Brisket Beef with Green Beans

A 1.6 kilo joint of Brisket beef was oven cooked at around 180 deg C for two and a half hours in the middle of the oven (actually inside a casserole dish intended for a whole medium size chicken).After the first hour I added half a cupful measure of boiling water to the dish.

Once cooked the joint was allowed to cool overnight on the hob inside the casserole dish.

The joint was carved with an electric knife, and stored in plastic containers in the fridge until required.

The basis of the gravy was beef stock, vegetable stock, water, and some finely ground cornmeal, as a thickening agent (a flat dessert spoonful in about half a pint). The water and cornmeal were first mixed cold, in order to get a smooth gravy with frequent stirring when the gravy was in the saute pan. Plus the herbs Rosemary, Thyme and Oregano. Finally, one dessert spoonful of tomato puree was added to the gravy.

Once boiled and thickened, I added the pieces of beef and simmered under glass for up to half an hour. Stir occasionally.

The potatoes were semi-peeled and cooked for twenty minutes. The trimmed green beans were added for the final seven minutes, under glass. Serve with a little black pepper. Fabulous!