Bring back the corned beef

Bring back the corned beef Photo: Jess Daniell / Jess' Underground Kitchen

I know what you’re thinking ­– corned beef lived and died in the 90s, but bear with me… with the addition of herbs and fresh oranges, this old-fashioned cut takes on a new lease of life. It’s slow-cooked, super-easy and melts in your mouth. You could easily cook this in a crockpot, too – just set and forget.

Gluten-free | Dairy-free / Makes 4-6 serves / Takes 4 hours

Ingredients

• 800g uncooked corned beef brisket
• 4 fresh bay leaves
• 4 sprigs fresh parsley
• 1 tbsp whole black peppercorns
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds
• 1 cinnamon quill
• 1 tsp dried chilli flakes
• 1 tbsp yellow mustard seeds
• 2 onions, skin on & halved
• 1 whole garlic head, cut in half horizontally
• 1 orange, zested and halved

Method

Preheat oven to 160°C.

Rinse corned beef and place in a large casserole dish or heavy pot with a lid that can go into the oven. Add enough water to cover. Add bay leaves, parsley, peppercorns, coriander, cinnamon, chilli flakes, mustard seeds, onions, garlic, orange zest and orange halves. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Skim off any skum that floats to the surface, secure lid and place casserole dish in the oven.

Bake for 4 hours, or until beef is tender to the touch. Remove from the oven and let beef cool in the cooking liquid.

If you’re not going to serve the corned beef straight away, transfer to an airtight container, strain the aromatics from the cooking liquid, and pour over as much of the liquid as you can fit in the container. Cover and place in the fridge until needed.