Another siren call from T L Norman’s chill cabinet, this small piece of brisket (maybe 1.25kg or so – I didn’t weigh it) went straight into the freezer when I bought it. I fetched it out on Saturday, and slow cookered it thus on Sunday:

I seared the brisket (all in one piece) in a little olive oil, then set it aside. In this house, this means putting it in one of the ovens, for fear one, or many, of The Tribe will minister to it. Then into the oil went a large onion, diced, and a few carrots, cut into batons. I added black peppercorns, juniper berries, fresh thyme, a good slosh of red wine, a smaller one of balsamic vinegar, and a good sprinkling of gravy granules. Oh, and a few cloves of garlic, crushed. And salt.

Everything went into the slow cooker for about eight hours. Sadly, I came down with some dreaded lurgy during the afternoon, and couldn’t face food, but Pete manfully tackled it, with a slice or two of sourdough bread. Which meant that there was plenty left for Monday. It stayed in the slow cooker and was cooked again for about four hours, and this time we had it with broccoli and Yorkshire puds.

Today, I have once again fished out the remaining brisket. Sliced three spuds thinly, and fried them gently in the fat left over from the lunchtime bacon butties (it’s cold, OK?). Set them in the slow cooker, added the rather splendid gravy and remaining veg, and they can sit and mull to themselves till suppertime, and which point they will accompany some cold brisket.

And there looks to be plenty to eat for lunch tomorrow as well.