Smoked Brisket Guinness Casserole

10 minutes prep, 10 minutes spent outside

3 hours on the BBQ, 3-4 hours in the oven

1. Unroll the brisket and season liberally with salt and black pepper in a 50-50 mix, using a tablespoon of each per kilo of meat.
2. Light your BBQ and using a snake method with lumpwood charcoal, bring the temperature up to 150-160°C. With my Weber, this means having the lid thermometer read roughly 190-200°C, but you can use a pit probe if you like. Add some wood chunks and wait until the first one is burning cleanly before you add the meat.
3. Add the brisket to the grill and head inside, most of the outside work is done! Keep an eye on your BBQ temperature, and pop outside if needed to make small vent adjustments to increase or decrease temperature.
4. After 2.5 hours of smoking your brisket, prepare your braise. Gently sweat chopped onions and garlic in some rapeseed oil for 30-40 minutes, before adding beef stock, Guinness and a tied bouquet garni using your fresh herbs.
5. When your brisket's had 3 hours of consistent smoke, bring it inside and add it to your braise - you can cut it into smaller pieces to fit your casserole dish if needed.
6. Place the casserole in your oven at 150-175°C until the internal temperature is above 96°C. Pull the brisket out of the braise and place it in a dish covered in foil.
7. Remove your bouquet garni from the braising liquid and place on the hob on low heat for 30 minutes to reduce, adding your carrots halfway through.
8. Get your sides prepped.
9. Shred your brisket and add it back into the reduced sauce for 5 minutes, to make sure it's hot through.
10. Serve up and enjoy!