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Corned Beef

Prep Time 45 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients
  

  • 5 # Beef Brisket
  • 2 quarts water
  • 1 cup kosher salt 450 grams or 1#
  • 2 Tbsp Prague Powder curing salt
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • ½ cup dark corn syrup
  • ½ cup apple cider vinegar
  • 4 large cloves garlic smashed
  • 1 cinnamon stick ½ to 1 tsp cinnamon powder
  • 1 Tbsp mustard seeds
  • 1 Tbsp pepper corns
  • ½ Tbsp dill seeds
  • 1 tsp whole cloves ~8
  • 1 tsp allspice berries ~8
  • 1 tsp caraway seeds
  • 1 tsp thyme
  • 3 bay leaves crumbled
  • ½ tsp ground ginger
  • 2 # ice

Instructions
 

  • Place the water into a stock pot and add the salt, sugar, Prague Powder, and spices.
  • Cook over high until the salt and sugar are dissolved.
  • Remove from the heat and add the ice.
  • Place the brisket into a bucket or bag and add the brine when fully cooled.
  • Place in the refrigerator for 10 days.
  • Check daily to stir and make sure the beef stays submerged.
  • After 10 days, remove and place the brisket into a bucket of clean cold water for 5-10 minutes.
  • Run the brine through a mesh strainer to catch all of the spices, and rinse under cold water to remove the excess salt.
  • Run the soak water through the same mesh colander to catch any spices rinsed from the brisket.
  • Rinse the brisket under running cold water from a minute or two to remove any remaining salt on the outside.
  • Place the brisket with the spices caught in the mesh strainer into a stock pot and just cover with water.
  • Bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat and simmer covered for 3 hours.
  • Remove the corned beef from the pot and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes if serving hot, or rest for 30 minutes and then slice for sandwich meat.
  • Make a Reuben sandwich with sliced corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, coarse mustard and Thousand Island dressing on rye, grilling in a skillet to brown the bread and melt the cheese. Serve with a good kosher dill pickle.

Notes

The brined brisket is now corned beef. You can freeze this and cook it later.