Recipe: Home-Corned Beef

HOME-CORNED BEEF

1 (5-6 lb.) beef brisket
FOR THE BRINE:
For every gallon of water, you will need:
2 cups Kosher salt
2 cups dark brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
4 tsp. saltpeter (available in most drugstores as sodium nitrate)
2 tsp. allspice, optional
1 to 2 cloves garlic, optional

Mix the brine ingredients with 1 quart of water and when blended and dissolved, add the remainder of the gallon of water.

Wipe the brisket with a damp cloth and pierce deeply with a heavy fork several times. Place the brisket in a glass, porcelain or earthenware container (never metal), and add brine mixture until the meat is immersed and brine level is about 1-1/2 inches above the meat.

Cover container with a board weighted in place. Store in the refrigerator 8-12 days. The beef will become saltier the longer it is soaked.

When ready to cook beef, discard the brine. Rinse the beef in cold water, place in a kettle of cold water and bring to a boil. Simmer 1 hour.

Pour off water, add fresh boiling water to cover. Simmer until tender, 4 to 4 1/2 hours.

To serve, slice against grain.

Source: Texas Beef Council