Slow Oven Braised Beef Brisket with Lentils
A delicious slow oven braised beef brisket with lentils and veg. Pairs wonderfully with any side, from polenta, rice, mashed potato or sweet potato, to any kind of pasta. It's also delicious as a filling for a beef pie.
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Ingredients
- 1,2 Kg Brisket (bone in) This is an approximate weight. Feel free to use de-boned if you wish
- 5 Cloves of garlic
- Coarse salt
- Olive Oil
- Spice or beef rub
- Salt and pepper
- 1 Onion quartered
- 1 Cup Bell Peppers de-seeded and chopped Around 1 large pepper. Any colour or mixed
- ½ Cup Red wine Optional
- 3 Cups Water
- 2 Cups Beef stock
- 1 Tbsp Fresh or dried herbs of your choice
- 1 Tin of chopped tomatoes (400g)
- 1 Tbsp Sugar
- 4 Medium Carrots Roughly chopped
- 1 Cup Brown Lentils (dry) Or 1 can
- ¼ Cup Fresh parsley (finely chopped)
Instructions
- Prepare the meat (This can be done the night before or an hour before cooking): If it has a very thick layer of fat, trim it by half, only leaving a thin layer (if the butcher has not done this for you). Slice 3 of the cloves of garlic into roughly 3 to 4 pieces each. Then cut 1 - 1½ cm deep slits in different areas of the meat and stuff with a piece of garlic and a little coarse salt. Rub the meat with a little olive oil, then rub with salt, black pepper and your favourite beef or spice rub
- Remove the brisket from the fridge, and prepare as stated above if you haven't already done so. Cover and set aside for around 1 hour before cooking to come to room temperature (less if it's warm weather)
- When the hour is complete, preheat the oven to 160°C
- Place a large oven safe casserole pot (which has a tight fitting oven safe lid) on the stove and add 2 tablespoons of oil. Bring to medium-high heat and place the meat, fat side down in the pot. Sear/brown for around 6 or 7 minutes to let the fat render, then turn onto an uncooked side and sear/brown for 2 to three minutes until the whole piece of meat is sealed
- Turn off the heat and place the meat fat side down again. Add the quartered onion, chopped peppers, and two cloves of crushed garlic, followed by the wine, water, stock, herbs, tomatoes and sugar
- Put the lid on the pot (ensuring it fits tightly so that the steam doesn't escape) and place in the oven. Cook for 2 hours
- After 2 hours, remove from the oven, turn the meat over (fat side up) and add the chopped carrots. Place back in the oven, without the lid, to cook for another 2 hours (ensure there is still enough liquid)
- After 2 hours, remove from the oven. Remove the meat from the pot and set the pot of sauce aside to let it settle. Shred the meat into smaller chunks with two forks or a fork and a knife. Remove the bone(s), if the cut wasn't de-boned, and discard
- Skim off any oil/fat floating on top of the sauce, then return the shredded meat to the sauce. Place the pot on the stove. If using dried lentils add them to the sauce now. If the liquid has decreased, add a little more water or stock, you want enough liquid to cover the meat and veg and enough to cook the lentils. It will thicken and reduce a little as you cook the lentils. Bring to a gentle simmer on medium-low heat and cook for around 1 hour (if using tinned lentils, drain and add to the pot around 10 minutes before the end
- Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, then add the finely chopped parsley just before serving
- Serve with your choice of polenta, rice, mashed potato, mashed sweet potato or any pasta of your choice. I served mine with polenta
- As a tip, I froze the leftovers and used it in a pie a couple of weeks later
Notes
You can use bone in or de-boned brisket. You can also use dried or tinned lentils, whatever is easiest or you have on hand. I like to use brown lentils if using dried, as they don't require pre-soaking.
Serve with your choice of polenta, rice, mashed potato, mashed sweet potato or any pasta of your choice. I served mine with polenta. You could even serve this with pap.
This dish freezes really well too. I froze my leftovers after the initial meal, then used it a few weeks later in a beef and lentil pie. I used the herby pie crust as in my tomato quiche recipe here on the site. I just doubled the mixture as I added a lid.
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