The Craft of curing, I’ve been amazed at how easy some of these processes are, especially since the results lend themselves to such stellar results!
Brining process for 6 days and put in a fridge.
After brining for 6 days- cooked it for 6 hours.
See that beautiful brining liquid…that is the secret there. Though I’ve always enjoyed corned beef; seasoning the brine yourself gives you some control over the magic and the outcome is nothing less than amazing compared to what you know.
Ingredients:
For the Pickling Spice2 tablespoons black peppercorns
2 tablespoons mustard seeds
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
3 tablespoons hot red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons allspice berries
1 tablespoon ground mace
2 small cinnamon sticks, crushed or broken into pieces
2 to 4 bay leaves, crumbled
2 tablespoons whole cloves
1 tablespoon ground ginger
For the Brine! 1 1/2 cups kosher salt
1/2 cup sugar
4 teaspoons pink salt
3 cloves garlic(minced)
4 tablespoons pickling spice
3kg beef brisket
For Cooking the Beef: 1 carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
1 large white onion, peeled and cut in two
2 celery stalk, roughly chopped
Instructions:
To Make the Pickling Spice Mixture:
1.Combine peppercorns, mustard seeds and coriander seeds in a small dry pan. Place over medium heat and stir until fragrant, being careful not to burn them; keep lid handy in case seeds pop.
2. Crack peppercorns and seeds in mortar and pestle or with the side of a knife on cutting board.
3. Combine with other spices, mix. Store in tightly sealed plastic or glass container.
This looks like a lot but really, it's not. You mix and grind the spices, add them to water with the brisket, keep it chilled for 5 days and then on the 5th day you cook the meat with a couple of vegetables and more spices. I actually think I spent almost as much time figuring out how to cut the meat...and did find it should be sliced on an angle to the grain so you don't end up with strings of the finished product.
To Make the Brisket:
4. In pot large enough to hold brisket, combine 1 gallon of water with kosher salt, sugar, sodium nitrite (if using), garlic and 2 tablespoons pickling spice (below). Bring to a simmer, stirring until salt and sugar are dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until chilled.
5. Place brisket in brine, weighted with a plate to keep it submerged; cover. Refrigerate for 5 days.
6. Remove brisket from brine and rinse thoroughly. Place in a pot just large enough to hold it. Cover with water and add remaining pickling spice, carrot, onion and celery. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer gently until brisket is tender, about 6 hours, adding water if needed to cover brisket.
7. Keep warm until ready to serve. Meat can be refrigerated for several days in cooking liquid. Reheat in the liquid or serve chilled. Slice thinly against the grain and serve on a sandwich or with additional vegetables simmered until tender in the cooking liquid.
Comments