I do love a good Bloody Mary so when I came across this Jamie Oliver ‘Comfort Food’ recipe for a brisket cooked slowly in Bloody Mary mix, I just had to give it a go. I added some beef stock to the sauce (so it’s more of a ‘Bloody Bull’ really) but pretty much kept to the rest of the recipe. This cooks slowly in the oven for a good six hours or more, so be sure to keep the onions and celery quite chunky so they don’t dissolve into the sauce.  Serve with bitter greens and mash enriched with a couple of tablespoons of creamy horseradish – it’s an absolute must, it really lifts the dish to another level.

• 1kg brisket joint (it’s also very good with a beef salmon cut if you can get your butcher to cut one for you)
• 1 head of celery, cleaned, trimmed and chopped into large chunks 
• 3 medium onions, peeled and cut into eight chunks
• 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary
• 2 fresh bay leaves
• juice of a whole lemon
• 1 500g carton of passata
• 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons of Tabasco
• 3 tablespoons of vodka
• 1 tablespoon of port
• 1 Knorr beef gel stock pot made up with water into 400ml of stock
• To serve: mashed potatoes with 2 tablespoons of creamed horseradish, steamed kale, or purple sprouting broccoli

To make…

• Preheat the oven to 130°C.
• Season the brisket with salt and pepper. Place an oven-proof cast-iron casserole on the hob on a high heat, add the oil and then brown the brisket on all sides. Remove the brisket and keep to one side. Add the onion and celery chunks and cook gently until slightly softened.
• Replace the brisket and nestle it in amongst the vegetables.
• Pour over the passata, port, vodka, Tabasco, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, beef stock, and add the bay and rosemary.
• Bring it to the boil, cover, and cook for 6 hours until tender and falling apart. Check the seasoning before serving; add salt, pepper, and more Tabasco to taste. Remove the whole herbs and the brisket string. Pull the meat apart with a fork.
• Serve with horseradish mash and greens. 

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