Corned Beef

Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2007

Show: Good EatsEpisode: Corn the Beef

Rated: 5 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (34)

RECIPE
COMMENTS & REVIEWS(34)

Cook Time:
3 hr 0 min
Level:
Easy
Yield:
6 to 8 servings

Times:

Prep: 20 min
Inactive Prep: 240 hr 0 min
Cook: 3 hr 0 min
Total:: 243 hr 20 min

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Ingredients

2 quarts water
1 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons saltpeter
1 cinnamon stick, broken into several pieces
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
8 whole cloves
8 whole allspice berries
12 whole juniper berries
2 bay leaves, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
2 pounds ice
1 (4 to 5 pound) beef brisket, trimmed
1 small onion, quartered
1 large carrot, coarsely chopped
1 stalk celery, coarsely chopped

Directions

Place the water into a large 6 to 8 quart stockpot along with salt, sugar, saltpeter, cinnamon stick, mustard seeds, peppercorns, cloves, allspice, juniper berries, bay leaves and ginger. Cook over high heat until the salt and sugar have dissolved. Remove from the heat and add the ice. Stir until the ice has melted. If necessary, place the brine into the refrigerator until it reaches a temperature of 45 degrees F. Once it has cooled, place the brisket in a 2-gallon zip top bag and add the brine. Seal and lay flat inside a container, cover and place in the refrigerator for 10 days. Check daily to make sure the beef is completely submerged and stir the brine.

After 10 days, remove from the brine and rinse well under cool water. Place the brisket into a pot just large enough to hold the meat, add the onion, carrot and celery and cover with water by 1-inch. Set over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and gently simmer for 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until the meat is fork tender. Remove from the pot and thinly slice across the grain.

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Comments & Reviews

recipe Corned Beef
donn gilbert, AZ 11-02-2009
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great recipe
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

Used this on a 6lb flat brisket, except I used 3 TBS Morton's Tender Qucik in place of the saltpeter. After 12 days I cut... the brisket in half, simmered half per the recipe and the other half I soaked in warm water and then grilled at 250 deg for two and a half hours. Both halves came out great, with the grilled half having a denser, more intense flavor. I have a 13 lb full brisket brining now.Read more
recipe Corned Beef
Dave rexburg, ID 10-20-2009
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Wild Duck/Goose
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

This recipe is awesome when used on wild goose or duck breast. Add a pastrami rub and smoke it for great pastrami as well.
recipe Corned Beef
David Seth, WV 10-09-2009
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No more store bought corned beef....
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

WOW! This was the best corned beef I've had. Easy to make and flavorful. I had a hard time finding salt peter, but my local... Gander Mountain sporting goods store had a cure with sodium nitrite, which worked perfectly. Beautiful pink meat. You will love this recipe.Read more
recipe Corned Beef
Mary Hopkins, MN 10-08-2009
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"Best Ever!"
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

That's what my husband said when he ate it. I thought it was easy to make. I did have a little problem though. Two days... before it was supposed to come out of the brine I had a family emergency and had to leave town. I couldn't find anyone that was willing to finish this for me. So what to do....I figured that if the raw ones in the grocery store have been frozen than I could do that too. I emptied most of the brine out of the bag, and sealed it. I put that bag into another freezer bag and tossed it into the deep freeze. Three weeks later I was back in town and ready to cook it. I thawed it and simmered it for six hours (it was 1/2 of a whole brisket on the big side) then I added home grown cabbage, potatos, and carrots in the last hour. We went to happy hour and when we got home it was perfect. I will definately make this again.Read more
recipe Corned Beef
null null, null 07-06-2009
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Easy and perfect, just time consuming.
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

use Morton's TenderQuick instead of the saltpeter and salt. TenderQuick is a mix of salt and potassium nitrate, so it fits... the bill perfectly. you cannot make this recipe successfully without a curing ingredient! also, I've used top round and brisket with success in this recipe.Read more
recipe Corned Beef
Margaret Durham, NC 06-04-2009
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To Saltpetre or Not to Saltpetre, that is the question.
Rated: 4 stars out of 5

I have not tried this recipe yet, but fully intend to soon. I want to try it on a Sirloin Tip Roast so that I have slices... big enought to to make a really good sandwich. We love Reubens here. I looked in the Deli Dept of our local supermarket and it was $10.99 per pound. That is outrageous!!!! One question tho= Wasn't Saltpetre used on prisioners in the jail to reduce the libido? Do I really want to use that? Then have to resort to other medicines later on? I quess the Pickling Spice is what I will use. I'm sure the Pharmacy would have a good laugh over it all.....maggieRead more