Corned Beef Corn Your Own Food

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.

CORNED BEEF (CORN YOUR OWN)

Steps:

• Trim all but ¼ inch of fat from meat.
• Wash and pat dry.
• Rub with ¼ cup salt.
• In large saucepan, heat water, salt and sugar and stir to dissolve.
• Place beef in large glass bowl and pour salted water over.
• Add 2 bay leaves, 8 peppercorns, 2 tsps pickling spice and 2 garlic cloves.
• Place weighted plate over so meat is completely immersed.
• Refrigerate 48-60 hours.
• Remove meat and rinse thoroughly.
• Place in large saucepan and cover with boiling water.
• Add remaining bay leaves, peppercorns, pickling spice and garlic.
• Cover and simmer for 4 hours, or until meat is tender.
• Serve hot with boiled potatoes and cabbage or cool the brisket and slice thinly to serve with rye bread and mustard.

HOME CURED CORNED BEEF

Steps:

• Mix the first 8 ingredients together in a high walled bowl & crush with the back of a spoon.
• In a large pot, combine the 1/2 stick of cinnamon, the brine ingredients and 3TBLS of the spice mix. (Reserve the remaining spice mix for cooking the beef after corning.) Bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Cool to room temperature.
• "Crock Method": Place the brisket in a large, flat container or pan, and cover with the brine. The brine should cover the meat. If the meat floats, weigh it down with a plate. . Place in the refrigerator and chill from 5-7 days. Every day flip the brisket over, so that all sides get brined.
• "Zipper Bag Method": Place the brisket in a 2 gal. freezer bag with about 2 quarts of brine, squeezing all the air from the bag before sealing it. Place the bag in the refrigerator as above. It is a good idea to place the bag in a container in case it leaks.
• At the end of the cure, remove the brisket from the brine and rinse it with cold water. The meat can now be cooked by slow simmering or baking. To simmer, place the brisket in a large pot and cover with at least one inch of water. Add a tablespoon of the pickling spices to the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce to a very low simmer (barely bubbling), and cook 3-4 hours, until the corned beef is fork tender.

HOMEMADE CORNED BEEF

Steps:

• In a large stockpot, combine water, kosher salt, brown sugar, 2 tablespoons pickling spices, pink curing salt and garlic. Bring to a simmer, stirring until salt and sugar are dissolved. Remove from heat; cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until chilled., Place 1 large oven roasting bag inside another. Place brisket inside inner bag; pour in cooled brine. Seal bags, pressing out as much air as possible; turn to coat meat. Refrigerate 10 days, turning occasionally to keep meat coated. Remove brisket from brine; rinse thoroughly. Place in a Dutch oven with water to cover. Add carrots, onions, celery and remaining pickling spices. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, adding water if necessary to keep brisket covered, until meat is tender, about 3 hours., Serve warm or cool. Slice brisket thinly and serve in a sandwich or with additional vegetables simmered until tender in cooking liquid. , To make ahead: Refrigerate meat in cooking liquid for several days; reheat in liquid.

HOMEMADE CORNED BEEF

Steps:

• Brine the brisket: In a medium pot set over high heat, combine about a gallon of water, the salt, the sugar, the garlic, 3 tablespoons pickling spices and the pink curing salt. Stir mixture as it heats until sugar and salt are dissolved, about 1 minute. Transfer liquid to a container large enough for the brine and the brisket, then refrigerate until liquid is cool.
• Place brisket in the cooled liquid and weigh the meat down with a plate so it is submerged. Cover container and place in the refrigerator for 5 days, or up to 7 days, turning every day or so.
• To cook brisket, remove it from the brine and rinse under cool water. Place in a pot just large enough to hold it and cover with one of the beers and one of the ginger beers. If you need more liquid to cover the meat, add enough of the other beer, and the other ginger beer, to do so. Add remaining 2 tablespoons pickling spices. Bring to a boil over high heat, then turn heat to low so liquid is barely simmering. Cover and let cook until you can easily insert a fork into the meat, about 3 hours, adding water along the way if needed to cover the brisket.
• Keep warm until serving, or let cool in the liquid and reheat when ready to eat, up to three or four days. Slice thinly and serve on sandwiches, in Irish tacos (see recipe) or with carrots and cabbage simmered until tender 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.

HOMEMADE CORNED BEEF WITH VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Make the brine: Bring water to a boil in a large pot. Add salts, sugar, and spices; remove from heat, and stir until salts and sugar dissolve. Let cool.
• Make the corned beef: 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 for 2 weeks.
• Rinse brisket; discard brine. Place in a large pot. Add enough water to cover by 2 inches. Add onion, celery, and halved carrot, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until very tender, 3 to 3 1/2 hours.
• Set a steamer in a large saucepan. Add enough water to reach the bottom, and bring to a boil. Add turnips. Reduce heat, cover, and steam until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Repeat with baby carrots, steaming 10 to 12 minutes. Add to turnips.
• Transfer corned beef to a cutting board. Tent with foil, and let rest for 30 minutes. Discard remaining solids from broth, then bring to a boil. Add cabbage and potatoes, and simmer until tender, about 25 minutes. Add turnips and carrots, and cook until warmed through. Transfer vegetables to a platter; reserve broth.
• Trim excess fat from beef. Slice thinly against grain, and transfer to platter. Serve with broth and mustard.