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CORNED BEEF 3 WAYS
4 quarts water
1 cup salt
1 teaspoon saltpeter (potassium nitrate)
2 beef briskets, about 4 pounds each (bottom rounds for leaner meat)
12 garlic cloves
3 tablespoons pickling spices
8 bay leaves
Boil water, add salt and saltpeter, stir to dissolve and set aside to cool. Place meat in a large crock, zipper-style plastic bag or other non-metallic container. Pour salt water over meat and add garlic, pickling spices and bay leaves. Meat should be submerged, use a weighted jar to hold meat under pickling solution. Refrigerate or set in a cool place for 3 weeks. Drain and remove bay leaves before cooking.
Alternate:
1 thin (or front) cut of brisket, weighing about 4-5 lb
Kosher salt as needed
1 egg in its shell (to test brine)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
Water as needed
Use a ceramic, glass or enameled dish large enough to hold both the beef
and the brine to cover it by 2 inches. Be sure the container will fit in
your refrigerator. To determine the brine quantity needed, enclose the beef in a plastic bag, put in the container and run cold water into the container to cover the bag by 2-3 inches. Remove the meat. Stir coarse salt into the water, letting each addition dissolve before adding more, until an egg will float in the solution (about 1.5 cups). Remove the egg. Stir in brown sugar. Pour brine into a pot and simmer for 15 minutes, then let cool completely, and pour it back into the container. Lower the meat into the brine and weigh it down with a heavy plate . If
necessary, add more weight to hold the meat under the brine (non-metal
objects only please). Set the container in the refrigerator and let the
beef cure for at least 2 weeks, turning every day or two. Do not cure
for over 1 month.
To cook, rinse the corned beef and place in roomy pot. Add water to
cover by 2 inches. Cook the meat at a low simmer, partly covered, until
very tender, about 3-5 hours. Turn occasionally and add more boiling
water as needed. Let the beef cool partially in broth. Serve it warm;
or cool, drain and refrigerate it, wrapped. Serves at least 6
Spiced Corned Beef -Deli Style
a 4-5 lb piece of corned beef (see above)
8 bay leaves, coarsely crumbled
5 large cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon of mustard seeds, bruised
2 teaspoons cracked black pepper corns
1 tablespoon kosher salt
3 dried hot red peppers, seeds removed
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
Tear off a piece of heavy duty aluminum foil large enough to wrap the
corned beef completely and lay the meat on it. Combine the remaining
ingredients in a bowl. Rub the seasonings hard into the corned beef, covering all surfaces. Wrap the meat closely and enclose the package in a plastic bag. Refrigerate meat for 3-5 days, turning it daily.
To cook: Leave the coat of seasonings on the meat. Place beef in a
large pot and cook as for corned beef above.
Pickling Spices are a blend used in mixtures to PICKLE various foods, as well as to season certain dishes. The blend can differ greatly according to the manufacturer, and the ingredients (usually whole or in coarse pieces) can include allspice, bay leaves, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, ginger, mustard seeds and peppercorns. Prepackaged pickling spice mixes are sold in markets.
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