Corned Beef

ScottM

ScottM

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iBazinga!
As some of you may know I am not a big fan of meat. But every once and a while I get a hankering for it. Since I was down south last week and had some real BBQ (pulled pork with some sweet tea!) I was kinda craving some more meat.

I love corned beef and missed out on St. Pat's day. So I decided to make corned beef tonight. Or rather I decided to start on it. When I thought about it I decided to make it from scratch. So I bought a beef brisket and tonight I mixed up the corning solution.

The solution consists of kosher salt, brown sugar, saltpeter, juniper berries, allspice, bay leaves, cinnamon, clove and a few other items. I put the brisket in the corning solution a short time ago and it will now need to soak for at least ten days. Then I have to cook it for about 2-3 hours and then I get to enjoy a homemade corned beef!

In the meantime I had a vegi sub for dinner!
 
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etsisk said:
where down south were ya?
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Orlando and Tampa.

I had a couple of days work at the Kingdom of the Mouse and then off to see my step dad. I got to take him home on his first over night pass since he went into the hospital in late November. For dinner he wanted BBQ and that is where we went.
 
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Back to the corned beef. It is now sitting in the fridge for ten days. But I was wondering about the refrigeration. The traditional reason for corning or actually pickling in this case, was to preserve the meat without refrigeration. So in the olden days this would have been placed in the brine and left there for a couple of weeks. I am wondering how this prevented spoiling from occurring until the meat could be soaked with the brine?
 
smigaldi said:
Back to the corned beef. It is now sitting in the fridge for ten days. But I was wondering about the refrigeration. The traditional reason for corning or actually pickling in this case, was to preserve the meat without refrigeration. So in the olden days this would have been placed in the brine and left there for a couple of weeks. I am wondering how this prevented spoiling from occurring until the meat could be soaked with the brine?
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Root cellars.
 
smigaldi said:
Back to the corned beef. It is now sitting in the fridge for ten days. But I was wondering about the refrigeration. The traditional reason for corning or actually pickling in this case, was to preserve the meat without refrigeration. So in the olden days this would have been placed in the brine and left there for a couple of weeks. I am wondering how this prevented spoiling from occurring until the meat could be soaked with the brine?
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The brine itself is a less than hospitable environment for the little bugs that do the spoiling. The way it preserves the meat is eventually the less-than-hospitable environment brine permeates the meat.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_36271,00.html

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_36272,00.html
 
Call Rachel Ray! Maybe she'll ship you some, a lot sooner than waiting ten days for the prep. But you are making me hungry.

:eek:) HR
 
We make our own, too, from a side of beef brisket, trimmed. Way better than the bought-at-the-store kind, but it doesn't turn pink. If you have the time and refrigerator space, give it a try! For us, it's a two-step process; corn it, then cook it.

Corning the beef:

You'll need 1/2 c. kosher salt, 1 Tbsp cracked black peppercorns, 1 Tbsp dried thyme, 2 tsp allspice, 2 tsp paprika, 2 bay leaves (crumbled), and one 3.5-4.5 pound beef brisket, trimmed.

Mix the salt and spices together in a small bowl. Spear the brisket about 30 times per side with a meat fork or metal skewer. Rub each side evenly with the salt mixture. Place the brisket in a large zip-lock bag, forcing out as much air as possible (the corning process will generate a LOT of liquid, so get it in a sealed bag!). Place on a rimmed baking sheet (a large cookie sheet works well), cover with a similar sized pan, and place a couple of patio bricks or paving stones on top to weight it down. Refrigerate for 5 to 7 days, turning the meat once per day. Rinse and pat the meat dry before using (warning, it will smell "odd", that's normal!).

To cook it, add your corned beef, 3 bay leaves, 1 Tbsp of whole black peppercorns, and 1 Tbsp of whole mustard seeds (they are round, yellow seeds) to a large Dutch oven, and cover by 1/2 inch of water. Bring to a simmer and cook, skimming off any impurities that rise to the surface, until a fork slides in easily to the center, about two to three hours.

Heat the oven to 200 degrees, transfer the meat to a large baking dish and ladel 1 cup of the boiling liquid over the top, cover with foil and keep warm til serving.

We cook some small red potatoes and carrots in the remaining liquid, and add some cabbage to the water at the very end. Serve all those veggies with the corned beef, cut acros the grain into 1/4" slices. MmmMMMM!

Definitely going to try adding Scott's Juniper Berries to the mix next time... that sounds GOOD. Scott, does your corned beef turn out as pink as the the stuff at the store? I'm thinking they use a dye or something... what we've made never turns out the same color as the store bought stuff.
 
smigaldi said:
<SNIP>

The solution consists of kosher salt, brown sugar, saltpeter, juniper berries, allspice, bay leaves, cinnamon, clove and a few other items. I put the brisket in the corning solution a short time ago and it will now need to soak for at least ten days. Then I have to cook it for about 2-3 hours and then I get to enjoy a homemade corned beef!

In the meantime I had a vegi sub for dinner!
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Where do you get saltpeter? I figure you even try to buy it and some busybody calls the man & gets you an all-expense paid trip to Gitmo because they figure you're making pipe bombs!
 
TangoWhiskey said:
We make our own, too, from a side of beef brisket, trimmed. Way better than the bought-at-the-store kind, but it doesn't turn pink. If you have the time and refrigerator space, give it a try! For us, it's a two-step process; corn it, then cook it.

Corning the beef:

You'll need 1/2 c. kosher salt, 1 Tbsp cracked black peppercorns, 1 Tbsp dried thyme, 2 tsp allspice, 2 tsp paprika, 2 bay leaves (crumbled), and one 3.5-4.5 pound beef brisket, trimmed.

Mix the salt and spices together in a small bowl. Spear the brisket about 30 times per side with a meat fork or metal skewer. Rub each side evenly with the salt mixture. Place the brisket in a large zip-lock bag, forcing out as much air as possible (the corning process will generate a LOT of liquid, so get it in a sealed bag!). Place on a rimmed baking sheet (a large cookie sheet works well), cover with a similar sized pan, and place a couple of patio bricks or paving stones on top to weight it down. Refrigerate for 5 to 7 days, turning the meat once per day. Rinse and pat the meat dry before using (warning, it will smell "odd", that's normal!).

To cook it, add your corned beef, 3 bay leaves, 1 Tbsp of whole black peppercorns, and 1 Tbsp of whole mustard seeds (they are round, yellow seeds) to a large Dutch oven, and cover by 1/2 inch of water. Bring to a simmer and cook, skimming off any impurities that rise to the surface, until a fork slides in easily to the center, about two to three hours.

Heat the oven to 200 degrees, transfer the meat to a large baking dish and ladel 1 cup of the boiling liquid over the top, cover with foil and keep warm til serving.

We cook some small red potatoes and carrots in the remaining liquid, and add some cabbage to the water at the very end. Serve all those veggies with the corned beef, cut acros the grain into 1/4" slices. MmmMMMM!

Definitely going to try adding Scott's Juniper Berries to the mix next time... that sounds GOOD. Scott, does your corned beef turn out as pink as the the stuff at the store? I'm thinking they use a dye or something... what we've made never turns out the same color as the store bought stuff.
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I am glad I am not the only who is a little crazy and is trying this!! Kudos to you!
 
smigaldi said:
I got mine from Amazon.com.
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Gotta be careful that you're getting FOOD GRADE potassium nitrate; a lot of the auction sites are shipping agricultural grade stuff (fertilizer). You can get food grade saltpeter here, just ship it ground--air is EXPENSIVE due to HazMat fees.

I'd also like to try making a smoked corned beef sometime this summer...

I've always used brisket, but am told you can use bottom round and get a leaner corned beef...
 
TangoWhiskey said:
Gotta be careful that you're getting FOOD GRADE potassium nitrate; a lot of the auction sites are shipping agricultural grade stuff (fertilizer). You can get food grade saltpeter here, just ship it ground--air is EXPENSIVE due to HazMat fees.
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Mine just says technical use and is from a pharmacy. What is food grade got over that?
 
smigaldi said:
Mine just says technical use and is from a pharmacy. What is food grade got over that?
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http://pharmlabs.unc.edu/decision/aspects.htm

Technical grade isn't tested for purity at all. Food grade passes standards of purity defined in 21 CFR 172 and 178 for contact with food, or processing in food.

Since saltpeter (potassium nitrate) is used as an oxydizer in explosives, as a stump remover chemical, and as a fertilizer, I think I'll just have brown, not pink, corned beef.
 
mikea said:
That's the least of your worries. Nitrates are a carcinogen.
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In large quantities and even then there is still conjecture. Nitrates have been used in the curing of meat for thousands of years and are in drinking water. If you have ever eaten hot dogs, deli meat, bacon, ham, pepperoni, etc. you have eaten meat with nitrates in it. The fat content of all that stuff is far more deadly than the nitrates.
 
mikea said:
That's the least of your worries. Nitrates are a carcinogen.
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Nitrates are optional. It's what makes the meat pink. We don't use it in our corned beef (see the recipe above), it's corned beef, just not pink.

I understand you can buy non-pink Corned Beef at the store in the Northeast (can anybody vouch for that?), but the rest of the country "demands" color in their CB.
 
Scott and Troy, I'd like to request that you stop posting on this thread from mid-afternoon through early evening. I need to stay at the office at least another couple of hours and I CAN'T STAND READING THIS! I'm getting so hungry ............. :(

But I can't wait to try the recipes!
 
nddons said:
Scott and Troy, I'd like to request that you stop posting on this thread from mid-afternoon through early evening. I need to stay at the office at least another couple of hours and I CAN'T STAND READING THIS! I'm getting so hungry ............. :(

But I can't wait to try the recipes!
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Wilco.

I'll hold off on that topic


:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D
 
TangoWhiskey said:
Aha!! Saltpeter is what gives the meat the pink hue!!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potassium_nitrate

But tell me they don't still use urine to produce it... please....
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I knew the reason for the saltpeter (which may also be sodium nitrate). Considering the other uses for the stuff (as mentioned in the Wikipedia link) I didn't think the material would be easy to obtain anymore.

Saltpeter (generally the sodium salt) is often mined. Chile & Peru have (had?) extensive deposits- a WWI battle was won by the British in the Pacific Ocean that closed the main source of Saltpeter for the Germans. It can also be found in guano.
 
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mikea said:
That's the least of your worries. Nitrates are a carcinogen.
Click to expand...

smigaldi said:
In large quantities and even then there is still conjecture. Nitrates have been used in the curing of meat for thousands of years and are in drinking water. If you have ever eaten hot dogs, deli meat, bacon, ham, pepperoni, etc. you have eaten meat with nitrates in it. The fat content of all that stuff is far more deadly than the nitrates.
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Are you perhaps thinking of nitrites?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_nitrite

As Scott mentioned, nitrates have been used for a long time..
 
Cap'n Jack said:
I knew the reason for the saltpeter (which may also be sodium nitrate). Considering the other uses for the stuff (as mentioned in the Wikipedia link) I didn't think the material would be easy to obtain anymore.
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No problem whatsoever and is available in bulk. I tell you I had a harder time buying model rocket engines than I did this stuff
 
smigaldi said:
Orlando and Tampa.

I had a couple of days work at the Kingdom of the Mouse and then off to see my step dad. I got to take him home on his first over night pass since he went into the hospital in late November. For dinner he wanted BBQ and that is where we went.
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CJones said:
FYI: That is NOT 'down south'. Yes, it might be in a southerly direction, but not a true division of the south. ;)
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Agreed... while Florida is further south, latitude-wise, "down south" in my mind refers to the Carolinas, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Tennessee, and parts of Kentucky and Arkansas.

I'm also a believer that sweet tea is a nectar of the gods.

smigaldi said:
I am already using Alton's recipe for this project!!!

I love the Food Porn network!!
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Funny that you call it this... my girlfriend collects cook books and gets a cooking magazine each month, the latter of which she reads through and affixes post-it colored tabs to the pages with recipes that sound good. In all fairness, we have made a couple of the recipes that are marked in her two years-worth of these things. Anyway, I call those her food porn.

smigaldi said:
I cannot stand Rachel Ray. I would cross the street if I were to see here. I don't know why but she gives me the heebe jeebes.
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God she's annoying! Her recipes seem like they could be pretty good, but I just can't stand listening to her talk with her bloody acronyms! EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil) used to be the one that got on my nerves, but the other day, for some unknown reason, the better half had her on tv and she was making some dish that she kept referring to as a BBLD dish, which apparently means Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch, or Dinner. It's almost as bad as listening to someone talk in texting language! FWIW (and I can put that acronym since I'm typing in a forum... when speaking, I would never say, "F-W-I-W", I'd say, "For What It's Worth"), the better half can't stand her either, and there was some legitimate reason that we were suffering through her show... I think it was something she was going to make that we happened to be cooking that night, but I don't remember for sure.

I'd rather watch Giada DeLorentis (sp?) any day! Sooooo hot!
 
Today is the day!!

I will be starting to rinse it in jsut a bit and then it will cook for three hours. The meat is a little pink right now. I wonder if it will be redder when I cut into it.

At any rate a review will be forthcoming.
 
It was excellent!!!

The inside was nice and red, just like store bought. The flavor was really good to. It all just fell apart and had the most wonderful flavor and aroma.

I served ti with carrots, potatoes, and cabbage. Lots of good juice left over and I saved it for soup later this year.

So if you are interested do it. Nothing like getting the real deal.

Here is the recipe I used.

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 choppedPlace 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.



The only thing I did different is that I did not use a plastic bag. I bought a plastic tub with a cover on it. That worked great and I just turned the beef each day.
 
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