FRESH RED CHILLI RECIPES

Steps:

• 1. Ask your butcher to trim and slice your brisket for you. If you’re doing it yourself, carefully trim the meat by discarding any fat or silver skin. Cut the meat against, rather than with, the grain into 2.5cm thick pieces.
  2. Make the coffee and, while it’s hot, soak the dried chillies in it for a few minutes to let them rehydrate.
  3. Meanwhile, peel and dice the onions and peel and finely slice the garlic.
  4. Heat a few lugs of oil in your largest casserole pan on a low heat, add the cumin, paprika, oregano, bay and onions. Fry for 10 minutes, until the onions have softened.
  5. Deseed and chop half the fresh chillies. Slice up the rehydrated chillies and add them to the onion mixture along with the chopped fresh chilli, the cinnamon sticks, sliced garlic, a good pinch of sea salt and black pepper and a splash of the chilli-infused coffee.
  6. Stir, then add the rest of the coffee, the tomatoes, breaking them up with the back of a spoon, and the molasses or sugar. Add the pieces of brisket and another good pinch of salt and pepper, cover with a lid and simmer for around 3 hours, stirring occasionally.
  7. After a few hours use 2 forks or a potato masher to break the meat up and pull it apart.
  8. Once you’ve done this, deseed, slice and add the peppers, then drain and add the beans. Leave to simmer with the lid off for 30 minutes, or until the meat is completely falling apart and delicious, stirring occasionally.
  9. Have a taste and season well – if you require a bit more heat (like I would), this is the time to deseed and chop the rest of the fresh chilli and stir it in.
  10. Dollop a big spoonful of soured cream over the chilli (if using), and serve straight from the pan, with fluffy rice, flatbreads or potatoes and a really nice fresh lemony green salad. Don’t forget multiple cold beers! Enjoy.

Steps:

• 1. Place the beef on a board and lightly score one side.
  2. Bash the cinnamon, cumin, paprika and oregano in pestle and mortar, then rub into the cuts in the beef. Season well with sea salt and black pepper, drizzle over a little oil and brown the brisket well in a large pan over a high heat.
  3. Place the bay leaves, whole peppers, plum tomatoes (breaking them up with the back of a spoon as you go), and the stock in a large pot and bring to the boil.
  4. Meanwhile, deseed half the chillies, then finely slice them all. Peel and finely slice the onions, then pick and finely chop the coriander.
  5. Add the chilli and onion to the pan with the brisket, cook for 5 minutes, then transfer the lot to the large pot, cover, and leave to simmer for 4 to 4½ hours, or until beautifully tender, stirring occasionally and adding splashes of water to loosen, if needed.
  6. Gently pull the beef apart using 2 forks. Remove the bay, add a little vinegar to taste, scatter over the coriander and adjust the seasoning to taste.
  7. For the guacamole, squeeze the avocado flesh into a bowl, discarding the skin and stones. Pick and roughly tear in the coriander leaves, peel and finely gate in the red onion, and squeeze in the lime juice.
  8. Have a taste, then tweak with more salt, pepper or lime juice, if needed. Roughly chop then scrunch in the tomatoes, picking out any large bits of skin.
  9. Deseed and finely grate in the chilli flesh and mix well. Serve with the chilli, tortillas and dollops of yoghurt. Delicious served with a fresh green salad on the side, too.