Autumn Beckons:
Slow Cooked Beef Brisket with Elderberry Glaze and Port Jus
Autumn really is beckoning, the mornings are misty and cool and the evenings are “drawing in” with darkness falling by eight thirty now……..I’m sad to see the summer go, but I love autumn and all it brings. It’s a season of harvest festivals, crackling russet leaves, wood smoke, foraging squirrels, departing swallows and the reappearance of the robin redbreast……wood fires and wood smoke, preserving, brambles and crumbles, pumpkins, clear nights with diamond stars, casseroles and soups and searching for woolly scarves……I love it and I’m ready to embrace it all now. In the autumn garden at Lavender and Lovage Towers, we have figs, raspberries, walnuts and quince and there’s also the last of the summer herbs that still linger on. It’s the figs that are bringing us the most joy, we have poached them, jammed them, eaten them straight from the tree and enjoyed them with a cheeseboard.
Last week I made a batch of fresh fig and ginger jam, its jewelled colours glowing in the fading light as it cooled on the kitchen table……the kitchen smelling of spices and fruit, it’s one of my favourite jams and I make a batch every year. The figs still keep on coming, as do the elderberries, hanging in huge bunches, their dark amethyst glow punctuating the last of the dark green leaves. I love elderberries as much as I love their spring blossom, elderflowers, and I also try to make a batch of Elderberry and Apple Jelly every autumn too – with some of the first windfalls. Elderberry jam is wonderful on toast, of course, but, it’s also amazing when spooned over meat joints such as lamb and brisket and it makes a deliciously fruity jus or glaze when used this way. So, that’s exactly what I did last Sunday when I decided to dust off my slow cooker and cook a beef brisket…..with root vegetables and a glug of ruby port wine, the brisket cooked away merrily in the slow cooker whilst we went out for a walk on the beach, and we were met by a fruity aroma when we got home, absolute bliss.
This is a super easy recipe to make and if beef isn’t your first choice of meat, then you can use lamb in its place, or even venison. If you cannot source any elderberry jelly or jam, then you can use blackcurrant or redcurrant jelly instead. Although, I do have a lovely recipe on the blog for Elderberry and Apple Jelly HERE; but, any other fruit jelly would also suit, such as damson jelly, quince jelly or even blackberry jelly. Use any root vegetables you have to hand……I tend to use carrots, leeks, onions and parsnips, but, swede, turnips and sweet potatoes would also be good. I usually like to serve my potatoes separately, steamed or mashed, and then I always serve a “green” veg with this meal too…..this time it was some of our home-grown runner beans. (Look out for my Runner Bean Chutney soon…..as well as the recipe for Fig and Ginger Jam) As this delicious recipe for Beef Brisket with Elderberry Glaze and Port Jus is cooked on a slow cooker (crock pot) with fruit, it is the perfect recipe to send over to Janice at Farmersgirls Kitchen, where her theme for Slow Cooker Challenge this month is FRUIT.
That’s all for now, I’ll leave you with a plate of my Slow Cooked Beef Brisket with Elderberry Glaze and Port Jus……I am away on a Press Trip over this week – on a cruise with Celebrity Cruises, sailing from Naples to Rome, Florence, Toulon and Barcelona…..so, I will be missing for a few days, but please pop back to see my news and new recipes later on in the week. Bye for now, and have a great week! Karen
Slow Cooked Beef Brisket with an Elderberry & Port Glaze
Print recipe
| Serves | 4 to 6 people |
| Prep time | 15 minutes |
| Cook time | 8 hours |
| Total time | 8 hours, 15 minutes |
| Meal type | Lunch, Main Dish |
| Misc | Child Friendly, Serve Hot |
| Occasion | Casual Party, Christmas, Formal Party, Halloween, Thanksgiving |
| Region | British |
| By author | Karen Burns-Booth |
Ingredients
- 750g to 900g beef brisket
- 4 carrots, peeled and cut into slices
- 6 parsnips, peeled and cut into pieces
- 2 leeks, trimmed and cut into pieces
- 2 onions, peeled and sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 4 tablespoons ruby port
- 2 to 3 tablespoons elderberry jelly or any other red berry jelly
- salt and pepper to taste
Note
This delectable, fruity slow-cooked beef recipe with root vegetables can be cooked in a slow cooker, or in a conventional oven. The elderberry jelly and port makes a delicious jus that is served with the meat and vegetables in the style of gravy.
Directions
| Step 1 | Turn your slow cooker on to the high setting. Or, pre-heat oven to 150C/300F/Gas mark 2. |
| Step 2 | Place the beef brisket in the slow cooker and add the vegetables in and around the beef joint. Or, place in a roasting tin to slow cook in a conventional oven. |
| Step 3 | Pour the port over the beef and vegetables and spoon the elderberry jelly over the beef joint and season to taste with salt and pepper. Or, cover with tinfoil and cook for 3 hours in conventional oven. |
| Step 4 | Cook on high in the slow cooker for 6 to 8 hours. |
| Step 5 | Serve the beef immediately - cut into slices or shredded, with steamed potatoes and greens as well as the slow cooked vegetables and port and elderberry jus. |
Liz Thomas says
Sounds delicious! Back in Macau now — plenty of brisket but no elderberries and parsnips cost a fortune.
That cruise sounds great, enjoy yourself and look forward to hearing all about it.
Cheers!
Liz
Bill says
This looks like the next thing I will make in my slow cooker, once I can afford a brisket… I sure can’t afford port, so I think I’ll substitute some beef stock.
Dominic says
simply beautiful… I would kill for this for my dinner tonight please! I adore sweet jams and jellies with meats, so I am very tempted to try this soon.
Glamorous Glutton says
You’ve put me full on into autumn mode with this, with all the wonderful comforts of home made everything!! Love the slow cooked brisket and as far as Mr Glam’s concerned all meals need jam! GG
Bintu @ Recipes From A Pantry says
My OH is a believer in jams being made into gravy so he would love this. I will send him this recipe.
Janice says
Thanks for joining me for the Slow Cooker challenge, Karen. I am a huge fan of brisket and it cooks so well in the the slow cooker, the fig jam looks amazing and I can imagine it would really add to the dish.
Adam garratt says
Karen you are a woman after my own heart!
There used to be a sad time when dishes like this were frowned upon, laughed at and thought of as ‘not compliacted enough’. As if somehow it would be better if the dish were stacked up in a tower and blasted with elderberry foam, a side of pureed carrot dragged quinelle and some sort of air dried crispy beef wafer thing.
Thankfully people are returning to what we all love the most, good honest family uniting food. Food like this will always make people happy, and anyone that says they wouldn’t miss it is deluded.
Love love love this recipe Karen. Save me a place at the table, i’ll be round shortly. Ta
Karen Burns-Booth says
Thanks so much for your support for simple dishes Adam, and that includes my beef brisket in this post….you are so right, sometimes it’s all style over substance with modern recipes and chefs, and this is, as you say, and honest family meal…..thanks for featuring it on your blog too. Karen
DANIELLE VEDMORE says
We love brisket in our house – I think it an underused cut really. Looks delicious!
Mary Sweeting says
Wow I love brisket! It’s so underrated and I can’t wait to get slow cooking again. Love the new look site and your pics! Mary x
swirlingflavors says
that looks really great.
Petra says
It looks delicious! I love elderberry jam! I am still looking for places to forage here and have sadly missed quite a lot of the season but next year! 🙂 Beautiful pictures as always!
Amy @ Fearless Homemaker says
Oh, I absolutely love meals like this in the fall and winter – so perfect for the cooler weather of those seasons. Yum! And lovely pictures!
All That I'm Eating says
Oh Karen this sounds so good, perfect autumn cooking. That jam sounds fab too, wonderful colour.
Anna @ shenANNAgans says
Hey Karen, happy Monday, I do hope you had a wonderful weekend. 🙂
This winter just gone, it was delicious meals just like this that I was cooking, simple and tasty food, doesnt break the bank either. Perfect comfort food. Although, not gonna lie, happy to thaw out and eat salad now for a few months, will save for next year when it cools down. Your pictures are beautiful too, very much looking forward to getting to know you. 🙂
Karen Burns-Booth says
Thanks so much for popping over to see me here Anna – it’a lovely to make contact! Karen
Steph @MisplacedBrit.com says
Ooh wow!! First time at your blog and seriously, I have no idea where to start!! You couldn’t have a better or more beautifully photographed collection of recipes!! Bookmarking you as my new recipe book to go to! Wow!
This sounds absolutely delicious.
Karen Burns-Booth says
THANKS so much Steph, I am delighted to welcome you here and I see you have a blog too, so I will pop over to see you! Karen