How To Brine Corned Beef Recipes

Steps:

• In a large stockpot, combine water, kosher salt, brown sugar, 2 tablespoons pickling spices, pink curing salt and garlic. Bring to a simmer, stirring until salt and sugar are dissolved. Remove from heat; cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until chilled., Place 1 large oven roasting bag inside another. Place brisket inside inner bag; pour in cooled brine. Seal bags, pressing out as much air as possible; turn to coat meat. Refrigerate 10 days, turning occasionally to keep meat coated. Remove brisket from brine; rinse thoroughly. Place in a Dutch oven with water to cover. Add carrots, onions, celery and remaining pickling spices. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, adding water if necessary to keep brisket covered, until meat is tender, about 3 hours., Serve warm or cool. Slice brisket thinly and serve in a sandwich or with additional vegetables simmered until tender in cooking liquid. , To make ahead: Refrigerate meat in cooking liquid for several days; reheat in liquid.

Steps:

• Brine the brisket: In a medium pot set over high heat, combine about a gallon of water, the salt, the sugar, the garlic, 3 tablespoons pickling spices and the pink curing salt. Stir mixture as it heats until sugar and salt are dissolved, about 1 minute. Transfer liquid to a container large enough for the brine and the brisket, then refrigerate until liquid is cool.
• Place brisket in the cooled liquid and weigh the meat down with a plate so it is submerged. Cover container and place in the refrigerator for 5 days, or up to 7 days, turning every day or so.
• To cook brisket, remove it from the brine and rinse under cool water. Place in a pot just large enough to hold it and cover with one of the beers and one of the ginger beers. If you need more liquid to cover the meat, add enough of the other beer, and the other ginger beer, to do so. Add remaining 2 tablespoons pickling spices. Bring to a boil over high heat, then turn heat to low so liquid is barely simmering. Cover and let cook until you can easily insert a fork into the meat, about 3 hours, adding water along the way if needed to cover the brisket.
• Keep warm until serving, or let cool in the liquid and reheat when ready to eat, up to three or four days. Slice thinly and serve on sandwiches, in Irish tacos (see recipe) or with carrots and cabbage simmered until tender in the cooking liquid.

Steps:

• To make brine, place 2 quarts of water plus the next 12 ingredients in a large 6-8 quart stock pot; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until sugar and salts have dissolved, 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat; add ice and and stir until ice has melted. Place brine in the refrigerator and allow to cool completely. Place a 3-4 gallon resealable plastic bag inside a large baking dish or roasting pan; add brisket and pour brine over beef. Seal bag, removing as much air as possible, ensuring brisket is completely submerged. Transfer to refrigerator; allow to rest for 10 days, agitating bag occasionally to redistribute spices and liquid. , After 10 days, remove brisket from brine; rinse brisket thoroughly and discard brine. To braise brisket, preheat oven to 300°. Place carrots, celery and onion in large roasting pan; pour remaining 2 cups of water into pan until water level is 1/2-inch high. Place brisket over vegetables and cover with aluminum foil; transfer to oven. Cook, covered, until very tender about 5-6 hours. , Remove brisket from roasting pan, discarding vegetables and cooking juices; tent beef with foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving. Or, to slice for Reuben sandwiches, wrap corned beef well with plastic wrap after cooling for 10 minutes; place in refrigerator and allow to cool completely overnight. Slice thinly against grain.