Homemade Corned Beef Recipe (2024)

Why heat all of the water when you are preparing the brine and have to let it cool? When I make a brine for a turkey I heat about a quart of water with salt, sugar and spices heat and stir until dissolved and then add this to the rest of the cold water, mix and add meat.

I have used Ruhlman's recipe for years, with the Penzey's Corned Beef Spices. I cook the brined brisket in a slow cooker, fat side up, for 8 hrs on low, with 1-1/2 C water. Before serving I glaze it in the oven at 350 for ~15 minutes, until golden brown, and then let it rest ~15 minutes before slicing. Divine!
Glaze:
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
1 ½ teaspoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon ground ginger

I've followed this recipe for several years and it's excellent. once it's cured i smoke it for about 5 to 6 hours (sort of pastrami?) and then braise it gently in Guinness with assorted root vegetables. but i serve it with colcannon cakes so no cabbage. followed by a Guinness/ chocolate cake from Nigella which is both unusual and delicious. and of course soda bread -- in this case with currants and mixed herbs.

I stopped boiling cabbage years ago. Instead, I slice it and stir fry it quickly with a little salt and sugar (very small amount - maybe 1 teaspoon). From Good Housekeepineg cookbook from 40 years ago. Delicious!

I've used a few different ones. Most recently, one from Medley Hills Farm: Prague Powder Curing Salt #1.

Where does one buy sodium nitrite?

There seems to be conflicting research on this. Here is a recently updated review on nitrate/nitrite safety which concludes that current research shows no cancer link. They also mention in the summary that nitrates & nitrites are now considered by some to be "indispensible nutrients essential for cardiovascular health by promoting nitric oxide production." (!) https://www.researchgate.net/publication/230665462_Ingested_nitrate_and_...

I don't mean to ruffle any feathers ( or get your Irish up!), but I spent 40 years in Texas, so here's my question: why would you want to ruin a perfectly good brisket by turning it into corned beef?

well we eat with our eyes first, and to me at least, need that color for corned beef. Note too that it is nitrite, not nitrate. It also was a godsend in preventing botulism, and it is on the WHO's list of essential medicines. Some chemicals are good, where as some natural substances (arsenic anyone?) aren't. The recipe uses a lot more of another chemical, sodium chloride,. Of course salt, while natural, is also a concern. Moderation in everything, overall, works for me.

5 Tblsp to start
3 Tbsp in Brine
2 Tblsp remainder to be used with beer

I always make my corned beef in a slow cooker. Add the corned beef to the crock pot with a large can of beer, some pickling spice, a handful of whole black peppercorns and several cloves of garlic. Cook on low for about 4-5 hours. Super easy and super delicious.

Best of 2 worlds: this approach for curing (but cut salt by almost half). Cured 7 days in a large ziplock bag. Rinsed well, placed in pot, covered with dark lager, ginger beer and water, tossed in some additional pickling spice, brought to SIMMER (not boil) -- then placed pot partly covered in 200F oven for 7-9 hours (method "borrowed" from Kenji Lopez Alt). Let cool to room temp then refrigerated in cooking liquid 2 days. Sliced some thick for dinner, some thin for sandwiches.

Yes, use #1, and all will be well. You're only going to cook this thing like once or twice a year.

Great taste, but less salt

May I leave it in the brine longer than 7 days?

Been brining beef for about 6 years. This recipe is not salty and has great flavor!For 5#:3/4 c kosher salt 1/2 c brown sugar2 Tbs Prague #2 powder2 cloves garlic minced3 - 6 qts water, depending on size of beef1/3 cup of pickling spice:2 Tbs black peppercorns 2 Tbs mustard seed2 Tbs coriander seeds2 Tbs red pepper flakes 2 Tbs allspice berries 1 Tbs ground mace2 small cinnamon stick broken into pieces2 Tbs whole cloves1 Tbs ground gingerBrine 7 - 10 days

Is there an alternative to pink salt?

No need to make a full gallon of brine. I found a cheap 1.1 gallon low-profile red-lid plastic storage container that holds a ten-by-nine inch five-pound brisket. With the raw meat in the container, fill full of water, measure the amount of water, and just make that much brine — it turned out, I think, half a gallon.I used Penzeys corned beef spice mix - grind it before using. Slow cooker low, in 6oz ginger beer 32oz beef broth (the beer I had was too hoppy, high IBU). Beef came out great!

couldn't find curing salt locally so left it out and it turned out great! I used a 3 lb brisket in a gallon ziplock. "good beer" is rather subjective, so I looked up ideas and went with Guinness and a local beer with cocoa and chocolate. Tasted like corned beef! We made the Irish Tacos with it and everyone was happy.

Can I leave out the curing salt? I can’t find it in my local stores and I’m out of time to order it

I assume this could be done with a smaller, maybe 2-3lb piece? Single diner here! Thanks.

Can I make this without sodium nitrite? Or is the sodium nitrite an integral part of the pickling process?

where do you find beef brisket that is not corned (that is the only type I ever see.)?

Once you corn your own beef, you won't go back to the supermarket version

This recipe also works well with an eye of round, top/bottom round, or a rump roast.

Has anyone ever made this without the beer? If so, what did you sub? Want to make this for St. Patty’s Day, but I’m Celiac and can’t have gluten. TIA.

I’ve made this every year since publication as written & it’s ridiculously delicious- boiled for St Pats day or smoked for pastrami

Sorry to throw a damper on this but “nitrates” are not the same as “nitrites.” Nitrites have serious health effects. Nitrates, which are far more common, do not. While some vegetables (celery, for example) do contain nitrites naturally, the high dosages of nitrites from cured meats or curing salt far exceeds the naturally occurring amounts. Just be aware of this and use nitrite sparingly. Maybe just for special occasions