Name: Pulled firecracker brisket
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 6 h 45 min
Total time: 7 h 10 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 3 tbsp vegetable oil; 2-2½kg piece beef brisket rolled (ask the butcher to do this for you); 2 red onions chopped; 1 tbsp sweet smoked paprika; 1 tbsp English mustard powder; 2 tsp ground cinnamon; ½ tsp ground cayenne pepper or 1 tsp chilli flakes (omit if you want to reduce heat); 1½ tbsp treacle; 50ml red wine vinegar plus 2 tbsp; 75g soft light brown sugar plus 2 tbsp; 3 garlic cloves crushed; 4-6 bay leaves; 2-4 fat red chillies pierced a few times with a small sharp knife; 500ml carton passata; 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce; soured cream to serve

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Pulled firecracker brisket

Pulled firecracker brisket

Cassie Best

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Serves 8

Easy

Prep: 25 mins

Cook: 6 hrs and 45 mins

A star rating of 4.7 out of 5.78 ratingsRate

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Bake beef brisket until meltingly tender in a sweet, smoky sauce, with a gentle chilli kick - serve in warm wraps or on baked potatoes

Freezable

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Alternatives

Complete the dish

Showing items 1 to 3 of 3

Griddled flatbreads

A star rating of 4.5 out of 5.8 ratings

Charred sweetcorn salsa

A star rating of 5 out of 5.5 ratings

Crunchy smoked sweet potato chips

A star rating of 3.5 out of 5.9 ratings

Read our guide for tips on how to cook a beef joint so it falls apart and discover more beef brisket recipes.

Ingredients

Nutrition

Units:

MetricUS

3 tbsp vegetable oil
2-2½kg piece beef brisket

rolled (ask the butcher to do this for you)
2 red onions

chopped
1 tbsp sweet smoked paprika
1 tbsp English mustard powder
2 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground cayenne pepper

or 1 tsp chilli flakes (omit if you want to reduce heat)
1½ tbsp treacle
50ml red wine vinegar

plus 2 tbsp
75g soft light brown sugar

plus 2 tbsp
3 garlic cloves

crushed
4-6 bay leaves
2-4 fat red chillies

pierced a few times with a small sharp knife
500ml carton passata
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
soured cream

to serve

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Nutrition: per serving

kcal599
fat36g
saturates3g
carbs23g
sugars21g
fibre2g
protein45g
salt0.4g

Method

step 1

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large, deep roasting tin (one that can go on the hob) or in your largest flameproof casserole dish. Season the beef well and sear in the tin until nicely browned all over. Lift out and put on a plate or board. Add another 1 tbsp oil and the onions to the tin and sweat for 8-10 mins until really soft. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix the paprika, mustard powder, cinnamon, cayenne or chilli, treacle, 2 tbsp vinegar, 2 tbsp sugar and the remaining oil. Brush all over the meat, reserving about 2 tbsp for later. Heat oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2.
step 2

Add the garlic, bay leaves and chillies to the softened onions, stir around the pan for 1-2 mins, then pour in the passata, Worcestershire sauce, remaining vinegar and sugar. Season the sauce, give a good stir, then put the brisket on top. Wrap the tin tightly in a few sheets of foil, or cover with a lid, and bake for 6 hrs, turning once or twice during cooking, until really tender.
step 3

Uncover the dish, give the sauce around the meat a little stir and brush the remaining spice paste over the meat. Can be made a day ahead up to this point – cool then chill the meat and sauce; remove from the fridge and scoop off any fat from the sauce before reheating. Increase the temperature to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Cook for a further 20 mins (or 40 mins from cold, covered for 20 mins) until the meat is dark and sticky. Remove from the oven, cover loosely with foil and leave to rest for 15 mins.
step 4

To serve, skim any fat off the surface of the sauce, shred the meat with 2 forks, discarding any butcher’s string as you go, and toss the meat through the sauce, discarding the bay leaves and chillies. Pile into warm flatbreads and serve with Charred sweetcorn salsa (see 'Goes well with') and a dollop of soured cream.

Recipe from Good Food magazine, November 2014

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A star rating of 4.7 out of 5.78 ratings

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