Corned Irish beef brisket with mustard and pickles

Recipe by SHAY COOPER Shay Cooper transforms this school-day classic into an elegant dish worthy of fine dining. The salt cured beef (the name ÄòcornedÄô refers to the large salt grains, or corns, originally used in the curing process) has plenty of flavour and texture from nutty Pommery mustard, capers and cornichons.

For the corned beef

1 kg Irish beef brisket
300 g pork fat, diced into 1 inch cubes
400 g cooked pork belly, diced into 1 inch cubes
250 g capers, chopped
250 g cornichon, chopped
100 g pickled silverskin onion, sliced
30 g Pommery mustard
10 twists of black pepper
5 ml Nam Pla fish sauce (Squid brand)

For the brine

2250 ml water
150 g dark brown sugar
80 g Malden Salt
12 g sodium nitrite
4 g coriander seed, whole
1 star anise
2.5 g black pepper
1 orange zest
2 g fennel seed
1 tbsp smoked paprika
2 cloves
2 fresh bay leaves

For the braising liquor

1 carrot
1 onion
1 celery
1 head garlic
1 leek
3 l water
5 sprigs of thyme
1 bay leaf

To serve

25 g mustard seeds, soaked for 5 hours until doubled in size
Pommery wholegrain mustard
chives, chopped
caper berries
cornichons
pickled cucumber
fennel fronds

For the corned beef

1 kg Irish beef brisket
300 g pork fat, diced into 1 inch cubes
400 g cooked pork belly, diced into 1 inch cubes
250 g capers, chopped
250 g cornichon, chopped
100 g pickled silverskin onion, sliced
30 g Pommery mustard
10 twists of black pepper
5 ml Nam Pla fish sauce (Squid brand)

For the brine

2250 ml water
150 g dark brown sugar
80 g Malden Salt
12 g sodium nitrite
4 g coriander seed, whole
1 star anise
2.5 g black pepper
1 orange zest
2 g fennel seed
1 tbsp smoked paprika
2 cloves
2 fresh bay leaves

For the braising liquor

1 carrot
1 onion
1 celery
1 head garlic
1 leek
3 l water
5 sprigs of thyme
1 bay leaf

To serve

25 g mustard seeds, soaked for 5 hours until doubled in size
Pommery wholegrain mustard
chives, chopped
caper berries
cornichons
pickled cucumber
fennel fronds

Step 1

Place all of the ingredients for the brine together in a large pan and bring to the boil. Once it reaches the boil remove from the heat and leave to cool. Once it is cool place the brisket in the brine, making sure it is completely submerged. Refrigerate for a week.

Step 2

For the braising liquor, fill a large pan with the water and add the vegetables and herbs. Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat to simmer. Add the brined beef and leave to cook for 3-4 hours until the meat is tender. Take the pan off the heat and leave to cool.

Step 3

When the beef has cooled, dice it and then coarsely mince it along with the pork fat and pork belly in a meat mincer. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and thoroughly combine the beef and pork. Add the cornichons, capers, onions, mustard, pepper and Nam Pla fish sauce. Mix everything together and season as required.

Step 4

Transfer the corned beef mixture into a terrine mould or metal frame lined with cling film. Ensure the top of the mould is fully covered with cling film, compress with a weight and place in the fridge to set overnight.

Step 5

To serve, take the beef out of the fridge and remove from the mould. Evenly slice with a sharp knife and place a piece on each plate, brushing the upward facing side of the beef neatly with the wholegrain mustard. Distribute the chopped chives and mustard seeds over the top and add the fennel fronds, sliced gherkin, caper berries and cornichons to the plate. Serve immediately.