My NYE main: 48-Hour Braised Brisket in a Yorkshire Pudding with Garlic Silk Mash, horseraddish, pickled cabbage & watercress Gremolata (recipe in comments)
My NYE main: 48-Hour Braised Brisket in a Yorkshire Pudding with Garlic Silk Mash, horseraddish, pickled cabbage & watercress Gremolata (recipe in comments)
I’m vegan, but I often cook for meat-eaters. For NYE, I wanted to create the ultimate handheld roast. This is a 48-hour Dry-Brined Brisket, braised for 6 hours, pressed, sliced, and then “lacquered” with a red wine and red currant reduction.
Here is the full breakdown so you can recreate it.
**The Stack:**
* **Vessel:** Large Yorkshire Pudding (cooked in Beef Dripping)
* **Base:** Garlic “Confit” & Chive Silk Mash
* **Crunch:** Pan-fried Savoy Cabbage (fried until dark & crispy)
* **Meat:** 6-hour Braised Brisket (I swapped this for *Juicy Marbles* for my own portion)
* **Finish:** Red Wine Reduction, Horseradish, Watercress & Lemon Gremolata.
**The Method (The 3-Day Process):**
**1. The Meat (48 Hours Out):**
I used a Packer Cut Brisket (unrolled). I dry-brined it with coarse sea salt 48 hours before cooking and left it uncovered in the fridge. This dries out the surface for a better crust and seasons the meat all the way to the center.
**2. The Braise (24 Hours Out):**
* **Sear:** Sear the brisket in a smoking hot Dutch oven until dark mahogany (don’t rush this). Remove meat.
* **Deglaze:** Fry onions, carrots, and celery in the beef fat. Add tomato paste, then a bottle of dry red wine. Reduce the wine by half to cook off the harsh alcohol.
* **Cook:** Add beef stock, thyme, and rosemary. Return the meat (2/3 submerged). Cover and cook at **140°C (285°F)** for 5-6 hours until probe-tender (96°C internal).
* **The Secret Step:** Let the meat cool **IN the liquid** overnight. This allows the meat to re-absorb the juices.
**3. The “Lacquer” Sauce (Day of Service):**
* Remove the cold fat cap from the pot. Strain the liquid.
* Reduce the liquid heavily with 2 tbsp of Red Currant Jelly until it coats the back of a spoon (*nappé* consistency).
* Slice the cold brisket into thick “pucks.”
* **To Finish:** Heat the pucks in the oven at 160°C. Every 5 minutes, brush the reduction over the meat. It sets into a sticky, glossy glaze.
**4. The “Cathedral” Yorkshires:**
* **Ratio:** Equal volume of Eggs, Milk, and Flour.
* **Method:** Whisk and **rest the batter in the fridge** for at least 4 hours. This relaxes the gluten for a better rise.
* **Cook:** Get the oil/beef dripping smoking hot in the tins at 220°C (430°F). Pour batter. Do **NOT** open the door for 25 minutes.
**5. The Assembly:**
Yorkie on the bottom -> Big spoon of garlic mash -> Nest of crispy cabbage -> Brisket Puck -> Glaze -> Fresh Watercress & Gremolata (Parsley/Lemon Zest/Garlic) to cut the richness.
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I’m vegan, but I often cook for meat-eaters. For NYE, I wanted to create the ultimate handheld roast. This is a 48-hour Dry-Brined Brisket, braised for 6 hours, pressed, sliced, and then “lacquered” with a red wine and red currant reduction.
Here is the full breakdown so you can recreate it.
**The Stack:**
* **Vessel:** Large Yorkshire Pudding (cooked in Beef Dripping)
* **Base:** Garlic “Confit” & Chive Silk Mash
* **Crunch:** Pan-fried Savoy Cabbage (fried until dark & crispy)
* **Meat:** 6-hour Braised Brisket (I swapped this for *Juicy Marbles* for my own portion)
* **Finish:** Red Wine Reduction, Horseradish, Watercress & Lemon Gremolata.
**The Method (The 3-Day Process):**
**1. The Meat (48 Hours Out):**
I used a Packer Cut Brisket (unrolled). I dry-brined it with coarse sea salt 48 hours before cooking and left it uncovered in the fridge. This dries out the surface for a better crust and seasons the meat all the way to the center.
**2. The Braise (24 Hours Out):**
* **Sear:** Sear the brisket in a smoking hot Dutch oven until dark mahogany (don’t rush this). Remove meat.
* **Deglaze:** Fry onions, carrots, and celery in the beef fat. Add tomato paste, then a bottle of dry red wine. Reduce the wine by half to cook off the harsh alcohol.
* **Cook:** Add beef stock, thyme, and rosemary. Return the meat (2/3 submerged). Cover and cook at **140°C (285°F)** for 5-6 hours until probe-tender (96°C internal).
* **The Secret Step:** Let the meat cool **IN the liquid** overnight. This allows the meat to re-absorb the juices.
**3. The “Lacquer” Sauce (Day of Service):**
* Remove the cold fat cap from the pot. Strain the liquid.
* Reduce the liquid heavily with 2 tbsp of Red Currant Jelly until it coats the back of a spoon (*nappé* consistency).
* Slice the cold brisket into thick “pucks.”
* **To Finish:** Heat the pucks in the oven at 160°C. Every 5 minutes, brush the reduction over the meat. It sets into a sticky, glossy glaze.
**4. The “Cathedral” Yorkshires:**
* **Ratio:** Equal volume of Eggs, Milk, and Flour.
* **Method:** Whisk and **rest the batter in the fridge** for at least 4 hours. This relaxes the gluten for a better rise.
* **Cook:** Get the oil/beef dripping smoking hot in the tins at 220°C (430°F). Pour batter. Do **NOT** open the door for 25 minutes.
**5. The Assembly:**
Yorkie on the bottom -> Big spoon of garlic mash -> Nest of crispy cabbage -> Brisket Puck -> Glaze -> Fresh Watercress & Gremolata (Parsley/Lemon Zest/Garlic) to cut the richness.
It was a marathon cook, but the table loved it.
—
If you want to see more of my recipes, I document it over on Instagram: [@oliverhcoop](https://www.instagram.com/oliverhcoop?igsh=MXUyNHg5dzJyaTZjOA==)