Corned Beef
Ingredients
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- 128 ounces water
- 1 cup kosher salt
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 tbsp pink curing salt (Prague Powder #1)
- 3 tbsp pickling spice
- 6 cloves garlic – crushed
- 4 pounds beef brisket, flat cut
- water – enough to cover brisket for simmering
- 1 tbsp pickling spice
Instructions
1. Make the brine: In a large pot, combine 128 ounces water, kosher salt, brown sugar, pink curing salt, 3 tbsp pickling spice, and crushed garlic. Bring just to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until the salt and sugar dissolve, 3–5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until fully chilled, at least 4 hours.
2. Cure the brisket: Submerge the beef brisket in the cold brine in a nonreactive container or heavy zip-top bag, ensuring it is fully covered; weight it with a plate if needed. Cover and refrigerate 5–7 days, turning the brisket once per day so it cures evenly.
3. Rinse and desalinate: Remove the brisket from the brine and rinse under cool running water. Place in a large bowl, cover with fresh cold water, and soak 1 hour to temper surface salt; drain.
4. Set up to cook: Place the rinsed brisket in a large, heavy pot and add enough water to cover the meat by about 1 inch. Add the remaining 1 tbsp pickling spice.
5. Simmer gently: Bring to a bare simmer over medium heat, then reduce to low, cover, and cook, maintaining a gentle simmer, 3–4 hours. The corned beef is done when a fork slides in with little resistance and the internal temperature is 195–205°F.
6. Rest and slice: Transfer the brisket to a board, tent loosely with foil, and rest 15–20 minutes. Slice thinly across the grain and serve hot, or chill the whole piece in its cooking liquid until cold for neater slices and serving later.
Corned beef is brisket that has been salt-cured, then simmered until tender, yielding rosy slices with a savory, gently spiced flavor and supple texture. The cure infuses the meat with pickling spices—pepper, mustard seed, coriander, and bay—while sugar balances the salinity. Slowly cooked, it becomes meltingly tender and sliceable, ideal for serving warm at the table or chilled for sandwiches.
Historically, corned beef emerged from preservation traditions in the British Isles, where large-grain “corns” of salt were used to cure beef long before refrigeration. In the 19th and 20th centuries it became central to Irish diaspora cooking in North America and a staple of Jewish delicatessens, where cured-and-simmered brisket evolved into the familiar deli classic. Its distinct pink color typically comes from nitrite curing salts, a hallmark of many traditional preparations and commercial versions.