Ultimate Corned Beef Recipes

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 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.

ULTIMATE CORNED BEEF

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300°F.
• Line a roasting pan with a double layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil, enough to wrap the meat tightly.
• Rinse the corned beef and pat it dry. Place it on the foil. Arrange the onion and orange slices over and around the meat. Sprinkle on the pickling spices, lay on the celery stalks, and pour on the water. Wrap very tightly and pinch the edges well to seal.
• Bake the corned beef for 4 hours, or until a few bubbles begin to escape.

THE ULTIMATE CORNED BEEF & CABBAGE

Steps:

• Place the corned beef in a large dutch oven, along with the contents of the spice packet included in the corned beef, brown sugar, bay leaves, onion, and garlic. Fill with enough cold water to cover the beef. Bring to a boil over high heat, lower the flame, cover and simmer for 2 hours or until the beef is tender.
• Use a slotted spoon to remove and discard the onions and garlic (they've done their job and have given all their flavor already).
• Peel the potatoes, I use red potatoes and peel only the center because I like the look of it, but feel free to peel all of it or don't peel at all. Cut the carrots into large chunks. Place the potatoes and carrots into the pot with the brisket. Return to a boil over high heat and then reduce heat and simmer until fork tender, about 30 to 40 minutes. It depends on how big your potatoes are.
• Transfer the potatoes and carrots to a platter and keep warm. Add in the sliced cabbage, I like to keep the core in the cabbage so that the sliced wedges stay in tact, making it easier to move later. Bring back up to a boil over high heat. Lower the flame and simmer for 15 minutes until the cabbage is tender as well.
• Transfer the cabbage to the platter along with the potatoes and carrots and move the brisket to a cutting board. Cover loosely with foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes before thinly slicing against the grain. Arrange the sliced beef along with the vegetables on the platter. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with grainy mustard and horseradish sauce (recipe follows).
• To make the sauce, set a medium saucepan over moderate heat with the butter. Once melted, whisk in the flour and cook for about 30 seconds or so. Slowly whisk in 1 cup of the liquid that the beef cooked inches Cook, stirring often, until thickened, about 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in the sugar, vinegar, horseradish, salt and pepper.