Corned Beef Cottage Pie - Pulled Pickled Brisket. The World’s BEST CotPie Ever!! You won't stop eating this one! I can assure you!

Corned Beef Cottage Pie - Pulled Pickled Brisket. The World’s BEST CotPie Ever!! You won't stop eating this one! I can assure you!

Absolutely drop-dead delicious !! You won’t believe how delish this is until you try it !! – It doesn’t get better than this!! – I Promise!! ;)

Total Weight of Dish: 8849 g      Total Calories of Dish: 10,399 17 Servings at 521 g each = 612 Calories          Servings: 12 – 17

I developed this recipe to replace the canned Bully Beef (Corned Beef) brands in South Africa, which had deteriorated and were no longer edible. – However, I still have my original recipe which I will post at a later date for those residing in countries still able to enjoy the canned product.

Soo good you won’t want it for cold meat sandwiches, corned beef hash or for breakfast with a poached egg because there won’t be any leftovers!!

You will not stop picking at the meat once it absorbs all this lovely spicy goodness that gets sucked into it!

Notes Before You Begin:

• You may replace brisket with Corned Silverside.
• After washing and draining my original weight of 1.714 kg, of purchased corned beef, I was left with a weight of 1.250 kg – So bear in mind that brined meat contains water therefore always be sure to purchase a little extra in weight. Anything from 37 – 40 % extra should be fine.
• In this CotPie, I have used a formula in weights of 3 parts potato to 2 parts meat and an equal weight of veggies to meat
• Layering your CotPie: It’s 3 layers of mashed potato – 2 layers of veg – 2 layers of meat.
• Put your meat on early in the morning and your CotPie will be ready by early evening.

Pulled Corned Beef:

Ingredients: 

1.714 kg Corned Beef

1 onion, extra-large – Added when meat is medium done

Spice Mixture for the Simmering Liquid: 

Ingredients:

1/3 teaspoon peppercorns

1 teaspoon coriander seed

1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds

1/2 teaspoon whole allspice

1/4 teaspoon whole cloves

2 bay leaves, crumbled

4 garlic cloves, sliced (optional) divided between mash, veggies & meat

320 g onions (extra-large), chopped – added once the meat is medium done

Method:

Remove brisket from its brine and discard the brine. Rinse and drain the meat. Place meat into a heavy-bottomed saucepan together with enough water to come 3/4 of the way up sides of brisket and simmer gently, covered with the lid to keep moist. Do not allow the meat to dry out or burn. Replenish water with 125 ml or 1/2 cup each time you notice it evaporating.

If the meat has a layer of fat on – render this fat up in the cooking liquids so that you can brown meat in it.

Place all of the spice mixtures – excluding garlic and onions, into a coffee grinder and grind to a powder.

Peel and finely chop your large onion or puree in a food processor with the metal blade on.

Once the meat thermometer shows meat is halfway done or medium done – add your spice mixture together with your onion – pureed or finely chopped – Blend all well together with meat.

Reduce heat and allow to simmer, covered – for at least another 3 – 4 hours.

As meat approaches doneness – it will be so very tender – delicious! Cook on a very low simmer until you are able to break up and shred the meat apart with a metal spoon, fork or egg lifter so that it looks like shredded or pulled beef. Continue doing this until liquids have evaporated, but meat is still very moist with all its lovely juices still intact. Set meat aside.

Vegetable Mixture:

Ingredients:

20 ml of oil

40 ml of butter

828 g cabbage, shredded

640 g or 2 very large onions, shredded

4 garlic cloves, sliced (optional) divided between mash, veggies & meat

356  g carrots, peeled and shredded

502 g frozen green beans, shredded

3 whole Bell peppers, shredded – You may add a variety of colors

Sweet corn off the cob (optional) may replace yellow Bell peppers for color

Frozen peas – added last to taste – once veggies are cooked.

1 heaped tablespoon salt

1 heaped teaspoon sugar

  

Method: 

Shred cabbage by hand. Place the rest of the veggies, roughly chopped – excluding peas – into a food processor with the metal blade on and pulse until chopped to your liking.

Saute onions in the butter-oil mixture until translucent. Add all your chopped veggies, excluding peas and stir-fry until almost soft but firm to the bite. Lastly, add your peas and gently toss all together. Remove veggies and set aside.

Mashed Potatoes:

Ingredients:

2.750 kg potatoes, peeled

4 garlic cloves, sliced (optional) divided between mash, veggies & meat

Salt – to taste

White pepper – to taste

1/2  – 1  whole nutmeg, grated – added to mash or to taste

Method:

In microwave steamer – steam potatoes in 3 cm water, covered until tender.

Mash your vegetable juices into your potatoes – adding salt, white pepper and nutmeg to taste.

Melba Toast:

Ingredients:

6 – 10 slices bread (brown or white)

Method:

Grill some bread slices on low until completely dried, crispy and golden. Cool. Break it up into the food processor with a metal blade on and pulse until you have crumbs or if you don’t have a food processor, you may grate your Melba toast on the rough side of a grater or place it in a bag and crush with a rolling pin. Set aside.

Melba Toast Cheese Crumb Topping:

800 g (plus or minus) Strong cheddar cheese or to taste

Melba toasted crumbs from  6 – 10 slices bread

Method:

Grate cheese – Quick in the food processor with cheese grater blade on.

With your hands gently mix your grated cheese together with your crumbs and set aside.

Building Your CotPie:

Butter your casserole dish or roasting pan to prevent your mash from sticking.

Divide your mash into 3 parts – Divide your meat into 2 parts – Divide your veggies into 2 parts

Starting with the 1st a layer:  It’s 1/3 rd of the mashed potato – 2nd layer is 1/2 of the meat – 3rd layer is 1/2 of the veggies – and repeat layers – Then cover with a final layer of remaining mashed potato. – Sprinkle grated cheese crumb topping over your mashed potato and bake 180 C oven or until topping is a crispy golden brown.

Serve with pride and I promise you-you will certainly Enjoy!

Great Energy Saving Tip:

The entire recipe was done in my Kambrook electric wok which self-regulates its temperature, doubling up as a slow cooker and an oven all in one – if you take the Stainless Steel Extender Ring of a Halogen Convection Oven and place it over Your electric wok, which will double up as an energy-saving oven. If making your CotPie way – do not allow your cottage pie to bubble up from underneath – just keep it warm – otherwise it will ruin your cheese crumb topping. 

Drop Dead Delish! You will come back for more! Well worth the effort! Freezes well, excluding cheese crumb topping.

Ooh-Soo-Delish! You will eat it over the next couple of days! It only lasted me 2 days with my dogs and already, I want another one!

---

---

Below ingredients were entered into caloriecount.com – If you would like to alter your quantities – copy-paste below ingredients into caloriecount.com where you may then alter yours.

Ingredients:

1.714 kg Beef brisket
1 onion, extra-large
1/3 teaspoon peppercorns
1 teaspoon coriander seed
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon cloves
4 garlic cloves
2 (2 g) bay leaves (tbsp, + crumbled)
320 g onion
20 ml of oil
40 ml of butter
828 g cabbage, shredded
640 g onions, shredded
356 g carrots, peeled and shredded
502 g green beans, shredded
3 Bell peppers, shredded
375 ml of frozen peas
30 ml salt, to taste
10 ml of sugar
2.750 kg potatoes, peeled
White pepper to taste.
Salt, to taste
1 (7 g) nutmeg, whole, grated (1 tbsp)
10 slices bread
800 g cheddar cheese