Homemade Corned Beef
Tender, juicy, and so flavorful, this homemade corned beef is made from scratch and can be cooked on the stovetop, in the oven, in the slow cooker or Instant Pot.
Ingredients
- 5 pound beef brisket , trimmed of excess fat if needed
- 1 gallon water , preferably distilled but not critical
- 1/4 cup gourmet pickling spice blend (click link for recipe)
- 250 grams kosher salt (about 1 3/4 cups kosher Diamond Crystal Salt or 1 cup of Morton kosher salt)
- 2 teaspoons pink curing salt , aka Prague Powder #1
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 4 cloves garlic , crushed
- 2 tablespoons gourmet pickling spice blend , for cooking
- Guinness beer , optional (you can supplement some of the cooking water or broth with Guinness)
Instructions
- In a dry skillet over medium-high heat, toast the pickling spices for 3-4 minutes or until very fragrant. Be careful not to scorch the spices. In a large pot, add the water along with the toasted pickling spices, kosher salt, pink salt, brown sugar and garlic and bring it to a boil. Stir it until the sugar and salt is dissolved. Remove from the heat and let the brine cool completely. You can speed up this process by only boiling half of the water and adding the other half (chilled) afterwards. But to allow the heat to more fully extract the flavors from the spices, I recommend letting it cool down slowly.
- Once the brine is fully cooled, place the beef brisket in the brine so that it is completely submerged under the liquid. You don't at any point want any portion of the beef to rise above the level of the liquid. Place something like a heavy cup or plate on top of the brisket to keep it weighted down. Cover and refrigerate for 5-7 days, flipping the brisket over once or twice during that time.
- Remove the brisket from the brine, discard the brine, and very thoroughly rinse the entire brisket under a running faucet. Place the brisket in a pot just large enough to hold it and add enough water or low sodium beef broth (or some Guinness beer if using) to cover the brisket by 1-2 inches. Add 2 tablespoons of pickling spice and bring it to a boil. Reduce to heat heat to low, cover, and very gently simmer (just barely bubbling) for 3-4 hours or until the brisket is fork-tender (length of time will depend on the cut, simmering temperature, and how long the brisket was brined). Aim for an internal temperature of 190-200 F/ 88-93 C to ensure the temp is high enough to break down connective tissues for a fork-tender result. Check it occasionally to see if the water level gets too low and needs replenishing. NOTE: If you'd like to boil your cabbage, potatoes and carrots with the corned beef, add those during the last 40 minutes or so of cooking.Transfer the corned beef to a cutting board and slice it against the grain, about 1/4 inch thick or slightly thicker if serving with cabbage and potatoes or 1/8 inch thick if using for sandwiches.
Notes
Alternative Cooking Methods:
- Oven Method: Preheat the oven to 325 F/ 160 C. Follow the stovetop method using an oven-proof pot and bring it to a boil. Cover an transfer the pot to the oven. Cook for about 4 hours or until the corned beef is fork tender (aim for an internal temperature of 190-200 F/ 88-93 C). Check on the water level occasional and replenish as needed. Note: If you'd like to boil your cabbage, potatoes and carrots with the corned beef, add those during the last 40 minutes or so of cooking.
- Slow Cooker Method: Place the cured brisket in the slow cooker, cover with 1-2 inches of water or low sodium beef broth and add the pickling spice. Cook on LOW for 8-10 hours or on HIGH for 4-5 hours, or until the corned beef is fork-tender. Aim for an internal temperature of 190-200 F / 88-93 C. If adding cabbage, potatoes and carrots, add these to the slow cooker during the last 2 hours of cooking.
- Instant Pot Method: Place the cured brisket on the rack in the Instant Pot. Add 4 cups of water or low sodium beef broth and the pickling spice. Close and lock the lid. Pressure cook on HIGH for 90 minutes followed by a natural release. Remove the corned beef. If using the Instant Pot to cook your vegetables, add the cabbage, potatoes and carrots to the Instant Pot (you can use the liquid from cooking the corned beef if desired), close and lock the lid, and cook on HIGH for 3 minutes followed by a quick release.
Nutrition
Calories: 493kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 59gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 176mgSodium: 1082mgPotassium: 523mgFiber: 1gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 19IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 73mgIron: 6mg
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