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Test Kitchen Approved

Corned Beef

Recipe By Savory Spice Test Kitchen

Yields

6 to 8 servings

Prep Time

10 Minutes

Cooking Time

3 Hours

Recipe By Savory Spice Test Kitchen

Making corned beef is super easy, it just takes some time in the fridge to cure. Start this corned beef recipe a couple of weeks before St. Patrick's Day and you'll have an authentic dish for one of America's favorite spring holidays.

Serving Suggestions

Serve with cabbage and potatoes or use in Reuben sandwiches.

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!

Ingredients

2 quarts water


1/2 cup brown sugar, packed




2 lbs. ice

1 (5 lb.) beef brisket, trimmed

1 small onion, quartered

1 large carrot, coarsely chopped

1 stalk celery, coarsely chopped

Savory Spice ingredients in this recipe

  • Mayan Sea Salt

    Mayan Sea Salt has a clean appearance and flavor but is also an interesting tie to the ancient Mayan way of life. This sea salt was harvested off t...

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  • Pickling Spice

    Our Pickling Spice blend includes classic pickling spice ingredients like peppercorns, mustard seeds, dill, coriander, chiles, and cracked bay leav...

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  • Coriander Seeds

    Coriander is the dried seed or fruit of the Coriandrum sativum plant, which belongs to the parsley family. Cilantro is the leaf of this same plant ...

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  • Curing Salt

    Commonly referred to in the industry as Prague Powder #1 or pink salt, our curing salt is a standard 6.25% sodium nitrite cure for beef, fish, poul...

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Directions

Step 1: Prepare brine

In a large pot, combine water, Mayan Sea Salt, brown sugar, Pickling Spice, 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 2: Brine brisket

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 10 days. Check daily to make sure the beef is completely submerged and stir the brine. After 10 days, remove brisket from brine and rinse well under cool water.

Step 3: Finish corned beef

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 1/2 to 3 hours, or until the meat is fork-tender. Remove from pot and slice thinly across the grain.