Boiled Beef and Carrots
Tender salted beef brisket gently simmered with sweet carrots, peppercorns, and fluffy herb dumplings. A hearty East End London classic.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 180 min
- Total
- 200 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 680 kcal
Equipment
- •large lidded stockpot
- •chopping board
- •chef's knife
- •mixing bowl
- •slotted spoon
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 680 kcal
- fat
- 38 g
- carbs
- 36 g
- fibre
- 4 g
- protein
- 48 g
- calories
- 680 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Place the salted beef brisket into a large stockpot and cover generously with cold water.
- 2
Bring the pot to the boil over high heat, skimming off any pale foam from the surface.
- 3
Stud the peeled onion halves with whole cloves and add them to the pot with bay leaves and peppercorns.
- 4
Reduce the heat to low, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and simmer gently for two hours.
- 5
In a mixing bowl, combine the self-raising flour, shredded suet, chopped parsley, and a pinch of salt.
- 6
Stir in cold water gradually to form a soft, pliable dough, then shape into eight round dumplings.
- 7
Add the peeled carrot chunks and prepared dumplings into the simmering broth around the beef.
- 8
Cover the pot and simmer gently for a further thirty minutes until the carrots and beef are tender.
- 9
Lift out the beef brisket onto a board and carve into thick slices across the grain.
- 10
Serve the sliced beef warm with the tender carrots, dumplings, and a ladle of the cooking liquor.
Chef's tips
If your salt beef brisket is heavily cured, soak it in cold water for two hours before boiling to reduce excess saltiness. Keep the hob on a very gentle simmer so the brisket becomes meltingly tender rather than tough.
Ingredient substitutions
- shredded beef suet → vegetable suet
- salt beef brisket → unsmoked gammon joint
Storage
Store leftover beef, carrots, and broth in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
Reheating
Reheat gently in a covered saucepan over medium-low heat with a splash of the broth until piping hot.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Boiling the meat too vigorously, which tightens the muscle fibres and makes the beef tough.
- •Lifting the lid frequently while cooking dumplings, which lets steam escape and causes them to deflate.
- •Adding table salt to the pot before tasting, as the cured brisket provides plenty of seasoning.
Serving suggestions
Cooked Boiled Beef and Carrots?
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