Slow-Cooked Brisket

Most people think of pizza ovens as fast-and-hot cooking, but they're also brilliant for slow braises. The retained heat in a well-insulated oven is perfect for a long, lazy brisket cook. The coffee in the braising liquid adds a deep, smoky richness that complements the wood-fired flavour beautifully. Start this in the morning and you'll have fork-tender brisket ready for a late lunch.

Brisket Ingredients

• 2kg beef brisket
• 1 onion, thickly sliced
• 250ml strong black coffee
• 1 tbsp cornflour (for the gravy)

Spice Rub

• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tbsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp brown sugar

Method

1. Heat your pizza oven to 200-220°C.
2. Combine all the spice rub ingredients and massage the mixture generously over every surface of the brisket. Really work it in - this crust is going to be extraordinary.
3. Layer the sliced onion in the bottom of a heavy casserole dish or Dutch oven. Pour in the coffee. Place the rubbed brisket on top of the onion bed, fat side up.
4. Seal the casserole tightly with a double layer of foil, then the lid. The seal is important - you want to trap all the steam inside.
5. Place in your oven and cook for approximately 4 hours at around 160°C. Check every hour and add small pieces of kindling as needed to maintain the temperature. Start checking for tenderness at the 3-hour mark - a fork should slide through the meat with almost no resistance when it's done.
6. When the brisket is tender, carefully remove it from the casserole and set it on a board to rest, loosely covered with foil.
7. Pour the cooking juices through a sieve into a saucepan. Skim off any excess oil from the surface. Mix the cornflour with a splash of cold water to make a slurry, then whisk it into the juices over a medium heat until you have a rich, glossy gravy.
8. Carve the brisket against the grain into thick slices. Serve with roast potatoes, horseradish cream, and the gravy.