Spiced Beef - from Mr D's Thermal cookbook

This is a great recipe. I regularly make it for it makes a wonderful lunch with salad or in a sandwich made with fresh bread.

Sometimes referred to as 'huntsman's beef' and at one time a popular dish all over Britain. The longer the beef is cured, the longer it will keep.

Cooked Spiced Beef will keep for 3-4 weeks in a fridge. Make sure it is well wrapped in foil to prevent it drying out.

Ingredients

• 1.5kg piece of boned and rolled brisket, topside, or thick flank
• 80g sea salt
• 10g saltpetre
• 15g coarsely ground black peppercorns
• 15g ground all spice
• 15g ground juniper berries
• 50g dark brown sugar, such as muscovado

NOTE: Saltpetre is used in commercial charcuterie and meat curing . If it's difficult to get hold of in small quantities, try the Natural Casing Company in Farnham, Surrey (01252 713545 http://www.naturalcasingco.co.uk/).

Method

1. Mix all the ingredients together and rub well into the beef. Cover and leave in the fridge for 10-12 days, turning it once or twice a day.
2. After 10 to 12 days, wipe off the bits of marinade from the meat, put into a boil in the bag* and seal the bag with a tie.
3. Put the bag containing the meat into the inner pot of the thermal cooker.
4. Fill the pot with water up to about 3cms from the top.
5. Put the pot on the heat and bring to the boil.
6. Once boiling, turn down the heat and simmer with the lid on for 30 minutes.
7. Turn off the heat and transfer the inner pot into the vacuum-insulated outer container.
8. Close the lid and leave to cook for 4 to 8 hours.
9. Once cooked, remove the bag containing the meat from the pot and leave to cool. This will take about 3 hours.
10. Remove the beef from the bag. Wrap the beef in cling film. Put it in a dish and cover with a weighted plate.
11. Refrigerate for 24 hours.
12. Re-wrap, and keep in the fridge and use for up to 3 weeks.
13. Serve cold thinly sliced.

* Only use bags that are designed for boil in the bag cooking. Other plastic food bags must not be used.
Contact mail@MrDsKichen.co.uk if you have problems.