Brisket - making the gravy.

[Huntsman]

I have 2kg lump of brisket, its going to be slow roasted in beer, stock, celery, onion, dried porchini shrooms, lid on, in a cast iron pot, prolly 4 hrs at 140.

I am to making gravy what King Herod was to baby sitting, its murder.

What to do?

[Jer_1974]

Roll the Brisket in flour then pan fry before slow cooking to brown the meat. Also add a spoon of flour to the slow cooker with beer and stock. That should thicken the gravy but you can reduce it after removing the meat if you want it thicker.

[LeadFarmer]

Liquid from cooking brisket in a slow cooker should taste great as it is. To thicken the gravy, put 2-3 teaspoons of cornflower into a mug, add a bit of water and stir it to a solution. This stops lumps forming. Then tip this into the gravy liquid and stir on heat. Add more if needed. I usually slow cook brisket for about 7hrs

Edited by LeadFarmer on Saturday 14th January 22:52

[Huntsman]

So! I took the beef out and set it aside. Poured all the stock, porter and veg into a sieve, got rid of the veg, poured the juice back into the roasting tin, added corn flower, stirred, it thickened nicely. Sieved again into a jug for the table.

Lush.

[Huntsman]

Having successfully made gravy with roasting beef in Guinness Dublin Porter, today I did a leg of lamb in rosemary and stock, made gravy same way, excellent result.

Am a gravy god.

[anomie]

you don't need to add cornflour, especially if you have already floured the brisket when searing pre-crock-pot. Depending on what you put in I will assume it is beef stock, maybe some demi-glace, maybe some tomato paste that you will slow cook in? Can also use beer (I like Leffe Braun) or red wine.

Just reduce on stove top on medium high.... If you put veggies in with the beef (carrot, onion, celery are standard) put in some chunks that will be big enough to eat with dinner but smaller bits as well. Then, after you have taken the beef out to rest, run all the cooking juices + smaller bits of veg through a food mill or sieve before reducing on stove top.

[captainzep]

OP the methods suggested (and the one you used) are great. Proper job.

As an alternative, I have made my own gravy for a roast by finely dicing onion, carrot and celery, softening in butter then adding red wine and decent beef stock, simmering, blitzing with hand blender, passing through chinois and then boiling down whilst fiddling with seasoning etc. as the meat roasts.

Comes out rich and meaty -and because it's ready well in advance can be ladled onto your roast piping hot without the last minute rush as you get food on plates. It's a shortcut but better than Bisto.

[SVX]

All good tips, I tend to make two huge batches of really good 2 day stock (beef or veal bones) for a darker stock, and chicken for lighter about once a quarter. Then freeze the batches off into portions.

I could post a method if anyone is interested.