Secrets from Our Farm Kitchen: Corned Beef Brine Recipe

Secrets from Our Farm Kitchen: Corned Beef Brine Recipe

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