This slow-cooked US-inspired dish is packed full of flavour – the brisket is incredibly tender after slow cooking.
Serves 4-6
For the beef:
-
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 red or orange sweet pointed peppers, deseeded and cut into large strips
- 1kg beef brisket, trimmed and cut into thick steaks
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 large onions, roughly chopped
- 3 large cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
- 2 fresh red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
- 2 tbsp smoked paprika
- 2 tbsp ground cumin
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 2 tbsp dark brown sugar
- 2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
- 200ml beef stock or water
- 2 x 400g tins red kidney or pinto beans, drained
For the cornbread:
-
- 60g gluten-free plain flour
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of sofa
- 1 tsp salt
- 275g fine cornmeal
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 450ml natural yoghurt
- 50g butter, melted
- 6 whole piquanté peppers from a jar, drained and finely chopped
- 198g tin sweetcorn, drained
- 100g mature Cheddar cheese, grated
- Sunflower or vegetable oil, for greasing
1. Preheat the oven to 180C / Gas 4. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in the casserole dish. Quickly fry the peppers for about 5 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove from the casserole and set aside.
2. Heat the remaining oil in the casserole. Season the beef well and brown it in 2 batches. Remove from the casserole and set aside. Add the onions, garlic, chillies, spices, oregano and sugar to the casserole and cook over a gentle heat for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and stock or water, bring to the boil, add the beef and cover. Cook in the oven for 3 hours, or until very tender.
3. Just a few minutes before the end of the cooking time, make the cornbread batter. Sift the flour, bicarb, salt and cornmeal into a large bowl and mix well. In a jug, mix the eggs, yoghurt and melted butter, then pour into the dry ingredients and mix well. Stir in the peppers, sweetcorn and cheese.
4. Remove the casserole from the oven and turn up the heat to 200C / Gas 6. Carefully remove the casserole lid and, once cooled slightly, wash and dry it. Grease the lid, line with baking parchment and pour in the cornbread batter. Bake in the hot oven for 30 minutes, or until cooked and golden.
5. While the cornbread is cooking, shred the beef in the casserole with 2 forks until it falls apart. Place the casserole on the hob, add the beans and a little stock or water, if needed, and simmer very gently. Add the browned peppers for the last 5 minutes and increase the heat, until piping hot.
6. Remove the cornbread from the oven, and serve cut into squares with the Texan Beef Brisket.