Corned Beef Recipe
Corned Beef
Submitted By: Taz
Ingredients:
4 - 5 lbs 'First Cut' (AKA Flat) Beef Brisket - trimmed
4 lbs Ice
2 Quarts Water
1 Cup Kosher Salt
½ Cup Brown Sugar
12-15 Juniper Berries
10-12 Cloves
10-12 Allspice Berries
2 Bay Leaves - broken up
1 Ceylon Cinnamon Stick - broken up
1 tsp Coriander Seeds
1 tsp Yellow Mustard Seeds
1 tsp Black Peppercorns
½ tsp (Heaping) Ginger Powder
-OPTIONAL-
2 Tbs Saltpeter (AKA Potassium Nitrate) -OR- Pink Curing Salt (AKA Sodium Nitrate)*
Preparation:
- Place everything (minus brisket and ice) in a large pot and bring to a boil over high heat making sure that all of the salt and sugar have dissolved
- Remove from heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes
- Add ice to liquid and allow to cool to around 50ºF (place in fridge to speed cooling if needed)
- Place Brisket in a 2 gallon zip-top bag and pour the cooled liquid over the top
- Squeeze out as much air as possible and seal the bag
- Place in a high sided baking pan (just in case) and place in the refrigerator for 10-15 days - Flip brisket once a day until time is up
- After 10-15 days, remove brisket from liquid and rinse well - At this point you have corned beef ready to be cooked any way you desire
SIMPLE CORNED BEEF ('Just the beef')
- Place your corned beef in a 4-6 quart soup pot (use the smallest pot possible that will barely fit everything with just a little extra room) and add: 4 Small Yukon Gold Potatoes (halved), 1 Small Onion (quartered), 1 Large Carrot (chopped), and 2 Large Celery Stalks (chopped)
- Cover with 1 inch of water - Bring to a boil over high heat
- Reduce heat to low and cover - Allow to cook until fork tender (2 ½ - 3 hours)
- Serve hot with boiled vegetables, mash, or any sides you wish -OR- cool and slice thin for sandwiches
*
Potassium Nitrate and Sodium Nitrate are used to keep cured and cooked meats Pink or Red rather than the
normal 'grey' that cooked meats typically have - Not using either in the recipe will NOT alter the flavor only the
color of the final dish
