I know brining your own beef to make salt beef from scratch is very on-trend, but you can buy it ready-pickled in so many places now and frankly, although I love pickling, the idea of having a piece of beef submerged in brine in my garage, needing turning every day for over a week, simply doesn’t appeal. However, cooking a piece of pickled beef for a couple of hours and serving it with rye bread, pickles, coleslaw, latkes and mustard or piccalilli definitely appeals! Here’s how to do it.

Method:

• Put the pickled beef into a large pan with all the other ingredients and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil, skimming away any scum that rises to the surface.
• Reduce the heat, cover and simmer gently for 2½–3½ hours, or until a fork pushed into the meat slides in easily – it should be really soft.
• Lift the meat onto a board and slice it into fairly thick slices. Serve hot or cold, with whatever accompaniments you prefer.

Recipe adapted from Cherish: food to make for the people you love (Headline)