Now is the time to start corning your own brisket at home for St. Patrick’s Day on March 17th. Why? The process takes 1-2 weeks of brining – or “corning.” Better order your brisket today at dartagnan.com.
The reason to corn your own beef is flavor. You can achieve tastes that aren’t available in the mass-produced versions.
– Michael Ruhlman, Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking and Curing
Ingredients
- 1 Beef Brisket Flat, about 5lbs, trimmed if needed
- 2 quarts water
- 1 cup coarse or kosher salt
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 cinnamon sticks, each broken in half
- 1 1/2 teaspoons mustard seeds
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
- 10 whole cloves
- 10 whole allspice
- 10 juniper berries
- 4 large bay leaves, torn in pieces
- 1 piece fresh ginger, about 1″ square, chopped
- 2 cups mirepoix; 1 large onion, 1 large carrot, 1 large stalk celery; all coarsely chopped
Preparation
- Start preparation at least 1 week (up to 2 weeks) before you plan to serve the corned beef.
- Add water to a large pot over high heat. Add salt, sugar and all herbs and spices. Cook until the salt and sugar have fully dissolved.
- Carefully remove from heat. Allow to cool to room temperature then place in the refrigerator until brine has reached 45 degrees F.
- In a large pan (large enough to accommodate the entire brisket while fully submerged in brine but still fit in the refrigerator), place the brisket and brine. Cover tightly with plastic and place in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 weeks. Turn brisket daily, stir brine and check to make sure meat stays fully submerged.
- When ready to cook, remove the brisket from brine and rinse well under cool running water. Discard brine. Place the brisket into a pot just large enough to hold the meat, add mirepoix and cover with water.
- Set over high flame and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and gently simmer for 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until the meat is fork tender.
- Remove from the pot and allow the meat to rest on a cutting board. Then thinly slice across the grain.
Did you know? Corned beef has been eaten in Ireland since at least the 1600s. Under the name “salt beef” it was even exported from Cork to continental Europe, the West Indies, and Newfoundland. Back in Ireland, it was considered an epicurean dish to be eaten at Halloween, Christmas, St. Patrick’s Day, weddings and wakes. It was carried to the New World by the Irish immigrants of the 18th and 19th centuries.
Source: The Country Cooking of Ireland by Colman Andrews
Top photo credit: Larry Hoffman on Flickr.
Without pink salt the meat will be gray.