London Salt Beef
Tender, spiced salt beef brisket simmered until melt-in-the-mouth soft. Traditionally carved thick and piled warm onto rye bread with fiery mustard.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 180 min
- Total
- 195 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 485 kcal
Equipment
- โขLarge stockpot
- โขChopping board
- โขChef's knife
- โขCarving knife
- โขTongs
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 485 kcal
- fat
- 22 g
- carbs
- 28 g
- fibre
- 3 g
- protein
- 42 g
- calories
- 485 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Place the cured salt beef brisket into a large stockpot.
- 2
Cover the brisket completely with cold water and place on the hob over high heat.
- 3
Bring to a rapid boil for 5 minutes, then carefully drain off all the water.
- 4
Return the blanched brisket to the pot and cover with fresh cold water.
- 5
Add the onions, carrots, celery, peppercorns, coriander seeds, bay leaves, cloves, and brown sugar.
- 6
Bring the pot to a gentle boil over medium-high heat.
- 7
Lower the heat to low, cover with a tight lid, and simmer gently for 3 hours.
- 8
Check tenderness by piercing the thickest part of the meat with a fork.
- 9
Turn off the heat and leave the beef in the warm liquor for 15 minutes.
- 10
Lift the brisket onto a chopping board using tongs.
- 11
Carve the meat across the grain into thick, warm slices.
- 12
Serve immediately between slices of rye bread with English mustard and pickled gherkins.
Chef's tips
Always discard the first boiling water to wash away harsh excess surface salt. Carve strictly across the grain (perpendicular to the meat fibres) so the thick slices stay tender rather than chewy. Keep the carving board moist with a ladle of warm poaching broth.
Ingredient substitutions
- cured salt beef brisket โ uncooked corned beef brisket
- English mustard โ sweet hot deli mustard
Storage
Keep leftover beef submerged in its cooking broth in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Reheating
Reheat thick slices gently in a pan with a ladle of the reserved cooking liquor over low heat until steaming hot.
Common mistakes to avoid
- โขBoiling the meat too vigorously, which tightens the muscle fibres and makes the beef tough and dry.
- โขSkipping the initial blanching step, resulting in an unpleasantly salty broth and meat.
- โขSlicing with the grain instead of across it, making the slices stringy.
Serving suggestions
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