Labskaus with beef brisket

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 400 g boneless beef brisket
• 150 g celeriac
• 150 g carrot(s)
• 100 g leek
• 150 g shallot(s)
• 400 g potatoes
• 1 liter of homemade vegetable broth
• 1 large onion(s)
• 2 tbsp, leveled smoked salt
• 1 tsp, leveled peppercorns, coarsely crushed
• 10 juniper berries, crushed
• 5 allspice berries, roughly crushed
• 2 bay leaves, dried, shredded
• 6 m.-sized eggs
• 6 matjes herring
• some clarified butter
• 100 g beetroot (see link in the instructions for preparation)

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Cooking/baking time approx. 2 hours 30 minutes; Total time approx. 3 hours 30 minutes

a true classic in Northern Germany, Scandinavia and English regions, cooked in smoked salt broth

The weight of the ingredients refers to the already cleaned and prepared ingredients. Thoroughly wash and trim the potatoes, vegetables, and shallots, cut them into large cubes, and set them aside. Store the potato pieces covered with water. Make a broth from the clean shallot, vegetable, and potato peels in unsalted water. Strain the broth and let it cool. Discard the cooked ingredients. Layer the prepared cubes, except for the potatoes, in a pot. Place the washed meat on the bed of vegetables and fill with the cold, homemade broth. The meat should be covered. Now add the prepared spices, including the smoked salt, and bring everything to a boil. Once boiling point is reached, reduce the heat to low and continue cooking at a gentle simmer. This will make the breast meat buttery soft, and it can then be mashed with a kitchen fork. It will be cooked to perfection after about 2.5 hours. Cook the potatoes in a small pot in a little reserved vegetable-meat broth. During this time, lightly caramelize the finely diced onion in a little clarified butter. These will be mixed with the Labskaus in the final step. Now cut the cooked meat into small cubes and mash them with a fork. Also mash the drained potatoes, the cooked carrots, and the freshly prepared, drained, hot beetroot*. Mix these four ingredients together, adding a few tablespoons of broth if desired. Serve the finished Labskaus hot with the freshly fried eggs and the herring fillets. The remaining broth can be preserved and used for other dishes. Instructions for preparing the beetroot can be found here: http://www.chefkoch.de/rezepte/3565401534782674/Rote-Bete-Zubereitung.html