BBQ Pulled Beef Brisket with Pickled Slaw

Ingredients

• 1.5 kg beef brisket
• 200 ml beef stock
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• salt and black pepper
• 2 tbsp smoked paprika
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 150 ml BBQ sauce, plus extra to serve
• 0.25 red cabbage, finely shredded
• 2 carrots, coarsely grated
• 4 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• 6 brioche buns, to serve
• Skin-on fries, to serve
• Dill pickles, to serve
• Corn on the cob, to serve

Method

1. Mix the smoked paprika, cumin, garlic powder, brown sugar, cayenne, 1 tsp salt and plenty of black pepper in a bowl — bloom-by-roast, this rub will toast on the brisket and turn from dusty to fragrant in the oven. Rub all over the brisket, pressing it into every surface so it grips. Season generously — brisket is a thick lump of meat and under-seasoning shows. Leave for at least 30 minutes at room temperature, or overnight in the fridge for a deeper crust.
2. Heat the oven to 150°C fan. Sit the brisket fat-side up in a tight-fitting roasting tin and pour the beef stock around the base — not over the top, so the rub stays put and the stock underneath keeps the meat from drying while the spices on top toast and bloom into themselves. Cover tightly with a double layer of foil, sealing the edges so no steam escapes.
3. Roast for 3.5–4 hours, until a fork slides in with no resistance and the meat pulls apart at a nudge — that's your doneness tell, not the clock. Pull the foil off for the final 30 minutes to let the top darken into a deep, sticky, mahogany crust.
4. Meanwhile, make the slaw. Toss the shredded red cabbage and grated carrot with the cider vinegar, caster sugar and a pinch of salt — the vinegar does the work here, softening the cabbage and turning the carrot vivid pink. Leave for at least 30 minutes, tossing every now and then, until the cabbage turns electric pink and just slumps when you squeeze a strand.
5. Lift the brisket onto a board and rest for 10 minutes — this is non-negotiable, the juices need to settle back into the meat or they'll run out onto the board. Pour the cooking juices into a jug and skim off the worst of the fat. Shred the meat with two forks along the grain, discarding any thick lumps of fat, then tip it back into the tin with the juices and 150 ml BBQ sauce. Toss until every strand is glossy and dripping. Taste, season, taste again — the BBQ sauce carries sweetness and salt, but a final pinch ties it all together. Adjust now, not at the table.
6. Split and toast the brioche buns cut-side down until golden and crisp at the edges — a soft bun under wet beef collapses, a toasted one holds. Drain the slaw of its sharp pickling liquor (keep a spoonful back if you like a wetter slaw). Pile each bun high with pulled beef, crown with a generous tangle of pink slaw, and finish with an extra slick of BBQ sauce. Lid on, pickles and corn cobs alongside, fries heaped on the board, and an extra puddle of BBQ sauce for dunking.