Christine Manfield’s Slow-Braised Beef Brisket, Potato, Preserved Lemon, and Saffron Fregola

Name: Slow-Braised Beef Brisket, Potato, Preserved Lemon, and Saffron Fregola
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 4 h 40 min
Cuisine: Australian
Ingredients: 1 tsp cumin seeds; 2 tsp coriander seeds; 2 long chillies (dried); 2.5 kg beef brisket (in one piece); 200 ml olive oil; 4 tsp freshly ground black pepper; 2 brown onions (finely chopped); 6 garlic clove (minced); 1 tbsp ginger (minced); 2 red bird’s-eye chillies (minced); 3 tsp ras el hanout spice blend; 1 tsp aleppo pepper flakes; 3 L beef stock; 12 dutch cream or kipfler potatoes (peeled, thickly sliced); 4 preserved lemon (quartered); 750 ml chicken stock; 1/2 tsp saffron threads; 300 g fregola; 50 g unsalted butter; 1 tbsp lemon (juice); Sea salt; Freshly ground black pepper; handful parsley leaves; 1 tbsp red onion (minced); 2 garlic clove (minced); 1 tsp lemon (zest, grated on a microplane); 2 tsp preserved lemon rind (minced)

Christine Manfieldʼs Slow-Braised Beef Brisket, Potato, Preserved Lemon, and Saffron Fregola recipe tastes incredible. See ingredients & method below.

This is a labour of love and a perfect dish for winter feasting, something can be prepared ahead and gently reheated when ready to serve – one of those set-and-forget numbers that are invaluable in your kitchen repertoire. Start the preparation, then leave the pot ticking over on very low heat – it just gets better and better.

Full of heady spicing and big flavours while using an under-valued cut of meat that requires long slow cooking to bring out its unctuous texture. ... More

prep

cook

yield

difficulty

Pairs with

Cabernet Sauvignon

Merlot

Slow-Braised Beef Brisket, Potato, Preserved Lemon, and Saffron Fregola

Ingredients

Roast

1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp coriander seeds
2 long chillies (dried)
2.5 kg beef brisket (in one piece)
200 ml olive oil
4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 brown onions (finely chopped)
6 garlic clove (minced)
1 tbsp ginger (minced)
2 red bird’s-eye chillies (minced)
3 tsp ras el hanout spice blend
1 tsp aleppo pepper flakes
3 L beef stock
12 dutch cream or kipfler potatoes (peeled, thickly sliced)
4 preserved lemon (quartered)

Saffron Fregola

750 ml chicken stock
1/2 tsp saffron threads
300 g fregola
50 g unsalted butter
1 tbsp lemon (juice)
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Preserved Lemon Gremolata

handful parsley leaves
1 tbsp red onion (minced)
2 garlic clove (minced)
1 tsp lemon (zest, grated on a microplane)
2 tsp preserved lemon rind (minced)

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Method

Tips

Roast

Preheat the oven to 200°C fan-forced (220°C conventional). Dry-roast the cumin and coriander seeds and dried chillies in a pan over a gentle heat until fragrant. Cool, then grind to a fine powder.
Brush the brisket with half of the oil, sprinkle with half the ground pepper and sauté in a large, heavy-based cast-iron casserole pot or deep baking tray in the oven, about 10 minutes on each side until brown.
Remove the pot (or tray) from the oven, take out the meat and set aside. Reduce oven temperature to 150°C fan-forced (170°C conventional).
Put the pot over high heat on the stove, add the remaining oil to the pot and fry the onion, garlic, ginger and minced chilli for 6-8 minutes or until fragrant.
Stir in the roasted ground spices and the remaining 2 teaspoons of freshly ground black pepper and cook for a few minutes. Pour in the stock and bring to a boil.
Reduce to a simmer, then return the beef to the pot, cover it with a sheet of baking paper and then foil to completely seal.
Return the pot/tray to the oven and cook slowly for 1 hour, turning the meat every so often, then add the potato, pushing the slices into the hot stock around the meat and cook for another hour.
Stir in the chopped rind of half the preserved lemon (2 pieces), then cook for another 45 minutes and until the meat is very tender.
Remove the meat from the stock and set aside on a plate until cool enough to handle. Meanwhile, strain the stock through a fine mesh sieve, discarding solids.
Bring the strained stock to a boil in a saucepan and cook over medium-high heat until reduced by half or until thickened and unctuous but not sticky.
Mince the remaining preserved lemon and add to the sauce. Taste the sauce for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper if necessary. The lemon usually provides enough salt but a little extra pepper may be required.
Carefully remove any fat, tendons and muscle tissue from the brisket and cut meat into even-sized chunks or slices for serving.
While the sauce is reducing, prepare the fregola. Bring chicken stock to a boil in a saucepan, then add the saffron and fregola and stir to combine. Cook over medium heat until the stock has been absorbed and the fregola is soft about 10-12 minutes. Stir through the butter and lemon juice and season lightly with salt and pepper.
Reheat the sauce by bringing it to a boil in the rinsed-out casserole, then reduce the heat, add the meat and simmer very gently for 10 minutes. Spoon the meat and sauce over the fregola, then sprinkle with gremolata and serve immediately.

Preserved Lemon Gremolata

Chop the parsley, then mince with the onion, garlic, lemon zest and preserved lemon.

Tags:

Thank you. Your feedback has been sent successfully.

Have you tried this recipe?
We’d love to hear what you think

Christine Manfield’s Slow-Braised Beef Brisket, Potato, Preserved Lemon, and Saffron Fregola

Christine Manfieldʼs Slow-Braised Beef Brisket, Potato, Preserved Lemon, and Saffron Fregola recipe tastes incredible. See ingredients & method below.

Full of heady spicing and big flavours while using an under-valued cut of meat that requires long slow cooking to bring out its unctuous texture. ... More

prep

cook

yield

difficulty

Pairs with

Cabernet Sauvignon

Merlot

Ingredients

Roast

1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp coriander seeds
2 long chillies (dried)
2.5 kg beef brisket (in one piece)
200 ml olive oil
4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 brown onions (finely chopped)
6 garlic clove (minced)
1 tbsp ginger (minced)
2 red bird’s-eye chillies (minced)
3 tsp ras el hanout spice blend
1 tsp aleppo pepper flakes
3 L beef stock
12 dutch cream or kipfler potatoes (peeled, thickly sliced)
4 preserved lemon (quartered)

Saffron Fregola

750 ml chicken stock
1/2 tsp saffron threads
300 g fregola
50 g unsalted butter
1 tbsp lemon (juice)
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Preserved Lemon Gremolata

handful parsley leaves
1 tbsp red onion (minced)
2 garlic clove (minced)
1 tsp lemon (zest, grated on a microplane)
2 tsp preserved lemon rind (minced)

Method

Roast

Preheat the oven to 200°C fan-forced (220°C conventional). Dry-roast the cumin and coriander seeds and dried chillies in a pan over a gentle heat until fragrant. Cool, then grind to a fine powder.
Brush the brisket with half of the oil, sprinkle with half the ground pepper and sauté in a large, heavy-based cast-iron casserole pot or deep baking tray in the oven, about 10 minutes on each side until brown.
Remove the pot (or tray) from the oven, take out the meat and set aside. Reduce oven temperature to 150°C fan-forced (170°C conventional).
Put the pot over high heat on the stove, add the remaining oil to the pot and fry the onion, garlic, ginger and minced chilli for 6-8 minutes or until fragrant.
Stir in the roasted ground spices and the remaining 2 teaspoons of freshly ground black pepper and cook for a few minutes. Pour in the stock and bring to a boil.
Reduce to a simmer, then return the beef to the pot, cover it with a sheet of baking paper and then foil to completely seal.
Return the pot/tray to the oven and cook slowly for 1 hour, turning the meat every so often, then add the potato, pushing the slices into the hot stock around the meat and cook for another hour.
Stir in the chopped rind of half the preserved lemon (2 pieces), then cook for another 45 minutes and until the meat is very tender.
Remove the meat from the stock and set aside on a plate until cool enough to handle. Meanwhile, strain the stock through a fine mesh sieve, discarding solids.
Bring the strained stock to a boil in a saucepan and cook over medium-high heat until reduced by half or until thickened and unctuous but not sticky.
Mince the remaining preserved lemon and add to the sauce. Taste the sauce for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper if necessary. The lemon usually provides enough salt but a little extra pepper may be required.
Carefully remove any fat, tendons and muscle tissue from the brisket and cut meat into even-sized chunks or slices for serving.
While the sauce is reducing, prepare the fregola. Bring chicken stock to a boil in a saucepan, then add the saffron and fregola and stir to combine. Cook over medium heat until the stock has been absorbed and the fregola is soft about 10-12 minutes. Stir through the butter and lemon juice and season lightly with salt and pepper.
Reheat the sauce by bringing it to a boil in the rinsed-out casserole, then reduce the heat, add the meat and simmer very gently for 10 minutes. Spoon the meat and sauce over the fregola, then sprinkle with gremolata and serve immediately.

Preserved Lemon Gremolata

Chop the parsley, then mince with the onion, garlic, lemon zest and preserved lemon.

Tips

You can buy ras el hanout, a North African spice blend, Aleppo pepper and high-grade Iranian or Kashmiri saffron threads from Herbie’s spices (herbies.com.au) or other spice merchants specialists.

Christine Manfield’s Slow-Braised Beef Brisket, Potato, Preserved Lemon, and Saffron Fregola

Christine Manfieldʼs Slow-Braised Beef Brisket, Potato, Preserved Lemon, and Saffron Fregola recipe tastes incredible. See ingredients & method below.

Full of heady spicing and big flavours while using an under-valued cut of meat that requires long slow cooking to bring out its unctuous texture. ... More

prep

cook

yield

difficulty

Pairs with

Cabernet Sauvignon

Merlot

Ingredients

Roast

1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp coriander seeds
2 long chillies (dried)
2.5 kg beef brisket (in one piece)
200 ml olive oil
4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 brown onions (finely chopped)
6 garlic clove (minced)
1 tbsp ginger (minced)
2 red bird’s-eye chillies (minced)
3 tsp ras el hanout spice blend
1 tsp aleppo pepper flakes
3 L beef stock
12 dutch cream or kipfler potatoes (peeled, thickly sliced)
4 preserved lemon (quartered)

Saffron Fregola

750 ml chicken stock
1/2 tsp saffron threads
300 g fregola
50 g unsalted butter
1 tbsp lemon (juice)
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Preserved Lemon Gremolata

handful parsley leaves
1 tbsp red onion (minced)
2 garlic clove (minced)
1 tsp lemon (zest, grated on a microplane)
2 tsp preserved lemon rind (minced)

Thank you. Your feedback has been sent successfully.

Have you tried this recipe?
We’d love to hear what you think

Method

Tips

Roast

Preheat the oven to 200°C fan-forced (220°C conventional). Dry-roast the cumin and coriander seeds and dried chillies in a pan over a gentle heat until fragrant. Cool, then grind to a fine powder.
Brush the brisket with half of the oil, sprinkle with half the ground pepper and sauté in a large, heavy-based cast-iron casserole pot or deep baking tray in the oven, about 10 minutes on each side until brown.
Remove the pot (or tray) from the oven, take out the meat and set aside. Reduce oven temperature to 150°C fan-forced (170°C conventional).
Put the pot over high heat on the stove, add the remaining oil to the pot and fry the onion, garlic, ginger and minced chilli for 6-8 minutes or until fragrant.
Stir in the roasted ground spices and the remaining 2 teaspoons of freshly ground black pepper and cook for a few minutes. Pour in the stock and bring to a boil.
Reduce to a simmer, then return the beef to the pot, cover it with a sheet of baking paper and then foil to completely seal.
Return the pot/tray to the oven and cook slowly for 1 hour, turning the meat every so often, then add the potato, pushing the slices into the hot stock around the meat and cook for another hour.
Stir in the chopped rind of half the preserved lemon (2 pieces), then cook for another 45 minutes and until the meat is very tender.
Remove the meat from the stock and set aside on a plate until cool enough to handle. Meanwhile, strain the stock through a fine mesh sieve, discarding solids.
Bring the strained stock to a boil in a saucepan and cook over medium-high heat until reduced by half or until thickened and unctuous but not sticky.
Mince the remaining preserved lemon and add to the sauce. Taste the sauce for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper if necessary. The lemon usually provides enough salt but a little extra pepper may be required.
Carefully remove any fat, tendons and muscle tissue from the brisket and cut meat into even-sized chunks or slices for serving.
While the sauce is reducing, prepare the fregola. Bring chicken stock to a boil in a saucepan, then add the saffron and fregola and stir to combine. Cook over medium heat until the stock has been absorbed and the fregola is soft about 10-12 minutes. Stir through the butter and lemon juice and season lightly with salt and pepper.
Reheat the sauce by bringing it to a boil in the rinsed-out casserole, then reduce the heat, add the meat and simmer very gently for 10 minutes. Spoon the meat and sauce over the fregola, then sprinkle with gremolata and serve immediately.

Preserved Lemon Gremolata

Chop the parsley, then mince with the onion, garlic, lemon zest and preserved lemon.

Tags:

Thank you. Your feedback has been sent successfully.

Have you tried this recipe?
We’d love to hear what you think

Christine Manfield’s Slow-Braised Beef Brisket, Potato, Preserved Lemon, and Saffron Fregola

Christine Manfieldʼs Slow-Braised Beef Brisket, Potato, Preserved Lemon, and Saffron Fregola recipe tastes incredible. See ingredients & method below.

Full of heady spicing and big flavours while using an under-valued cut of meat that requires long slow cooking to bring out its unctuous texture. ... More

prep

cook

yield

difficulty

Pairs with

Cabernet Sauvignon

Merlot

Ingredients

Roast

1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp coriander seeds
2 long chillies (dried)
2.5 kg beef brisket (in one piece)
200 ml olive oil
4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 brown onions (finely chopped)
6 garlic clove (minced)
1 tbsp ginger (minced)
2 red bird’s-eye chillies (minced)
3 tsp ras el hanout spice blend
1 tsp aleppo pepper flakes
3 L beef stock
12 dutch cream or kipfler potatoes (peeled, thickly sliced)
4 preserved lemon (quartered)

Saffron Fregola

750 ml chicken stock
1/2 tsp saffron threads
300 g fregola
50 g unsalted butter
1 tbsp lemon (juice)
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Preserved Lemon Gremolata

handful parsley leaves
1 tbsp red onion (minced)
2 garlic clove (minced)
1 tsp lemon (zest, grated on a microplane)
2 tsp preserved lemon rind (minced)

Method

Roast

Preheat the oven to 200°C fan-forced (220°C conventional). Dry-roast the cumin and coriander seeds and dried chillies in a pan over a gentle heat until fragrant. Cool, then grind to a fine powder.
Brush the brisket with half of the oil, sprinkle with half the ground pepper and sauté in a large, heavy-based cast-iron casserole pot or deep baking tray in the oven, about 10 minutes on each side until brown.
Remove the pot (or tray) from the oven, take out the meat and set aside. Reduce oven temperature to 150°C fan-forced (170°C conventional).
Put the pot over high heat on the stove, add the remaining oil to the pot and fry the onion, garlic, ginger and minced chilli for 6-8 minutes or until fragrant.
Stir in the roasted ground spices and the remaining 2 teaspoons of freshly ground black pepper and cook for a few minutes. Pour in the stock and bring to a boil.
Reduce to a simmer, then return the beef to the pot, cover it with a sheet of baking paper and then foil to completely seal.
Return the pot/tray to the oven and cook slowly for 1 hour, turning the meat every so often, then add the potato, pushing the slices into the hot stock around the meat and cook for another hour.
Stir in the chopped rind of half the preserved lemon (2 pieces), then cook for another 45 minutes and until the meat is very tender.
Remove the meat from the stock and set aside on a plate until cool enough to handle. Meanwhile, strain the stock through a fine mesh sieve, discarding solids.
Bring the strained stock to a boil in a saucepan and cook over medium-high heat until reduced by half or until thickened and unctuous but not sticky.
Mince the remaining preserved lemon and add to the sauce. Taste the sauce for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper if necessary. The lemon usually provides enough salt but a little extra pepper may be required.
Carefully remove any fat, tendons and muscle tissue from the brisket and cut meat into even-sized chunks or slices for serving.
While the sauce is reducing, prepare the fregola. Bring chicken stock to a boil in a saucepan, then add the saffron and fregola and stir to combine. Cook over medium heat until the stock has been absorbed and the fregola is soft about 10-12 minutes. Stir through the butter and lemon juice and season lightly with salt and pepper.
Reheat the sauce by bringing it to a boil in the rinsed-out casserole, then reduce the heat, add the meat and simmer very gently for 10 minutes. Spoon the meat and sauce over the fregola, then sprinkle with gremolata and serve immediately.

Preserved Lemon Gremolata

Chop the parsley, then mince with the onion, garlic, lemon zest and preserved lemon.

Tips

You can buy ras el hanout, a North African spice blend, Aleppo pepper and high-grade Iranian or Kashmiri saffron threads from Herbie’s spices (herbies.com.au) or other spice merchants specialists.