Ingredients:
- 1.6kg pickled salt beef
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 large carrots
- peeled but left whole
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 4 juniper berries
- 1-2 teaspoon sugar (optional)
Method:
1. Allow the salt beef to come to room temperature an hour before cooking. Place the salt beef in a large pan and cover it with cold water. Bring to a boil, skimming away any foam that rises to the surface. Once the foam is mostly removed, add all the other ingredients. By adding them now ensures they don’t interfere with the skimming.
2. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer gently for 2 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours 30 minutes, or until a fork pushed into the meat slides in easily – it should be very tender. Start checking after 2 hours; there should be no resistance when you pull the fork out of the meat. You can also use a skewer to test, making sure to push it into the thickest part of the meat.
3. Once the beef is tender, turn off the heat. You can either leave it sitting in the cooking liquid if you're not ready to eat (it can sit like this for up to an hour) or use two forks to lift the meat out. Allow the water to drain off, then place the meat on a board. Keep the liquid from the salt beef if you plan to reheat or freeze the salt beef. Cover the meat loosely with foil and allow it to rest for 10–15 minutes. To serve, slice thickly against the grain of the meat to avoid crumbling. Serve hot or cold.
4. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to three days and in the freezer for up to six weeks. Before freezing, slice the meat and wrap it first in baking parchment and then in foil. Be sure to also freeze the pot of cooking liquid. When ready to eat, defrost the salt beef and arrange the slices back into a whole brisket shape in an ovenproof dish with the thawed cooking liquid. Cover with foil and reheat at 180°C for 20 minutes.
Source: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/simple-salt-beef
