This recipe uses the perfect blend of herbs, spices, treacle and sugar to create a sweet and smoky pulled beef to serve in a range of ways. It’s delicious piled into fluffy baked potatoes, perfect with rice and a dollop of sour cream, or great in Brioche rolls from the Becketts Farm Bakery with some fresh coleslaw! The ultimate comfort food for bonfire season and chilly November evenings.

Cooks in: 7 hrs

Serves: 8

Ingredients

3 tbsp vegetable oil

2-2½kg piece rolled beef brisket

2 red onions, diced

1 tbsp smoked paprika

1 tbsp English mustard powder

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp mixed herbs

1½ tbsp treacle

100ml red wine vinegar

125g light brown sugar

2 garlic cloves, crushed

3 bay leaves

500ml carton passata

2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Salt and black pepper

Method

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large, flameproof casserole dish. Season the beef with salt and pepper and sear in the casserole dish over a medium-high heat until browned. Lift out the beef and set aside on a plate. Add another 1 tbsp oil to the casserole dish along with the onions and cover over a low heat for 8-10 mins, stirring occasionally until soft.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix the paprika, mustard powder, cinnamon, mixed herbs, treacle, 50ml of the vinegar, 50g of the sugar and the remaining oil. Glaze the meat with this mixture using a brush to coat it well. Reserving approx. 2 tbsp and set aside for later. Heat the oven to 150C.

When the onions have softened, add the garlic and bay leaves, stir for a couple of minutes, then add in the passata, Worcestershire sauce, remaining vinegar and sugar. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then place the brisket on top. Cover the casserole dish with a lid or tightly wrapped foil, and bake for 6 hours, turning at two-hour intervals.

Uncover the dish, give the sauce around the meat a little stir and brush the remaining spice paste over the meat. Increase the temperature to 200C. Cook for a further 20 mins until sauce is thickened. Remove from the oven, cover loosely with foil and leave to rest for 15 mins, before shredding the meat and mixing it through the sauce. Discard the bay leaves.

Serve and enjoy!