Name: Homemade Corned Beef for St. Patrick's Day
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 3 hours
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients: 2 quarts water; ½ cup brown sugar, packed; 3 Tbsp. Pickling Spice Mix; 2 lbs. ice; 1 (5 lb.) beef brisket, trimmed; 1 small onion, quartered; 1 large carrot, coarsely chopped; 1 stalk celery, coarsely chopped

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Homemade Corned Beef for St. Patrick's Day

Recipe by Savory Spice Test Kitchen

All-Purpose Cooking

Healthy Cooking

Making homemade corned beef is easier than you might think! It just takes time to cure and the right blend of pickling spices. This classic corned beef recipe starts with brisket cured in a flavorful brine, then slowly cooked until tender. Perfect for St. Patrick’s Day celebrations or get-togethers. Serve your homemade corned beef with cabbage, potatoes, or roasted vegetables for a traditional spring meal.

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Serves 6 to 8 servings

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cooking Time 3 hours

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Homemade Corned Beef for St. Patrick's Day

Ingredients

2 quarts water

1 cup Mayan Sea Salt

½ cup brown sugar, packed 3 Tbsp. Pickling Spice Mix

2 Tbsp. Coriander Seeds

1 tsp. Curing Salt*

2 lbs. ice 1 (5 lb.) beef brisket, trimmed 1 small onion, quartered 1 large carrot, coarsely chopped 1 stalk celery, coarsely chopped

Directions

Step 1 Prepare brine

Step 2 In a large pot, combine water, Mayan Sea Salt, brown sugar, pickling spices, Coriander Seeds, and Curing Salt. Simmer over high heat until salt and sugar dissolve. Remove from heat, add ice, and stir until ice melts. If necessary, chill brine until it reaches a temperature of 45 degrees.

Step 3 Brine brisket

Step 4 Once brine has cooled, place brisket in a 2-gallon zip-top bag and add brine. Seal and lay flat inside a container. Cover and place in the refrigerator for 5-7 days. Check daily to make sure the beef is completely submerged and stir the brine. After 5-7 days, remove brisket from brine and rinse well under cool water.

Step 5 Finish corned beef

Step 6 Place brisket in a pot just large enough to hold the meat. Add onion, carrot, and celery and cover with water by 1 inch. Set over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and gently simmer for 2 ½ to 3 hours, or until the meat is fork-tender. Remove from pot and slice thinly across the grain.

Recipe Notes

*Many recipes will call for saltpeter instead of curing salt. Saltpeter is Potassium Nitrate, which is hard to find these days. You can use our curing salt (Sodium Nitrite) instead; just use a level tsp. per 5 lbs. of meat. This will be significantly less than if you were to use saltpeter. Remember to NEVER taste curing salt straight!