what better way to honour my english / italian background, then a dish that’s a combination of the two, beef brisket ragu with baked mac and cheese.

In a week in which I met the godfather of Italian cooking I feel compelled to cook something from Italy, it’s almost as if seeing Antonio Carluccio on his 80th birthday celebrating the opening of the brand new Carluccio’s in York, is some how a sign from my grandmother that I don’t celebrate my distant italian roots enough.

World Yorkshire Pudding Champion Chris Blackburn and Antonio Carluccio

L-R Chris Blackburn & Antonio Carluccio (April 2017 Carluccio’s York)

So what better way to honour my english / italian background then a dish that’s a combination of the two, beef brisket ragu with baked mac and cheese.

With the price of brisket leading to a whole host of beef brisket recipes on the internet I wanted to take this incredibly cheap cut of meat and turn it into something incredibly indulgent and satisfying.

Throw it in and see what happens

I’ll warn you, my measurements below are all approximate, this was a throw it in a casserole dish and see what happens type of day, it would appear my luck was in, as it turned out fabulous.

For me Mac n Cheese can be a tad bland, it’s one dimensional and needs oompfh, I’ve previously added mustard powder to my roux and whilst that’s had an impact it nothing in comparison to layering a dish with beef brisket ragu and then macaroni cheese.

So here it is, the recipe for my six hour Beef Brisket with Mac n Cheese, we’d love to heat what you think!

Ingredients

For the Beef Brisket Ragu

For the Mac n Cheese

  • 50g Butter
  • 50g Plain Flour
  • 700ml Semi Skimmed milk
  • 1 knorr chicken stock pot
  • handful of grated cheddar cheese
  • Grated cheese for topping
  • 400g macaroni pasta

Method

  1. Pre-heat your oven to 140c / 280f
  2. Combine all Beef Brisket Ragu Ingredients in a heavy based casserole dish, it’s important that you cover the dish with a lid, I also covered the lid with foil to avoid any moisture escaping.
  3. Bake for 6 hours, once removed from the oven, skim any excess oil, shred the beef, return the combined mixture to the hob and reduce the sauce.
  4. For the mac and cheese, drop the chicken stock pot into the milk and heat until disolved
  5. In a separate pan melt the butter and add the flour, mix until fully combined.
  6. Begin adding the milk bit by bit, ensure it’s fully combined before adding more milk, you may need a whisk to ensure a smooth consistency.
  7. Once thickened add your cheese and fully combine, before adding the pre-cooked macaroni pasta
  8. In a dish layer the the beef ragu at the bottom followed by the mac n cheese
  9. Top with cheese and bake for 25mins at 180c / 350f
  10. Enjoy!

Share This Awesome Recipe!