Pulled beef brisket on buns

Serves: 8

Ingredients

• Beef
• 2kg whole piece of brisket beef
• 2tbsp coriander seeds
• 1tbsp black peppercorns
• 2tbsp cumin seeds
• 1 ½ tbsp. yellow mustard seeds
• 1tbsp dark brown sugar
• 1tbsp smoked paprika
• 1tsp cayenne pepper
• 400ml beef stock

 

• BBQ sauce
• 250ml cabernet sauvignon vinegar
• 250ml tomato ketchup
• 200ml beef gravy
• 75g soft dark brown sugar
• 75ml Jack Daniels bourbon
• 75ml coca cola
• Splash of Worcester sauce

 

• Milk Buns
• 600g plain flour
• 15g fresh yeast    (or 7g packet of fast action yeast)
• 20g salt
• 40g caster sugar
• 375ml whole milk
• 30g butter

 

• 1 large beaten egg
• 1tsp flaky sea salt
• 1tsp sesame seeds

Method

1. Place the coriander seeds, cumin, mustard seeds and peppercorns into a frying pan and toast for a few minutes.
2. When cool, crush them in a pestle and mortar to a powder
3. Add the sugar, smoked paprika and cayenne pepper and mix together
4. Score the inside of the beef a few times with a sharp knife, and rub the spice mix all over the joint, inside and out.   Roll up the joint and tie securely in several places, cover with clingfilm and place into the refrigerator and leave overnight.
5. The next day, place a cake rack into a baking tray and then put the brisket on top of the rack.  Pour the 400ml of beef stock around the outside, then cover with tin foil. Place the beef into a pre-heated oven to 160c and cook slowly for 4-6 hours, checking that the  gravy hasn’t evaporated.  If it looks a little low, add some water.
6. After this time, the beef should be tender and soft.  Remove from the oven and leave to rest in the tin foil for 25 mins.
7. Pour the vinegar into a pan and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down and slowly reduce the vinegar by half.  Add the sugar, bourbon, coca cola, beef stock/juices (from the roasting joint,  remember to skim off any fat first), tomato ketchup and Worcestershire sauce and bring back to the boil.  Turn the heat down and simmer very slowly for 15-20 mins.
8. Whilst this is happening, remove the brisket from the tray and flake up the meat with a fork.    Add this meat into
9. the simmering pot and pour on any juices left in the baking tray.    Bring the pot back to a very low simmer and cook out for 10-15 mins until the beef takes on the sauce and you have a luscious pan of delight.   Turn the heat off and leave to one side.
10. Serve the beef together with the milk buns and some coleslaw to make the ultimate sandwich!

Milk Buns

1. To make the milk buns, place 600g of plain flour in a mixer with the dough hook attached.  Add the yeast, salt and sugar. Warm the milk and butter together, to blood temperature.  The butter should just melt.   Add this warm mix to the flour and bring together with the dough hook.  Once you have a dough knead it for a further 5-8 mins until you have a shiny almost silky dough.  Turn the machine off, and cover the bowl with clingfilm. Put the bowl in a warm place and leave to prove.  It should double in size.
2. Once doubled in size, knock the air out of the dough with your hands and knead it.  Lightly dust a surface with flour, and tear off pieces of dough and roll them into balls.   Place them into a baking tray that has been oiled, slightly spaced apart.  You should get about 12 rolls, each weighing approximately 80g.  Leave these to prove once more, they will kind of prove into each other.
3. Brush the tops of them with the beaten egg and sprinkle on the sesame seeds add the flaky sea salt.
4. Bake in a pre-heated oven for 8-12  mins until browned and cooked.  Remove from the oven and leave to one side.