Best Brine For Corned Beef Food

HOMEMADE CORNED BEEF BRINE

Steps:

• To save time you can use store-bought pickling spices or you can make your own based on the ingredients above.
• Add the allspice berries, mustard seeds, coriander seeds, red pepper flakes, red and black peppercorns, cloves, and cardamom pods to a small frying pan over medium-low heat and toast until fragrant. This will take a minute or two, stir and keep an eye on the spices as they can easily burn.
• Remove from heat and place in a small bowl. Use a mortar and pestle to crush them. Add the crushed bay leaves and ground ginger and stir to combine.
• Add a gallon of water to a large pot and add 4 tablespoons of the pickling spices (saving the remaining ones for later), add the cinnamon stick, Kosher salt, and brown sugar. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Then refrigerate until well chilled.
• Once chilled, place the beef brisket in a large, flat container or pan, and cover with the brine. Make sure the brine covers the meat. If the meat floats, weigh it down with a plate.
• Refrigerate for 5-7 days and every day flip the brisket over so that all sides get brined equally.
• Remove the brisket from the brine and rinse it with cold water.
• Place the brisket in a large pot and cover with at least one inch of water.
• Add the remaining pickling spices and bring to a boil, reduce to a very low simmer, and cook for 3-4 hours, until the corned beef is fork-tender.
• Once done, place the meat on a cutting board. Cut across the grain to serve.
• Add some veggies into the spiced cooking liquid, like cabbage and carrots, and cook them to serve with the corned beef.

CORNED BEEF BRISKET - FROM SCRATCH

Steps:

• Combine all of the brine ingredients and bring to a boil, then cool.
• In a huge plastic roasting bag (do NOT use a garbage bag), place the beef brisket, the cooled brine, and the 4 garlic cloves.
• Make sure that all of the meat is covered by the brine (cutting the brisket in pieces if you need to), tie off tightly, place in a pot large enough to hold it all, and refrigerate for 6 to 7 days, turning occasionally.
• After the 6 to 7 days, remove brisket from the brine and discard the brine.
• Rinse the meat thoroughly, then place in a Dutch oven or other large pot and add enough water to come up 2/3 to 3/4 of the way up the side of the meat.
• Add the rest of the Simmering Liquid ingredients (peppercorns, mustard seeds, allspice, cloves and garlic), bring to a boil and skim off any foam.
• Reduce heat to a low simmer and cook, covered, for at least 3 hours, but 4 hours doesn't hurt anything. Meat will be SO tender and delicious!

CORNED BEEF

Steps:

• Place the water into a large 6 to 8 quart stockpot along with salt, sugar, saltpeter, cinnamon stick, mustard seeds, peppercorns, cloves, allspice, juniper berries, bay leaves and ginger. Cook over high heat until the salt and sugar have dissolved. Remove from the heat and add the ice. Stir until the ice has melted. If necessary, place the brine into the refrigerator until it reaches a temperature of 45 degrees F. Once it has cooled, place the brisket in a 2-gallon zip top bag and add the brine. Seal and lay flat inside a container, cover and place in the refrigerator for 10 days. Check daily to make sure the beef is completely submerged and stir the brine.
• After 10 days, remove from the brine and rinse well under cool water. Place the brisket into a pot just large enough to hold the meat, add the onion, carrot and celery and cover with water by 1-inch. Set over high heat 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 thinly slice across the grain.

HOMEMADE CORNED BEEF BRINE

Steps:

• Combine the water, pink salt, sugar, garlic and salt in a large pot.
• Take half of the brining seasonings and add them to the pot. Set the other half aside to use for cooking at a later date.
• Bring the water to a simmer, stirring until the sugar and salts have dissolved. Remove the pot from the heat and allow to come to fully come to room temperature. Refrigerate the brine for an hour or two until it's completely chilled
• Place the brisket in the brine. Refrigerate the brisket in the brine for 4 days.
• Remove the brisket from the brine and rinse with cold water.
• To cook on the stovetop, place the brisket in a large pot, and fill with water to cover the brisket. Add the other half of brining spices we saved, as well as about 4 teaspoons of kosher salt.
• Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cover, allowing to gently simmer for about 3 hours.
• Replenish water if needed, as there should always be enough water to cover the brisket. The brisket will be fork tender when done.
• Remove from the water and slice against the grain. Make sure to reserve some of the cooking liquid for braising the cabbage and to just moisten the meat and other veggies as needed.
• Serve with whole grain mustard and horseradish

BRINE FOR CORNED BEEF AND PASTRAMI

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Bring the water to a boil in a large, stainless-steel or other nonreactive stockpot .
• Remove from heat and add the salt, sugar, and Prague powder. Stir until the ingredients are completely dissolved. Allow it to cool to room temperature.
• Stir in the garlic, pickling spices, and bay leaves. The brine is now ready for use.
• Transfer it to a stainless steel or plastic container with a tight-fitting lid (plastic wrap also will work) large enough to accommodate up to 5 pounds of meat and 1 gallon of brine.
• Submerge the meat in the brine, cover tightly, place a weight on top to keep the meat under the brine, and refrigerate for up to five days (turning once a day if you like but this isn't necessary).
• Remove the meat from the brine, pat it dry with paper towels, and let it come to room temperature.
• Using your favorite recipe, roast the corned beef or smoke it to make pastrami .
• Enjoy!

HOMEMADE CORNED BEEF - DRY BRINE

Steps:

• Rub seasonings all over meat. Place in a large plastic bag, pressing as much air out of the bag as you can; seal. You will see red juice exude inside the bag which lets you know the cure has begun.
• Set bag in a pan or bowl. Weight with a second pan or bowl for the first 2 days. Once or twice a day, massage meat and turn.
• The cure is done in about 2 weeks. It will keep in its present state for several months. It just needs to be turned every few days.
• Before cooking, the meat needs to be de-salted. Twenty-four hours before cooking wash the cure off the beef and soak the meat in a large bowl of cold water in the refrigerator. Change the water 2 or 3 times in the 24 hour period.
• Please note that once the meat has been de-salted it is just as perishable as fresh beef.

CORNED BEEF

Steps:

• Place the water in a large 6- to 8-quart stockpot along with the salt, sugar, pink salt, cinnamon stick, mustard seeds, peppercorns, cloves, allspice, juniper berries, bay leaves, and ginger. Cook over high heat until the salt and sugar have dissolved.
• Remove from the heat and add the ice, stirring until the ice has melted. If necessary, place the brine into the refrigerator until it reaches a temperature of 45°F. Once it has cooled, place the brisket in a 2-gallon zip-top bag and add the brine. Seal and lay flat inside a leak-proof container, cover, and refrigerate for 5 days. Check daily to make sure the beef is completely submerged and stir the brine. I like to flip the bag and give the brine a quick massage every day, but that's just me...
• After 5 to 10 days, remove from the brine and rinse well under cool water.
• For slow cooker: Place the brisket into a large slow cooker, add the onion, carrot, and celery, and cover with 1 inch of water, about 2 quarts. Cover and cook on high for 8 hours.
• For stovetop: Place the brisket into a large pot, add the onion, carrot, and celery, and cover with 1 inch of water, about 2 quarts. Set over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce 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 thinly slice across the grain. Serve on toasted rye bread or in corned beef and cabbage. Store any uncut leftovers in the cooking liquid.

QUICK-BRINED CORNED BEEF AND VEGETABLES

Steps:

• In a large pot, bring 2 quarts water to a boil. Add kosher salt, pink curing salt, sugar, and spices; remove from heat and stir until both salts and sugar have dissolved. Let cool completely. Place brisket in a nonreactive container just large enough to hold it; pour cooled brine over meat. Place 2 small plates on top to keep meat submerged; cover and refrigerate 5 days.
• Remove brisket; discard brine. Rinse brisket and place in a large pot. Add enough water to cover by 2 inches. Add halved onion, celery, and halved carrot; bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until very tender, 3 to 3 1/2 hours.
• Meanwhile, set a steamer in a large saucepan. Add enough water to reach the bottom of steamer and bring to a boil. Add turnips, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and steam until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Repeat with small carrots and parsnips (together), steaming until tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to bowl.
• Transfer beef to a cutting board. Tent with foil to keep warm. Strain broth through a fine-mesh sieve. Return all but 4 cups broth to pot; bring to a boil. Add cabbage, quartered onions, and parsley sprigs; simmer until very tender, about 35 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in another pot, combine reserved 4 cups broth and potatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 25 minutes. Strain (reserving broth), then toss potatoes with butter and chopped parsley; cover to keep warm. Add turnips, carrots, and parsnips to pot with cabbage mixture; cook until warmed through, about 10 minutes.
• Remove and discard parsley sprigs; transfer vegetables to a platter with potatoes, reserving broth. Trim excess fat from beef. Slice thinly against grain, and transfer to platter. Serve with reserved broth and horseradish sauces.

CORNED BEEF

Steps:

• Place the water into a large 6 to 8 quart stockpot along with salt, sugar, saltpeter, cinnamon stick, mustard seeds, peppercorns, cloves, allspice, juniper berries, bay leaves and ginger. Cook over high heat until the salt and sugar have dissolved. Remove from the heat and add the ice. Stir until the ice has melted. If necessary, place the brine into the refrigerator until it reaches a temperature of 45ºF. Once it has cooled, place the brisket in a 2-gallon zip top bag and add the brine. Seal and lay flat inside a container, cover and place in the refrigerator for 10 days. Check daily to make sure the beef is completely submerged and stir the brine.
• After 10 days, remove from the brine and rinse well under cool water. Place the brisket into a pot just large enough to hold the meat, add the onion, carrot and celery and cover with water by 1-inch. Set over high heat 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 thinly slice across the grain.