• Season the brisket: Pat 2 kg of Beef brisket joint dry, then season it well all over with ½ teaspoon of Fine sea salt and 1 teaspoon of Ground black pepper. A dry surface browns much more effectively than a wet one.
• Brown it: Heat 2 tablespoons of Olive oil in a large frying pan and sear the brisket on every side until it has a good brown crust. This only takes a few extra minutes but adds a lot of flavour.
If you're having one of those mornings where even an extra frying pan feels like too much, you can skip the browning. It will still work. I prefer it browned when we're having it as a Sunday roast because both the beef and the gravy taste richer.
• Add everything to the slow cooker: Put 1 Onion (sliced), 3 Garlic cloves (crushed), 120 ml of Beef stock, 3 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce and 5 sprigs of Fresh thyme into the slow-cooker bowl.

  Sit the browned brisket on top, with the fat side facing upwards if it has an obvious fat cap.
• Slow cook: Cover and cook for approximately 8 hours on LOW or 6 hours on HIGH for the 2kg joint used here.

  LOW is my preference when there is time. Brisket benefits from the gentler, longer cooking, and it makes the timing of a Sunday lunch wonderfully relaxed.
• Check for tenderness: Don't rely on the clock alone. Push a fork or temperature probe into the thickest part of the meat. When the brisket is properly tender, it should slide in with very little resistance. If it is still firm or chewy, it usually needs more time, not less.
• Rest before slicing: Lift the brisket onto a board and loosely cover it. Rest for around 10-15 minutes while you finish the gravy. Remove the string, then slice the brisket against the grain for the most tender slices.

To make the gravy:

• Remove the fat: Skim off as much fat as possible from the surface of the cooking liquid.
• Transfer 250 ml of Brisket cooking liquid to a saucepan. You should have around 250-300ml (1-1¼ cups).

  If you want a smooth gravy, you can strain out the onion, or blend some of it into the gravy for extra thickness and flavour.
• Make the slurry: Put 1 tablespoon of Cornflour (corn starch) into a small bowl and mix with up to 3 tablespoons of Cold water to make a smooth slurry.
• Whisk in the slurry: Bring the cooking liquid to a gentle simmer. Gradually whisk in the cornflour mixture, adding only as much as you need to thicken the gravy.
• Simmer the gravy: Simmer until the gravy reaches your preferred consistency, then season if needed and pour into a gravy jug.