Home Cured Brisket Corned Beef Recipes

Steps:

• Combine all of the brine ingredients and bring to a boil, then cool.
• In a huge plastic roasting bag (do NOT use a garbage bag), place the beef brisket, the cooled brine, and the 4 garlic cloves.
• Make sure that all of the meat is covered by the brine (cutting the brisket in pieces if you need to), tie off tightly, place in a pot large enough to hold it all, and refrigerate for 6 to 7 days, turning occasionally.
• After the 6 to 7 days, remove brisket from the brine and discard the brine.
• Rinse the meat thoroughly, then place in a Dutch oven or other large pot and add enough water to come up 2/3 to 3/4 of the way up the side of the meat.
• Add the rest of the Simmering Liquid ingredients (peppercorns, mustard seeds, allspice, cloves and garlic), bring to a boil and skim off any foam.
• Reduce heat to a low simmer and cook, covered, for at least 3 hours, but 4 hours doesn't hurt anything. Meat will be SO tender and delicious!

Steps:

• Mix the first 8 ingredients together in a high walled bowl & crush with the back of a spoon.
• In a large pot, combine the 1/2 stick of cinnamon, the brine ingredients and 3TBLS of the spice mix. (Reserve the remaining spice mix for cooking the beef after corning.) Bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Cool to room temperature.
• "Crock Method": Place the brisket in a large, flat container or pan, and cover with the brine. The brine should cover the meat. If the meat floats, weigh it down with a plate. . Place in the refrigerator and chill from 5-7 days. Every day flip the brisket over, so that all sides get brined.
• "Zipper Bag Method": Place the brisket in a 2 gal. freezer bag with about 2 quarts of brine, squeezing all the air from the bag before sealing it. Place the bag in the refrigerator as above. It is a good idea to place the bag in a container in case it leaks.
• At the end of the cure, remove the brisket from the brine and rinse it with cold water. The meat can now be cooked by slow simmering or baking. To simmer, place the brisket in a large pot and cover with at least one inch of water. Add a tablespoon of the pickling spices to the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce to a very low simmer (barely bubbling), and cook 3-4 hours, until the corned beef is fork tender.

Steps:

• Take the brisket and pierce it with a knife or tenderizer. Do each side at least 15x. Place brisket in 1 gallon plastic baggie.
• Mix all other ingredients together in a bowl or 2 cup measuring cup.
• Reaching inside baggie, sprinkle 1/2 the mixture over the brisket. Turn baggie over and repeat, sprinkling the other side. Seal the baggie after expressing as much air as possible.
• Place the bagged brisket in a dish large enough to hold it. It must then be weighted. You can use some cans from the pantry. I used 2 fairly heavy casserole dishes that nested, and placed the second on top of the brisket.
• Put the dish with the brisket in the refrigerator. I used bottom shelf in the back as it is the coldest spot. The brisket should be turned over 1x each day for at least 5 days, and no longer than 7 days.
• Rinse before using. I gave my brisket a cold-water bath while preparing the other ingredients for a traditional New England boiled dinner.
• This recipe is only for curing the beef. When I cooked this cured beef, I simmered it for at least 3 hours, then moved it to a casserole with a cup of broth ladled over it and let it rest for 20-30 minutes before slicing across the grain.