Homemade Salt Beef 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.

HOMEMADE SALT BEEF

Steps:

• At least 2 days - but ideally up to a week - before you would like to serve the salt beef, make a start on the brine. Place all the brine ingredients in a large pan on a medium heat. Pour in 2 litres of cold water and bring to boil, then reduce to a simmer for 5 minutes until the salt has dissolved. Set aside and allow to cool completely.
• Meanwhile, remove the sinew and thick layer of fat from the meat, leaving a little behind for bonus flavour. Pierce the meat with a small sharp knife or skewer all over on both sides and place in a non-metallic sealable container. Pour the cooled brine over the brisket, then seal and store in the fridge for 5 to 7 days, turning the brisket over each day.
• When the brining time is up, remove the brisket from the container and soak in cold water for 10 minutes.
• Rinse the brisket well, then place in a large saucepan and cover with fresh cold water, until the beef is submerged.
• Peel and quarter the onions, then add to the pan with the bay and peppercorns.
• Bring to the boil, then reduce to a low heat and simmer for 2½ hours to 3 hours, or until the brisket is tender.
• Meanwhile, mix all the mustard ingredients together in a small bowl and season with a good pinch of sea salt and black pepper. Loosen with a drop more vinegar, if it looks a little thick.
• Slice up the gherkins and place them in a small bowl. Dress them with a couple of tablespoons of their pickling liquor and pick over the dill fronds. Finely slice the chillies - deseed if you prefer - then add to the bowl and mix together.
• Carefully remove the brisket to a board and thinly slice off what you need. (You can keep the rest of the meat in the liquor to stop it drying out.)
• To serve, split your bagels and spread a dollop of mustard on the base. Load up the pickles and pile on slices of the tender salt beef. Top with the bagel lid and tuck in!

SIMPLE SALT BEEF

Steps:

• If you can, allow the pickled beef to come up to room temperature before you start by leaving it on the kitchen counter for an hour. It will speed up the cooking time. Put the beef in a large pan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil, skimming away any foamy scum that rises to the surface. Once the foam has been mostly removed, add all the other ingredients. Adding them now means they don't get in the way of the skimming.
• Reduce the heat, cover and simmer gently for 2 hrs 30 mins-3 hrs 30 mins or until a fork pushed into the meat slides in easily - it should be really soft. Start checking after 2 hours - there should be no resistance when you pull the fork out of the meat. You could also use a skewer to do the testing - make sure to push it into the thickest part of the meat.
• Once the beef is tender, turn off the heat. Either leave it sitting in the cooking liquor if you're not ready to eat (it can sit like this for up to an hour), or use two forks to lift the meat out, allow the water to drain off, then put it on a board. Keep the liquor if you plan to reheat or freeze the salt beef. Cover loosely with foil and allow to rest for 10-15 mins. To serve, slice thickly against the grain of the meat or it will crumble. Serve hot or cold.Leftovers will keep in the fridge for three days and in the freezer for up to six weeks. Before freezing, it's best to slice it and wrap first in baking parchment, then foil. Make sure you also freeze the pot of cooking liquor. When you want to eat it, defrost and then put it (with slices arranged back into a whole brisket shape) in an ovenproof dish with the thawed liquor. Cover with foil and reheat at 180C/160C fan/gas 4 for 20 mins.