Chef's Recipes

Beef brisket souva

Australian Gourmet Traveller recipe for beef brisket souva by George Calombaris.

By George Calombaris
  • 30 mins preparation
  • 3 hrs cooking plus marinating, resting
  • Serves 4
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Beef brisket souva
"This is based on the souvlaki you get in Athens," says Calombaris. "It surprises people who visit that most of the souvlaki is made with beef and pork rather than lamb. Start this recipe a day ahead to marinate the beef."

Ingredients

  • 4 mini pita breads
  • 40 gm Dijon mustard (2 tbsp)
  • ¼ cup loosely packed flat-leaf parsley
  • ½ small Spanish onion, thinly sliced
  • To serve: shoestring fries
Beef brisket
  • 400 gm piece beef brisket, cut into 4 even pieces
  • 400 ml red wine
  • 400 ml Port
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, bruised
  • 2 fresh bay leaves
  • 1 cinnamon quill
  • 1½ tbsp olive oil
  • 200 ml chicken stock

Method

Main
  • 1
    For beef brisket, combine all ingredients except oil and stock in a non-reactive container, cover and refrigerate overnight to marinate. Remove beef from marinade, then strain marinade, reserving liquid and solids separately. Heat oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat, add reserved solids and stir occasionally until tender (6-8 minutes), then add beef, season to taste and brown all over (6-8 minutes). Add a third of reserved marinade, simmer until reduced to a glaze (4-5 minutes), then repeat with each of the remaining two-thirds. Add stock, cover and simmer over low heat until meat is very tender (2½-3 hours). Ladle off 250ml braising liquid and simmer in a saucepan over medium-high heat until reduced by two-thirds (6-8 minutes). Coarsely shred brisket, add to reduced braising liquid and keep warm.
  • 2
    Heat char-grill to high and grill pita bread then spread with mustard. Top with brisket, parsley, onion, then fries, wrap and serve hot.

Notes

Drink Suggestion: 2010 Skouras St George Agiorgitiko, Nemea. Drink suggestion by Andrew Phillpot