Salt beef with caramelised onion bagels and hot mustard sauce recipe (2024)

• 1½ kg coarse sea salt
• 500 gm raw sugar
• 1 tbsp crushed juniper berries
• ½ bunch of thyme
• 2 fresh bay leaves
• 1.5 kg beef brisket
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• To serve: mustard cress

• 30 ml olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2½ tsp caster sugar
• 25 gm butter
• 125 ml milk (½ cup)
• 1¼ tsp dried yeast
• 1 egg, separated
• 250 gm bread flour, plus extra for handling (see note)

• 25 gm butter
• 25 gm plain flour
• 250 ml milk (1 cup)
• 3 tsp finely grated fresh horseradish or 1½ tbsp prepared horseradish
• 3 tsp hot English mustard
• 2 tsp wholegrain mustard

Main

• 1

  Combine salt, sugar, juniper berries, half the herbs and 4 litres of water in a casserole and bring to the boil. Cool, add brisket, weight down with a plate, cover with a lid and refrigerate for 5 days. Drain brisket, discarding juniper berries and herbs, and soak in cold water in the refrigerator overnight.

• 2

  For bagels, heat oil in a frying pan over low heat, add onion and ½ tsp sugar and cook until caramelised (30 minutes). Cool. Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat, add milk and remaining sugar and heat until lukewarm, remove from heat and add yeast. Stand until foamy (10 minutes), then beat in eggwhite and ¼ tsp salt. Place flour in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook, add yeast mixture and mix until dough is smooth and elastic (5 minutes). Stand, covered with a tea towel, until doubled in size (30 minutes), then add onion and mix until well combined (about 3 minutes). Meanwhile, preheat oven to 200C. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Divide dough into 6 equal pieces and, working with one piece at a time, roll into a ball (adding more flour if dough is too sticky). Dip your finger into flour, then pierce through the centre of the dough ball. Using a hoola hoop action with your finger, spin dough around until a hole two-thirds the size of the dough is created. Place on a baking paper-lined tray and repeat with remaining dough. Stand, covered with a tea towel until slightly risen (about 5 minutes), then blanch, in batches and turning once, in the boiling water for 15 seconds. Transfer to a tray and repeat with remaining bagels. Combine egg yolk and 1 tsp water in a small bowl, brush over bagels and bake until golden (about 20 minutes).

• 3

  Combine peppercorns and remaining herbs in a large saucepan. Drain brisket, add to pan, cover completely with cold water and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until meat is very tender (about 3 hours). Keep warm.

• 4

  See Also

  The Perfect Garlic Herb Prime Rib Roast Recipe + Cooking TipsEasy Baked Blooming Onion Recipe | Wicked SpatulaThese Prime Rib Recipes Are The Only Excuse You Need To Make Enough For Leftovers This YearBest Sunday Lunch Recipes

  For mustard sauce, heat a saucepan over medium heat, add butter and, when beginning to melt, add flour and stir to combine. Cook until just starting to colour (2 minutes), then add milk, a little at a time, beating after each addition until incorporated. Bring to boil, then whisk in horseradish and mustards and season to taste with freshly ground black pepper.

• 5

  Warm bagels in oven, then halve horizontally. Drain and slice beef, place on half the bagel halves, spoon mustard sauce over, scatter with cress and sandwich with remaining halves.