Home done Corned Beef advice

[NellyNel]

Hi there! I am planning make my own corned beef for the first time, and was hoping for some advice. I have seen a few different methods with varying amounts of time in the brine. Ranging from 3 days to 10 days. Can anyone chime in on how long and why? Also, I am having my brisket delivered on Saturday, but won't be getting my pink curing salt until next week. Should i freeze the meat in the mean time? Will this ruin everything? I want my corned beef and cabbage to be amazingly delicious...if you have any advice on that, I would appreciate that as well!!! Thanks for any help you can offer!!

[sunshine842]

I've been using a recipe I found right here on Chowhound:

http://www.chow.com/recipes/18629-cor...

I've used it for the last several years -- no pink salt, and it's absolutely delicious. I'll be starting mine next week for St Paddy's.

[jmcarthur8]

When I made my corned beef just the way my mother did, it sat in the brine for 36 hours...unrefrigerated. Any longer and it was too salty to eat.
These days, I refrigerate the brining meat, and by trial and error found that it takes a full week that way. We never had any ill effects from it sitting out in a crock, but better to be safe...

[jpr54_1]

I use a recipe in the Joy of Pickling by Linda Ziedrich
also Mile End Cookbook by Bernnamoff

[NellyNel]

Can I ask how long you brine it for?

[jpr54_1]

I usually brine it for 5-7 days

[NellyNel]

If I get my curing salt in time, I think I will brine 7 days...

Thanks so much !!

[sbp]

How long you need to brine depends on the strength of your brine (ratio of pink salt), thickness of the meat and variables you can't entirely control like density of the particular brisket. I use Ruhlman's recipe as well. You can go an extra day. I then give it a 12 hour rinse in fresh water to remove some of the excess saltiness.

If it's not cured long enough, after you cook you'll notice some gray in the centre - which is just regular cooked brisket, rather than cured and red.

[sandylc]

I use Michael Ruhlman's recipe - it has a pretty strong spice mix that is very good. I think (?) his brine time is 5 days -

http://ruhlman.com/2010/03/corned-bee...

I would freeze the beef.

Homemade is YUM and will spoil you for the slimy bagged stuff!

I steam my cabbage separately, or sometimes make colcannon with cabbage, parsley, and green onions.

Shoot. Now I'll have to go looking for a good brisket.

[NellyNel]

Thanks, Sandy!

I will check out the recipe!

Every year I crave CB & C, and I don't know why I never considered making it before!!

I appreciate your help
Cheers!!

[Monch]

+1 for Rulhman. It is out of this world.

I have gone a full week, in the brine and it turned out great.

However, I steam my brisket and that may make a difference.

Completely agree....THIS guy will not ever buy a grocery store corned beef again.

[sandylc]

I have boiled, baked, and braised corned beef. I think I liked the braised one the best. I also like to cook it fully, then chill it, wrapped, and pressed between two sheet pans with a weight on top. Then slices can be cut thick or thin, eaten cold or gently heated. I'm hungry.

[NellyNel]

mmm braising does sound good, actually... why do you weight it?

God, I'm hungry too!!!!!

[sandylc]

It makes it slice more cleanly when you want thin slices for sandwiches.