Brisket croquettes with a peppercorn gravy dunk

The cook

1. 01

   Step 1GET THE OAK GOING

   Set up a kettle with banked coals and a drip tray beneath the meat, or a kamado with its heat deflector fitted. Stabilise at 120°C at grate level and add 1–2 small chunks of oak to the charcoal. Wait for clean, thin smoke. Mix the salt, pepper and garlic granules, then season the brisket all over.

2. 02

   Step 2BUILD THE BARK

   Put the brisket over indirect heat, with the fat towards the strongest heat source. Close the lid and smoke for roughly 4–5 hours, maintaining 115–125°C. You want a dark, firmly set bark that does not rub away when touched; the centre will often be around 70–75°C. Colour and bark matter more than the clock.

3. 03

   Step 3WRAP AND FINISH

   Wrap the brisket tightly in a double layer of foil with the 100 ml beef stock. Return it to indirect heat at 120°C for another 3–5 hours, until a probe slides into the thickest part with barely any resistance, usually around 93–96°C. Start checking at 90°C. Allow 8–10 hours for the smoke overall; a stubborn joint may take longer.

4. 04

   Step 4REST, THEN SHRED

   Open the foil for 5 minutes to release fierce steam, then close it again and rest the brisket for 55 minutes. Remove any large pockets of soft fat and finely shred or chop 600 g of the meat for the filling. Keep the remaining beef for another meal, cooling and refrigerating it promptly. Chop long strands short — they make shaping a nuisance.

5. 05

   Step 5MAKE THE THICK BINDER

   Melt the 60 g butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the 80 g flour and cook for 2 minutes, then gradually whisk in the warm milk. Cook for 4–5 minutes, stirring hard, until the béchamel is thick enough to pull away from the sides. Fold in the mustard, parsley and measured brisket. Taste and season. This should be a firm filling, not beef swimming in sauce.

6. 06

   Step 6CHILL IT PROPERLY

   Spread the filling in a shallow metal tray, no deeper than 3 cm. Let the heavy steam escape briefly, then cover and refrigerate promptly, within 2 hours of making it. Chill for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight, until completely cold and firm. This chilling time is additional to the prep, cooking and meat-resting times.

7. 07

   Step 7ROLL AND CRUMB

   Divide the cold filling into 18 portions and shape into short cylinders roughly 3 cm thick. Put the flour, beaten eggs and panko in separate bowls. Coat each croquette in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs, pressing gently to seal every patch. Refrigerate for 30 minutes while you make the gravy and reset the barbecue.

8. 08

   Step 8BUILD THE GRAVY

   Melt the 30 g butter in a saucepan and soften the shallot for 5 minutes without browning. Stir in the 20 g flour and cook for 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the stock, then add both peppercorns and the Worcestershire sauce. Simmer for 8–10 minutes, stir in the cream and simmer for another 2 minutes. Season to taste and keep hot. Too thick for dunking? Add a splash of water.

9. 09

   Step 9FRY WITHOUT THE FIREWORKS

   Reset the barbecue for controlled indirect cooking at roughly 200–220°C, with no flames beneath the pan. Place a deep cast-iron frying pan on the indirect side, or above the kamado deflector, and add oil to a depth of 15–20 mm, never filling the pan more than one-third. Bring the oil to 170–175°C, checking with a suitable thermometer. Fry 4–5 croquettes at a time for 6–8 minutes, turning carefully until golden all over and at least 75°C in the centre. Keep the barbecue lid open while actively frying, monitor the oil and let it recover between batches. Keep a metal lid or fire blanket nearby; never use water on an oil fire.

10. 10

    Step 10DUNK WHILE THEY CRUNCH

    Lift the croquettes onto a wire rack over a tray and let them settle for 2 minutes. Avoid piling them up — trapped steam wrecks that shell. Serve straight away with the hot peppercorn gravy in dunking bowls. Crunch first. Gravy everywhere second.