Homemade Corned Beef
How to make homemade corned beef ~ easy instructions for Irish cured beef brisket perfect for corned beef and cabbage, and Reuben sandwiches!
Servings: 10
Equipment
- large container with a lid for curing
- large oven safe pot with a lid for braising
Ingredients
pickling spice (you'll have extra leftover)
- 2 Tbsp black peppercorns
- 2 Tbsp mustard seeds
- 2 Tbsp coriander seeds
- 2 Tbsp hot red pepper flakes
- 2 Tbsp allspice berries
- 2 Tbsp whole cloves
- 1 Tbsp ground mace
- 1 Tbsp ground ginger
- 4 bay leaves, crumbled
- 2 small cinnamon sticks, broken into pieces
curing brine
- 1 ½ cups kosher salt
- ½ cup sugar
- 4 tsp pink curing salt* , buy it here.
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 Tbsp pickling spice
braising pot
- 5 lb beef brisket
- 1 medium onion peeled and cut in two
- 1 carrot peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 celery stalk roughly chopped
- 2 Tbsp pickling spice
Instructions
make the pickling spice mixture
- Toast the black pepper, mustard seeds and coriander seeds in a dry pan for about 5 minutes until fragrant. Pulse a few times in a spice grinder to coarsely grind, or use the flat side of a knife to crack them.
- Mix all the spices together in a small bowl. Set aside.
make the brine
- In a non-reactive pot add 1 gallon of water, the kosher salt, sugar, curing salt, garlic, and 2 tablespoons of your pickling spice. Bring the pot up to a simmer, stirring until the salt and sugar are dissolved. Remove from the heat and let the brine cool to room temperature. Then refrigerate until it is completely cold. Note: I like to do this the night before, if I can.
curing the beef
- Add the brisket and the chilled brine to a container with a lid and make sure the meat is completely submerged, You can top it with a plate or other weight to submerge it, if necessary. Cover tightly and refrigerate for 5 days.
braising the beef
- Preheat the oven to 300F.
- Remove the brisket from the brine (discard the brine) and rinse well with cool water. Put the meat in a large oven safe pot that has a lid. Cover with water and add the onion, carrot, and celery along with 2 more tablespoons of the pickling mixture. Bring the pot to a boil.
- Remove from the heat, cover, and bake for 4 hours, or until tender.
- Remove the corned beef to a platter and let rest for 15 minutes. Strain the cooking liquid.
- Thinly slice the corned beef, against the grain, with a sharp carving knife. Serve with some of the cooking liquid on the side.
- Leftover corned beef can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.
Notes
Recipe from Michael Ruhlman
*the pink salt is optional but this is what gives corned beef that amazing deep red color.
Serving suggestions:
- Classic Corned Beef and Cabbage: Serve the corned beef with boiled cabbage, carrots, and potatoes, and a side of horseradish sauce.
- Reuben Sandwich: Layer sliced corned beef on rye bread with sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, and Thousand Island dressing, and grill until the cheese is melted.
- Corned Beef Hash: Dice leftover corned beef and mix it with diced potatoes, onions, and bell peppers. Fry in a skillet until crispy and serve with fried eggs.
- Corned Beef and Eggs: Slice corned beef and serve it with fried or scrambled eggs for a hearty breakfast or brunch.
- Corned Beef and Irish Soda Bread: Serve slices of corned beef with warm, freshly baked Irish soda bread and a dollop of mustard.
Nutrition
Calories: 358 kcal · Carbohydrates: 2 g · Protein: 47 g · Fat: 17 g · Saturated Fat: 6 g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g · Monounsaturated Fat: 8 g · Cholesterol: 141 mg · Sodium: 181 mg · Potassium: 773 mg · Fiber: 1 g · Vitamin A: 13 IU · Vitamin C: 1 mg · Calcium: 27 mg · Iron: 5 mg
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although The View from Great Island attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
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