I think one of my favorite cuts of beef, when it comes to roasting, has to be the Brisket. Don't get me wrong. I really enjoy a lovely piece of Prime Rib but our budget only ever very rarely runs to one of those, if ever . . . and I don't really enjoy the other cuts for roasting. Brisket is my choice almost 100% of the time. It is affordable and has a lovely flavor when cooked properly. You can't dry roast it . . . it needs pot roasting or braising, but when done properly, you cannot beat the flavor.
Normally we cook it rolled and tied. I tried one in my Instant Pot a month or so ago, but it didn't get tender like it should have done. This time I braised it in the oven. It takes a lot longer, but the end results are well worth it.
Every month I am the lucky recipient of a Degustabox. Once a month, around the middle of the month, I am sent one of these lovely boxes which contain a delicious assortment of all things foodie. I just love these boxes. Opening each one is tiny a bit like opening a Christmas gift. Always a surprise, and always filled with things that pique my interest and desire to try. Degustabox is a monthly foodie subscription service that sends out a range of 10 to 15 specially selected foodie products.
There's always a great mix of new products that I haven't tried before, as well as plenty of treats from more established brands. Quite often you will have the opportunity to try new products before they arrive in the shops, so it can be a bit of a sneak peak! Each Degustabox costs only £12.99, delivery costs are included in the price, and there is no fixed contract involved - you can cancel at any time. I love getting these boxes! In my opinion, they are great value for money spent. This month I can even offer you a discount. (more about that below) This month's (March) box was the Spring & Easter Box!
When I saw the contents, I immediately thought that I was going to use some of this Jubel Beer to cook a Brisket, but first let me tell you about the rest of the box and all the treats it held!
Forest Feast Preda Fair Trade Mango & Milk Chocolate Mango & Coconut Fruit Balls
2 X £1.29The Award winning Forest Feast Exotic Preda Dried Mango is sourced solely from the PREDA fair trade organisation in the Philippines. Also available to enjoy are the soft bite-sized balls of exotic dried mango blended with tropical coconut and covered in creamy Belgian Milk Chocolate. A little bit of indulgence with less of the guilt.
Preda Mango is retailed at Waitrose, Tesco and Ocado; Milk Chocolate Fruit Balls is retailed at Waitrose and Ocado.
TERRY's Chocolate Orange Mini's 1 XDelicious mini milk chocolate segments, flavoured with real orange oil and packed full of fun popping candy pieces.
WEETABIX on the Go Strawberry 1 X £1.49
Add a fruity twist to your smooth start with a refreshing bottle of Weetabox on the Go Strawberry. This delicious breakfast drink squeezes loads of energy (from iron), fiber and protein into a convenient grab-and-go bottle. Take hold of your morning and have a proper breakfast, bottled.
Available at all supermarket chains.
RED RED Super Stews 1 X £2.99
Inspired by Africa and remixed by London RED RED Super Stews were developed in partnership with celebrated chef Zoe Adjonyoh from Zoe's Ghana Kitchen, a pop-up in Brixton. These delicious stews are made with natural, plant-based ingredients - think okra, lentils, red beans and sweet potato to name a few.
Available at Whole Foods & Selected Sainsbury's Stores.
BALLYMALOE Original Relish Gift
Ballymaloe Original Relish is rich in tomatoes, delicious and incredibly versatile. It is excellent with beef burgers, French fries, cold meats, cheese, sausage rolls and salads. It is also wonderful in sandwiches or serve with light means, picnics or BBQ's. Ballymaloe Original Relish is made using all natural ingredients, is gluten free and is also suitable for Vegans.
This was a gift. Thanks Degustabox!
KIND Snacks Dark Chocolate Nuts & Sea Salt 1 X £1.35
There's tasty. There's nutritious. Then there's tasty & nutritious. KIND believe you deserve both. Heir bars are just whole nuts bound together with honey, and they don't skimp on the good stuff; they are crafted with up to 72% nuts, plus they're all gluten-free and naturally high in protein. Available in all major supermarket chains.
Available at all major supermarket chains.
GREEN & BLACK'S Praline & Truffle Bars 2 X £0.89
Discover a moment of indulgence with Green & Black's Truffle and Praline bars. Break through the smooth dark chocolate shell to reveal the delicious truffle and praline centres. The perfect way to treat yourself. Made with ethically sourced chocolate and no artificial flavours, colours or preservatives. Available in Tesco's, Sainsbury's Waitrose, Morrisons, Co-Op, Superdrug and WHSmith.
MOOSE JUICE Passion Fruit 1 X £1.59
Moose Juice is your delicious ZERO Sugar aspartame free energy drink with added BCAAs and B Vitamins. When you need extra energy and focus with the crash. Get a boost from the Moose!
Available at Holland & Barrett and selected Sainsbury's stores.
COSTA Signature Blend Coffee Ground for Cafetiere & Filter 1 X £3.70
At Costa Coffee they know great coffee. They have been serving their legendary signature blend since 1971. Now you can enjoy the home of great coffee, in your home. Try Costa's Medium strength, Signature Blend, Roasted and ground coffee for Cafetiere and Filter.
Available at all major supermarkets.
CHUM Fruit Bites Apple/Strawberry 2 X £0.79
100& Wild, no fake stuff! 100% fruit, vegan, high in fibre, kosher, and gluten free. Nothing artificial, no preservatives or concentrates. All the goodness of real fruit slowly baked into these magical fruit bites. They also give back 15% of the profits to help save our endangered CHUMs with WILDAID.org.
Available at www.chumbites.com
WILLIE'S CACAO Single Estate Chocolate 1 X £1.99
Close your eyes, let the chocolate melt, and for a few minutes of pure pleasure enjoy the long forgotten flavours of the world's great Single Estate Cacaos. To preserve these beautiful flavours they use only natural ingredients and make everything themselves from "bean to bar." Pure flavours, pure pleasure.
Available at Sainsbury's, Waitrose, ocado, Cafe Nero, WHSmith.
JUBEL ALPINE Beer cut with Peach 1 X £1.80
Inspired by a dangerously refreshing beef secret they discoverd in the Alps, Alpine combines a lively lager with the zest of freshly ripe peaches. Naturally infused, gluten free and vegan. Now available nationwide in Sainsbury's.
Find your nearest store at www.jubelbeer.com
And this was the product I chose to highlight by using it in a recipe. I thought the light peach infusion in the beef would work very well with the other flavours of the brisket, and I was totally right!
This is a very easy and simple recipe for Brisket which basically cooks itself. You first make a flavourful and spicy rub that you rub all over the meat before placing it into the roasting dish. You want one with deep sides.
You place it in the baking dish and then cover it with thinly sliced onion. Not a lot, just one medium one, but you want it very thinly sliced, or as thin as you can slice them by hand.
You then mix a bottle of beer, a bottle of salsa and some brown sugar together and pour it over top.
Cover tightly and then cook in a slow oven for 3 1/2 to 4 hours, uncovering during the last half hour of roasting time. At that point, once it is fork tender, you can take it out of the juices and place it on a plate to rest while you deal with the juices to make a delicious gravy. You can either simmer/boil them in a saucepan until you get the consistency you desire or you can add some gravy powder to thicken them up.
Today I chose the latter and it made a lovely gravy that was fabulous spooned over the sliced meat and some fluffy mashed potatoes. I serve some green and orange vegetables on the side. Todd really, really enjoyed this. Fork tender meat and a beautifully flavoured gravy!
Easy Beef Brisket
Yield: VariableAuthor: Marie RaynerJuicy beef brisket, cooked low and slow to perfection.
ingredients:
You will need:- 2kg (4 pounds) Beef Brisket
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp paprika
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp mild chili powder (or to taste)
- 2 TBS olive oil
- 1 medium onion, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 (330ml) bottle beer (12 ounces)
- 1 (226g) jar of tomato salsa (1 cup)
- 200g soft light brown sugar (1 cup, packed)
instructions:
- Mix together all of the brisket seasoning spices and olive oil. If your brisket is rolled, unroll it, discarding string. Trim off any excess fat, leaving only a thin layer. Rub the seasoning mixture all over the brisket and place into a baking dish. Cover with the thinly sliced onions. Whisk together the beer, salsa and brown sugar. Pour over top. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 3 hours in the preheated oven. Uncover and bake for 30 minutes longer.
- Remove from the oven and remove the brisket from the liquid. Place onto a platter and tent lightly with foil. Allow to rest while you thicken the sauces. Pour the sauce/juices into a saucepan. Bring to the boil and reduce until you have a thick spoonable sauce.
- Serve the brisket sliced along with some of the sauce spooned over top.
Many thanks to Degustabox UK for sending me this box. I have to say I really look forward to getting my box each month. There are always lots of things in it to enjoy and new products to try out. I highly recommend. You can also tailor the boxes to your own likes and dislikes by filling in your own Taste Profile. If you like the sound of this box, why not sign up now! I find them to be really good value for money spent and I really enjoy trying out new products that I have not tried before. Included is also a detailed information card which tells you all about each product included, and other extras such as recipes, etc.
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Follow them on Twitter So, that was the February Degustabox - a nice selection of products as always. We loved it. The price of each Degustabox is £12.99 (including delivery). To order your box, visit www.degustabox.com I can offer you a discount coupon as well, just insert the code 2ROEO at the check out!
Note - Although I was sent a box free of charge any and all opinions are my own.Bon appetit!
