Smørrebrød with Beef Brisket, Mustard and Pickled Cucumber
Beef brisket with mustard and pickled cucumber © kvalifood.com
Boiled beef brisket is an old Danish lunch tradition rooted in the Northern European kitchen, where slow-cooked cheap cuts have been everyday food for centuries. The brisket is simmered for 2–3 hours with vegetables and spices until tender and can be cut into thin slices. The meat has a full, beefy flavour with a slightly fatty texture that makes it juicy and good on rye bread. The mustard dressing gives a sharp, tangy counterpoint, and the home-pickled cucumbers with dill seeds add crunch and freshness. Freshly grated horseradish straight over the top is what brings the whole thing to life. It’s honest, uncomplicated food.
Ingredients
Yields 4 servings
Boiled beef brisket
- 800 g beef brisket (salted or fresh)
- 1 onion
- 1 carrot
- 2 bay leaves
- 5 peppercorns
- salt (if using fresh meat)
Pickled cucumber
- 2 cucumbers, thinly sliced
- 1 dl apple cider vinegar
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp dill seeds
Mustard dressing
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- salt
- pepper
To serve
- 4 slices dark rye bread
- butter, for the bread
- fresh horseradish
- watercress
- coarsely ground black pepper
Directions
Beef brisket
Place the meat in cold water with the vegetables and spices. Simmer for 2–3 hours until tender. Leave to cool in the cooking liquid. Cut into thin slices.
Pickled cucumber
Bring the vinegar, sugar, salt and dill seeds to the boil. Pour over the cucumber slices. Leave to steep for at least 1 hour.
Mustard dressing
Stir the ingredients together into an emulsified dressing.
To serve
Spread the bread with butter. Lay slices of brisket on top. Drizzle with mustard dressing. Top with pickled cucumber. Grate fresh horseradish over. Garnish with watercress and pepper.