Corned Beef Recipe
Super easy tender, juicy, and delicious homemade corned beef brisket that tastes way better than store bought.
Servings: 12
Calories: 251kcal
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup kosher salt
- 1/4 cup sugar brown preferred
- 6 tbsp pickling spices divided, see below or use store bought
- 2.5-3 lbs brisket
- 2 qt water
- 1 tsp pink salt optional
Homemade Pickling Spice Mix (optional - makes 1 batch, you need 2 for this recipe)
- 1 tbsp mustard seeds
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds
- 1 tsp cloves
- 1 tsp white pepper
- 1 stick cinnamon broken
- 1 bay leaf torn
- 4 cardamom pods
- 1/2 tsp sichuan peppercorns optional
Instructions
- An hour before you start preparing your meat, make the brine: bring 2 quarts of water to a boil then remove from the heat. stir in sugar and salt until dissolved, about 1 minute, then add pickling spices. Let cool.
- Trim any large caps of fat off your brisket (optional) then place in a snug fitting container with a lid.
- Stir the pink salt into the brine, if using. Add the cooled brine until covered. You shouldn't need all the brine - discard the remainder. If you need a little more than 2qt, cover with cool water as needed, or make a new batch of brine if a lot.
- Weigh the brisket down with a plate if needed. Seal and store in the fridge for 3 days. After 3 days, give the brisket a flip, and store another 3 days.
- To cook: After 6 days, preheat your oven to 200ºF. Find an oven-proof pot (such as a dutch oven) large enough to hold your brisket and fill it halfway with water. Set it over high heat. Carefully remove the brisket from its container and give it a good rinse. Add brisket and the remaining 3 tablespoons of pickling spice and wait until the pot comes to a boil, then transfer to oven and braise for 4 hours.
- Remove the brisket from the braising liquid from and slice. Store brisket with the braising liquid and reheat together to retain maximum moisture, avoiding a boil. Brisket keeps for 3-5 days in the fridge.
Nutrition
Serving: 3.5oz | Calories: 251kcal | Carbohydrates: 0.5g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 98mg | Sodium: 973mg | Potassium: 145mg | Fiber: 0.01g | Sugar: 0.01g