Summer BBQ season is upon us and sometimes it can be so easy to fall into the trap of barbecuing up some burgers and sausages and be done with it. This recipe is much more inspired.
I used my slow cooker to make the best no-effort pulled beef, roasted up some sweet potato and grated some carrot with sliced cabbage, lime juice, sugar and soured cream to make a great homemade slaw for this simple summer supper.
To make yours:
For the beef:
- some beef brisket or I used skirt steak
- 1 tbsp of: cumin seeds, coriander seeds, mustard seeds, black peppercorns, smoked paprika, brown sugar, cayenne pepper
- 100ml cider vinegar
- half a can of coke
- splash of Worcester sauce
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- generous squirt of tomato ketchup and BBQ sauce
- 100 ml of beef stock
For the slaw:
- 1 carrot, grated
- 2 large cabbage leaves - thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp sugar
- soured cream, to taste
For the sweet potatoes:
- 1 sweet potato cut into thick wedges (skin on)
- salt
- smoked paprika
- coconut oil
To start, toast the spices in a dry pan, be careful not to burn them. Once toasted nicely and smelling fragrant, grind them up using a pestle and mortar and coat the meat in the mixture. Leave to marinate for a long as possible.
Next pop the cider vinegar and sugar in a pan and bring to the boil, before reducing the heat and adding the rest of the liquid (coke, Worcester sauce, beef stock) and the tomato ketchup and BBQ sauce.
Combine the meat and the liquid in the slow cooker and leave on high for 5-6 hours (or low for 8). You might need to take the lid off the cooker for the last hour or so, to let the sauce thicken.
An hour before serving, pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees, coat the wedges in the oil, salt and paprika and roast in the oven until crispy.
To make the slaw, wizz the cabbage in the microwave for 30 seconds to soften and get rid of that tart raw taste. Combine with the carrot, sugar and lime juice and leave to cool, before adding the soured cream to taste.
To serve, break up the beef with two forks and place into a bun (I used soft burger buns but brioche buns would be better), top with sliced gherkin, cheddar cheese and the slaw and serve with the wedges on the side.
Enjoy with a cold beer on a sunny day!