and white pepper, then whisk to combine. Add more milk for a looser consistency if needed. I like this polenta to be looser and to fall off a spoon when serving, so it soaks up the sauciness of the beef. Serve a large dollop of polenta with plenty of beef and sauce, with more cheese.
Cook’s tip
This is a slow cook recipe, so the right cooking temperature is crucial. If using a fan oven, cook your briskey ar around 140-160 degress, as oven temperatures vary.
And to drink...
Paolo Leo Primitivo di Manduria
‘A plush, plump, velvety red from the sun-kissed south of Italy, packed with red cherry and mocha flavours. This has won 4.5 star ratings on Waitrose Cellar and great reviews' – Rebecca Hull, buyer
Nutritional
Typical values per serving when made using specific products in recipe
Energy | 2,923kJ/ 701kcals |
|---|---|
Fat | 41.7g |
Saturated Fat | 19.9g |
Carbohydrates | 35.9g |
Sugars | 10.7g |
Fibre | 2.4g |
Protein | 38.2g |
Salt | 2.5g |