Home Made Corned Beef...the recipe finally!

Patience is a virtue. Based on this premise, it takes a saint to make home-made corned beef.
Thas is my excuse for this long overdue recipe.

It is easy to make your own corned beef.  You just need the right ingredients and time because the beef  takes about three (yes, 3) weeks to cure.

 

CORNED BEEF

Ingredients:

• 4 cups water
• 1/2 cup salt
• 1 teaspoon saltpeter *
• 1 beef briskets**, .8-1kg.
• 12 garlic cloves
• 3 tablespoons pickling spices
• 8 bay leaves

* Saltpeter̊ is known commercially as potassium nitrate and is used to give the meat a pink coloring.

̊If saltpeter is unavailable, I have tried using  or 1 tbsps. annato (achuete) powder and 1 Tsp meat tenderizer.

** You can use bottom round roasts, if you want leaner corned beef, although I much prefer the fatter brisket portions.


PICKLING SPICE
1 Tsp. ground cinnamon
1 Tsp. ground mustard seeds
1 Tsp. ground black peppercorns
1 Tsp. ground cloves
1 Tsp. ground allspice
1 Tsp. finely crushed rosemary
1 Tsp. ground nutmeg
1 Tsp. ground  oregano
1 Tsp. ground  dried ginger

Preparation:

Boil water. Add salt and saltpeter, stir to dissolve and set aside to cool. Place brisket in a large crock, zipper-style plastic bag or other non-metallic container. Pour salt water over meat and add garlic, pickling spices and bay leaves. Meat should be submerged; use a weighted jar to hold meat under pickling solution. Refrigerate or set in a cool place for 3 weeks. I use a felt pen to put the dates on the zipper-style plastic bag so I know when I can  take the corned beef out. Drain and remove bay leaves and garlic bits before cooking.

After taking out the brisket from the ref, thaw it well and then boil it in medium fire for about an hour. then let the stock simmer for about 2 hours. Then you can chop and shred the beef into the size you want. Chunky pieces can be cooked with whole cabbages, carrots and onion while shredded pieces can be sauteed with garlic and onions.