Corned beef...how do I make a good one?

Epicurean Exploits - Food and Recipes
21

Go for pastrami…it feels like much more of an accomplishment.

22

+1 on the use of tongue for corned beef.

23

I have the brisket on hold at the butcher. I’m going to see what I can find on the KNO(x) front tonight. I’m going to look for the Prague Powder #1 on Eric’s rec first and use the others as fallback options. I can source all the spices fresh at local markets.

Not having much luck so far finding any nitrate/nitrite salt, any ideas for Manhattan?

24

Kalustyan’s on Lexington between 28th & 29th

The Meadow, 523 Hudson St.

25

Can you be more specific, Bob? [highfive.gif]

26

Lejos, Lejos. Anything a) around the corner from me or b) open later than 9pm Bob?

27

De nada.

28

I came screaming home last Saturday with the spices and hastily prepared the brine. cooled it down warmer than 45 and dunked my meat. Put a plate on top to keep submerged. I was going to do a 5 day soak but due to circumstances stretched it to nine. I was concerned because I was a bit lazy, had it in an open aluminum pot and didn’t stir the brine daily. I think because the brine was warm the outside was a bit brown. When I pulled it out today it smelled ok so I washed it off. I reconstituted a second brine with similar spices for it to soak in as I was doing this in the oven at the apt rather than smoking it on a grill. Well it’s been about 8 hrs now and I finally sliced some off. A bit tough, it might need more time or I just cooked it a bit warm. But it looks and tastes great! Pics to come. I love the flavor from the fresh spices, soo much better than anything you’d buy pre-brined at the supermarket. I highly recommend this recipe! However, not sure how the soak time would affect it if you shortened it.

29

Cook it more. Brisket won’t be tough if cooked enough. And I agree on the spices. You really understand that this is pickled. I am re-inspired by this thread as well and have a brisket in the fridge. I need to get my baby soaking later tonight.

30

http://katzsdelicatessen.com/
They ship.

For pastrami: http://www.langersdeli.com/
They ship, too.

31

Feeling a bit nostalgic tonight, and then saw this thread.

Back in the late 50s, we would drive on Friday nights oh about 10-15 miles maybe from Holden to Worcester, MA. Chadwick Square Meat Market was the name of the market, and we would load up on meat for the week for 8 kids and 2 adults. (Supermarket shopping was done once a month by prior appointment with the that market, due to the large volume my mom purchased. But the meat was a weekly deal, and a special treat to be able to go into that creaky wooden-floored shop).

Sometimes there would be a big barrel of beef going through the corning process, and we would buy it for Sunday dinner. It was always gray - never pink - and it was always boiled at home and always delicious.

They had a gum ball machine there at that market, too. I remember that as quite a treat.

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33

Brent, that looks plenty corned. Did you get it tender?

34

omg. I’m probably going to pull an allnighter for work and Brent’s photo made me hungry.

35

I decided last minute to do a corned beef for tomorrow. I’m not using the nitrus salt, just the spices and only doing an overnight soak. I riffed on/amped up the dosage of the Alton Brown recipe.
3Qts water
1cup Kosher Salt
2 tbsp mustard seed
18 juniper berries
12 whole allspice
12 whole cloves
4 bay leaves, broken
1 clove fresh garlic, chopped
2 oranges, quartered & juice squeezed in
1 white onion sliced
1 whole carrot sliced
1 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp coriander seed
1 whole cinnamon stick, broken
2oz fresh ginger root, sliced
2 tbsp whole black pepper
6lb trimmed brisket, salted and set to room temp, patted and dried

Bring evrything but the meat to boil & simmer for 1/2hr. Cool down liquid to 45deg F. I put it on the fire escape to cool down, now soaking the meat overnight in the brine and cook it in the same liquid tomorrow.

36

Darn, I didn’t see the date of the original post. Then I saw a reply from Bob. He is still with us! Corned beef tomorrow for us. Just the pre-corned stuff, but there will be stout in the pot!

37

Image somehow too big to reply too??? Anyway… this is about the corned beef boiled, then baked with Orange Preserves…

Made a very slightly modified version of this last night. Cooked the corned beef in 2/3 Stout, 1/3 water… and used Apricot Preserves instead of Orange. Just seemed like the thing to do.

HUGE HIT!!!

Muchisimas Gracias.

champagne [cheers.gif] flirtysmile

38

Hmm, I will be curious whether you get much oomph from an overnight pickle. I usually do it for 5-7 days.