Ultimate Slow Cooked Beef Brisket & Red Wine Cottage Pie

Preheat the oven to 220°C/ 200°C (fan)/ gas 7 and boil a kettle

Peel and finely dice your brown onion[s]

Top, tail and dice your carrot[s] finely

Peel and finely chop (or grate) your garlic

Heat a large, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick) with a drizzle of vegetable oil over a medium-high heat

Once hot, add the diced onion and carrot and cook for 5-6 min or until softening

Tip: Add a small splash of cold water if it starts to burn!

Meanwhile, transfer your slow cooked beef brisket to a clean board (reserve the juices!) and shred it apart, using 2 forks – this technique is known as 'pulling'

Grate your cheddar cheese finely

Once the veg has softened, add the chopped garlic and tomato paste and cook for 30 secs or until fragrant, then add the shredded beef with 1 tsp [1 1/2 tsp] [2 tsp] flour and cook for 2-3 min or until well coated

Add your red wine paste, beef stock mix, beef juices and 250ml [325ml] [425ml] boiled water, bring to the boil then transfer to an oven-proof dish (Tip: Use individual dishes for fancy presentation!)

Put the dish[es] in the oven, uncovered, for 15-20 min or until tender and the sauce has thickened, then remove from the oven and turn the grill to high

Whilst the beef is cooking, peel your potatoes and chop them into bite-sized pieces

Add the chopped potatoes to a pot with plenty of boiled water and bring to the boil over a high heat

Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium and cook for 12-15 min or until fork-tender then drain the potatoes and return to the pot to steam dry

Reboil half a kettle

Return the potatoes to a low heat with a knob of butter and a generous splash of milk

Season with a pinch of salt and pepper and mash until smooth, then add most of your crispy onions (save the rest for garnish!) and 1/3 of the grated cheese (you'll use the rest for topping!)

Give everything a good mix up – this is your crispy onion mash

Top your slow cooked beef & red wine with the crispy onion mash (reserve and rinse the pot) and the remaining grated cheese then put under the grill for 5-7 min or until lightly browned – this is your the ultimate slow cooked beef brisket & red wine cottage pie

Trim, then add your green beans to the reserved pot, cover them with boiled water (just enough to cover them)

Bring to the boil over a high heat and cook for 3-4 min or until tender then drain, add a knob of butter with a pinch of pepper and give everything a good mix up