Clem's Corned Beef

Here I report on my first effort at homemade corned beef.

There is no corn in the recipe. The word "corn" comes from the old English meaning grain-sized (or pellets). Thus, many things can be corn including maize (which eventually came to be known as just "corn"). Cornstarch is also a misleading term as again, there is no corn. Cornstarch is so named because grains such as wheat were also called corn in old English. Cornstarch is just the starch fraction of wheat flour. In the case of corned beef, it is so called because large grains (corns) of salt were used to brine the beef.

Method

Firstly, obtain beef brisket of an amount suitable for your needs.

Prepare the brining solution

• 175 g table salt

• 150 g brown sugar

• 25  g No. 1 Pink Curing Salt (Prague Powder)
  This is pink in color so that it is not mistaken for table salt (it is NOT Himalayan PINK salt).
  It comprises 6.25% Sodium Nitrite and 93.75% table salt (NaCl).
  The nitrite is antimicrobial and helps preserve processed foods. Red meat is red because oxygen binds with the pigment myoglobin in meats. This binding is temporary and when the oxygen is lost, meat turns grey. Nitrite is an alternate to oxygen as a myoglobin binder but the bonds made are more stable. This is why nitrited meats remain that ruddy color - such as in corned beef when nitrite is added.
  Be aware that nitrites when consumed has been shown to cause cancer - in mice.
  However, curing salt is used routinely in commercially processed meats such as bacon, hams and corned beef. As with everything else, eat these in moderation.

• Spices (your choice of blend and now much):
  Roughly grind 2 tablespoons black peppercorns, 1 tablespoon of mustard seeds yellow or black), and 1 tablespoon coriander seeds.
  Reserve a tablespoon of this blend for use in cooking later.

• Add the sugar, salt and ground spices into 1 litre of water.

• Add 6 crushed bay leaves, and 1 teaspoon of allspice powder.

• Boil the mix and then leave it to cool to room temperature.
   

Brining

• Trim the beef brisket to remove silverskin and excess fat.

• Place the beef into a suitably-sized container.

• Add enough cooled brining solution to completely immerse the beef.

• Place in a refrigerator and allow the beef to cure for at least 10 days.

The brisket flats after 10 days in brining solution

Cooking

• At the end of the brining period, remove the beef and wash it to remove brine.
  You may choose at this time to immerse the beef in fresh water to remove some of the salt which has entered the meat.
  The amount of washing/soaking will depend on how salty you prefer your corned beef.
  Remember that the cooking process will remove more salt later.

• Immerse the washed beef with fresh water in a saucepan.

• Add a mirepoix at this stage if you like and the reserved ground spice blend.
  A mirepoix is a trinity of sliced or diced aromatic vegetables viz. carrot, onion and celery.

• Bring the beef to a gentle boil and cover the saucepan.

• Adjust the stove heat to allow a light simmer.

The corned beef briskets being slow cooked with mirepoix and brining spices

• Cook for several hours until the corned beef is tender (breaks apart easily with a knife and fork).

• You are done. Enjoy your effort in a corned beef meal!

After a slow simmer for 6 hours