Recipe: Homemade Corned Beef

Homemade Corned Beef
Source: Joyce Monschein, June 1991, Cooking Echo
Yield: 8 Servings

1 (4 lb) beef brisket, trimmed
4 quarts hot water
1 1/2 lb salt
2 bay leaves
12 peppercorns
2 garlic cloves
4 tsp pickling spice

Wash and dry trimmed beef. Rub with 3 to 4 tablespoons salt. Dissolve remainder of salt in hot water. Place beef in enameled or glass pot or stone crock and pour salted water over it. Cool. Stir in bay leaf, 6 of the peppercorns, 1 clove of garlic mashed and 2 tsp of pickling spice.

Weight meat with plate or other heavy object so that the meat is completely covered by the brine. Cover pot and refrigerate for 48 hours. Note: the meat will not be pink as it is in commercial corned beef because there is no sodium nitrate in it.

TO COOK:
Wash meat to remove brine, place in pot with boiling water to cover. Add:

6 peppercorns
1 clove mashed garlic
2 tsp pickling spice

Cover and simmer 4 hours or until tender.