The Secret is in the Swim
Our Corned Beef Brine Recipe
Justin is a huge fan of corned beef. The kids and I like it too, but it's one of those things that I've adapted my own recipe over time to get the finish we all enjoy. I brine chuck roasts because they're my favorite, but any roast or brisket will work.
Here's our brine:
1 gallon of water
2c. kosher salt
1/2c. sugar
2t. pink salt (see below)***
3 garlic cloves, minced
3T. pickling spice (purchased, or DIY recipe below)
4-5lb roast or brisket - with plenty of fat cap cover
Heat the water in a pot long enough to dissolve the salt and sugar. Add the rest of the ingredients and place roast in the brine in a non-metallic container and hold it under with weights or a plate. Keep in your garage fridge for at least 3 days up to 5 days turning twice. Remove the roast from the brine, rinse with cool water.
To cook the roast/brisket add enough water to the pot to submerge, roast and 2 more tablespoons of pickling spice, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 3 hours or until fork tender. Add water if too much evaporates.
Use for corned beef hash, with reubens right away, or wrap it an place it in the fridge for a few more days and slice for sandwiches! Our new favorite variation is a REUBEN PIZZA, hello! It's a crust, thousand island dressing, pressed sauerkraut, plenty of corned beef chopped thin and a layer of mozzarella crisped up on a hot grill.
DIY Pickling Spice:
2T black peppercorns
2T mustard seeds
2T coriander seeds
2T crushed red pepper
2T allspice berries
1T ground mace
2 med cinnamon sticks, broken in small pieces
3 bay leaves, crushed
2T whole cloves
1T fresh ground ginger root
***A note about pink salt*** It's a curing salt containing nitrite, it changes the flavor and preserves the color. It's not Himalayan pink salt. Use tinted cure mix (TCM) or curing salt #1. (Also, do not use Instacure #2 - that's for air cured meats.)
Enjoy our corned beef brine recipe for your next corned beef!
XOXO,
Louisa