Piquant Pot-Roast Brisket (Instant Pot)

I never found roasting beef very easy – more often than not it comes out dry and grey whilst making the whole house smell of dripping – but a slow cooked “pot roast” somehow just works, with the added bonus that, because cheaper cuts of meat like brisket cook best this way, you don’t have to remortgage to produce an amazing “Sunday Roast” with a ton of amazing leftovers*.

It is even easier in an Instant Pot and much quicker (which is great if, like me, you can’t even think about lunch at the weekend until you’ve had at least 2 leisurely cups of coffee!) but just as tender and tasty.

You can make a more traditional flavoured “gravy” by replacing the liquid with stock or bone broth, but we prefer the this slightly “sweet and sour” piquant sauce.

*A word to the wise – this quantity of meat should feed about 10 adults generously in one go with “Sunday Roast” trimmings.  But I am deliberately factoring in leftovers here, so it will actually feed more than 10 faces (great leftover dishes tend to need proportionally slightly less meat as they make it up with extra veg – a win-win in my book!).  In terms of both labour and cost, there is a big saving to be made cooking a larger joint where possible.**

• 2-2.5kg Brisket Joint
• 2 tbsp coconut oil (or dripping)
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 large carrots, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 stick celery, halved
• 1 large sprig Thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 500ml apple juice
• 125ml light soy sauce (or coconut aminos for you AIP-ers)
• 125ml cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp maple syrup or honey

1. Ensure the meat is at room temperature before you cook – take it out of the fridge at least an hour in advance.
2. Weigh your brisket and make a note of the weight.
3. This bit may seem sacrilege, but you need open out your brisket and cut in half to make Instant Pot sized chunks.  Dry both pieces thoroughly.
   

   

   
4. Turn your Instant Pot on to “Sauté” and wait for it to heat up.
5. Brown each piece separately starting (if there is one) with the fat side down – 10mins on the first side and 5mins on the other.  Wait for the Instant Pot to get back to temperature between pieces.
   

   

   
6. Set the meat aside and saute the chopped vegetables for 5mins, stirring to prevent it from sticking and burning.  Remove the veg using a slotted spoon to a dish lined with kitchen roll (to remove excess fat).
   

   
7. Turn off the Instant Pot and wipe out the Inner Pot to remove all the fat – I use kitchen roll and tongs.
8. Place all the veg and herbs in the bottom of the Instant Pot, place the browned Brisket on top and pour over the liquid.  Seal the Instant Pot by turning the lid clockwise and ensure the Steam Release Handle is also turned clockwise to close the valve.
   

   
9. Select “Manual”, “High Pressure” and press the “+” or “-” buttons to set the time for 15mins per 500g / 17.6oz (so 75mins for a 2.5kg brisket).  Mentally add another 10mins for the Instant Pot to pressurize and go and do something else!
10. When the cooking time has finished, depressurize by carefully turning the Steam Release Handle anticlockwise and turning the Instant Pot off.  You will probably want to open a window as it will let off a lot of steam!
11. Remove the meat to a serving dish and cover to rest.
12. Remove and discard the bay leaves, celery and thyme twigs.
13. Spoon off any liquid fat from the sauce (there isn’t usually much).
14. Liquidise the sauce using an immersion blender.
15. Make sure you slice the meat across the grain to ensure melt-in-the-mouth brisket!

Like so many slow cooked dishes, it is if anything even better reheated the next day, so for a truly trouble-free meal make it in advance.  Let it cool thoroughly.  Slice, pour over the sauce and put in the fridge.  Reheat in the oven at 170C for about 30-40mins (depending on quantity), until piping-hot all the way through and bubbling around the edge.

**If you’re not going to be using up your leftovers in the next 2 or 3 days, cooked Brisket freezes really well either as above with the sauce poured over (in which case allow 130g cold meat per generous portion) or for use in “leftovers” dishes (in which case bag it up to freeze in 100g “portions”).

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