Corned Beef At Home: Recipes, Tips, etc.

[Shel_B]

I suppose that for me anyhow, Katz's is in a league of its own.  It doesn't taste like anything else in NYC.  Same for Carnegie, though I prefer Katz's.  I meant to infer that I don't think they really conform to anything typical.  But if what you're looking for is a more solid and straightforward rub that tastes less muddled and more refined, than my recipe might be what you're after.  I've tried to recreate Katz's flavour and its pretty close, but as I suggest above, still distinguishable from Katz's.  Personally, I don't believe ginger belongs, and I feel the absence of allspice generally lends to a more "NYC" style as well.

5 tablespoons kosher salt

4 tablespoons paprika

3 tablespoons coriander seeds

3 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons black peppercorns

2 tablespoons yellow mustard seeds

1 tablespoon white peppercorns

8 cloves garlic, minced

Combine coriander seeds, peppercorns and mustard seeds in a spice grinder. Grind coarsely. Add in remaining ingredients and mix well. Rub is now ready to use. It may be stored refrigerated in an airtight container.

One of the key points, I've found, is to REALLY rub the mixture into the meat.  I mean really go hardcore.  I find this contributes more than anything to getting the flavour I'm pretty sure you're after.

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Thanks - that's a lot closer to what I'd have thought a NYC type spice mixture would be. IAC, I agree wholeheartedly about ginger and allspice, just as I felt that juniper berries and a few other ingredients were "too much."

Bueno, Bueno ..

Shel

[Shel_B]

There might be some recipes in NYC or Deli Cookbooks:

I used to have this cookbook but gave it away. Almost all of the recipes were mostly meat and soups and from Jewish Delis (Both Kosher and non-Kosher) Not terribly useful for a vegetarian like me and I wasn't ambitious enough for many of the meat recipes.

America's Great Delis: Recipes And Traditions from Coast to Coast (Hardcover)

by Sheryll Bellman

Sheryll Bellman page about the book

jayne

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Thanks - following up, that link ultimately led me to some other books with which I was unfamiliar.

Kind regards,

Shel

[Shel_B]

Fresh garlic and lots of it, coriander(lots) ceylon cassia stick, bay leaves, brown mustard seed, little clove, star anise, fenugreek and cardamon. All subject to my whim of the day. Kosher salt with a little saltpeter to preserve the color. Use a choice cut of brisket at the minimum( a Waygu works great) and put all into a two gal freezer zip lock bag in a Pyrex pan for 2-3 weeks in the fridge. That's about as close as i have come but more importantly, I like it and everyone that has had this mixture likes it also.-Dick

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Thanks for jumping in and for your suggestion.

Kind regards,

Shel

[Shel_B]

well here is the recipe.. i believe most if not all of his recipes are very basic... will have to play with it from there on.. but here it is...

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/re...6_36271,00.html

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Thanks!

Shel

[SundaySous]

Bourbon marinade. I have absolutely no basis for this assumption I just like the look on people faces when I recommend it.

Seriously though years ago it would drive us nuts trying to figure out how this beef stand made their Italian Beef. After they sold out to condo development there in the Chicago Tribune is the recipe...Bourbon marinade.

[shar999]

I would love to try and make a corned beef. Does anyone have a great recipe?

[Nina C.]

I never have, but was just considering it today as I read the latest Bon Appetit.

They have instructions, along with a few recipes to make with the corned beef:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/241623

[mydogbites2]

I have made a few in the past. Here is my general brine ratio.

1 cup salt, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/2 tsbp DC #1 disolved in one gallon H2O.

Heat to disolve solids and add aromatics, allow to come to room temp, and then chill to 35-40 F.

You can also use and follow brining directions found on "Morton Instacure" (failsafe method for a first try).

Plenty of pickling spice, black peppercorns & few additional bay leaves are what I use for the aromatic/flavoring... Maybe some additional dried red chillies.

Here is where it gets different.. I like to brine my brisket in an igloo cooler or a 5 gallon bucket instead of taking up all the space in the fridge.. It has to stay cold for 48 hours or so.. so I make a concentrated brine solution and and add ice to compensate.. 8 lbs of ice ~ 1 gallon H2O.. or the full dose of salt, sugar.. etc to 1/2 gallon H2O and then 4-4.5 lbs ice. And feel free to scale it up to whatever amount you may need.

Have your brining vessel clean and cold and add your ice, brisket, and top with the chilled brine to cover and weight with an inverted plate to keep submerged. Put in a cold place and let it soak for 24-72 hours.. I like to go at least 48. You can also speed up the process by injecting or spray injecting the target critter.

Brine time is up.. pull it out rinse it off and burn.. or sprinkle lightly with salt and let dry/cure in the fridge for 6-8 hours or so if you wanted to smoke or attempt a pastrami. Of course you could wrap well and freeze etc..

Good luck,

Kev

[MikeTMD]

I make corned beef on regular basis - seems to be a consistent crowd-pleaser.

First, pick up a good quality beef - I usually use American Kobe brisket, and have also tried AmKobe eye of round (brisket is preferable). My suggestion to you is to call a local meat-cutter - they'd be able to get that brisket for you from whatever supplier they use, and you'll buy it at a wholesale price ($3.80 - $4.00).

Next trim your brisket of extra fat - try to follow natural seams, and don't cut across the grain.

Next prepare the brine - "Charcuterie" book has a good recipe, if you can't look at that book let me know - I'll post it for you. Also, that same book has a basic pickling spice recipe, which is what going to give your beef that desired "corned" flavor - more on that in a moment.

To make brine you will need kosher salt, dextrose/honey, sugar and some type of curing mix. There are many recipes, but I would recommend 70/30 salt/sugar ratio for corned beef, and 60/40 for pastrami. Check www.mortonsalt.com for tips and recipes, also I would strongly suggest Morton® Coarse Kosher Salt and Morton® Tender Quick® as your main brine ingredients. Dextrose is easily available (Asian markets are a good and inexpensive source), feel free to use honey (my preference is to use honey from local farmers, but store-bought products would do as well). Sugar could be of any type, I like light demerara or high-quality brown sugar, rock sugar will add yet another layer of taste - but you'd have to heat some water to dissolve it (rock sugar costs pennies @ Asian markets, BTW).

Next step - pickling spice. You can buy decent spice mix @ Penzey's (www.penzeys.com), but you'll need to add a few things, so your final product stands out. Make your own PS, and the result would be better - I promise (I want to know what goes in any of my mixed products, of any kind!). Pick up any recipe, add a bit more coriander than it calls for, and then.... drum roll, please! - Let’s put some taste into it:

Long Balinese pepper (my favorite spice, at the moment)

Schechuan peppercorns

Star Anise (very little)

Allspice

Juniper berries (literally 2-3, no more)

Crushed cardamom (I prefer green for this application)

Ginger root (fresh, smashed)

Cinnamon (Vietnamese or Ceylon - it smells almost citrus-like)

Yellow Mustard seed

Red chilies (just a few)

Green tea

Cloves (again- very few)

Nutmeg

Mint or tarragon (or both)

Lemongrass stalks

Peanuts (optional)

If you have an African store in your city -check'em out for Grains of Paradise, and the Long Balinese pepper (I couldn't believe the prices). Both would make a nice addition to your pickling spice.

Generally ethnic stores have great prices, although product quality would be lower than that of a premium vendor, esp. as far as spices are concerned.

I would urge to use Schechuan peppercorns - you'll taste the difference.

Next step - brining.

This is a must: all brining must be done @ 36-40F (i.e. in the cooler/fridge) - NO SHORTCUTS.

Don't inject your meat with brine - it wouldn't taste uniform.

Brine your meat in the fridge, completely submerged (very important!) for 4-5 days.

After brining is complete - poach your briskets with plenty bay leaf and black peppercorns until fork tender. Your corned beef is ready!!!

Finally, call a local butcher, and have them vacuum pack your corned beef for you - it will keep frozen a lot longer, and it wouldn't suffer from freezer burns.

Got questions? Ask - I'll answer promptly.

Edited February 20, 2008 by MikeTMD (log)

[Doodad]

I will be this St Pat's. I got Charcuterie for Christmas. Wish I had time to brew a stout, but Guiness has that process down pat.

[Shelby]

Don't forget, you can also use venison for this! Also, we vacuum pack ours using our food saver.

[David Ross]

Wow-you think of corned beef, I think of corned beef, we ALL think of corned beef.

Actually, I've been thinking about making corned beef at home for about a month now in preparation for an upcoming cooking segment on my local ABC affiliate to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. My initial thought was that making corned beef from scratch would be incredibly difficult. But I wanted our viewers to see it could be done quite easily, and the taste would be worth the time.

And I found it was incredibly easy-using just a few ingredients and easy techniques. That hardest part-waiting for the corned beef to cure in the brine for a week, then waiting for it to slowly braise in a low oven. The wait was a killer. But the results, oh so worth it. While the finished homemade corned beef isn't as good as what you'll find in a deli that's been making corned beef for 100 years, it is light years better than that prepackaged stuff you'll find in the supermarket this time of year.

As noted above, I started with the recipe on page 114 of the March 2008 issue of Bon Appetit.

I changed the brine a bit from the printed recipe-I added 2 bottles of beer instead of 2 cups. And I used two different beers. Not so much for taste but because that's what I had in the cupboard. I added bay leaves which weren't in the recipe. One item I forgot to put in the photo that is ESSENTIAL to your corned beef is Sodium Nitrate. You'll find it in the sausage making aisle of a sporting goods store. Sometimes it comes under the brand name "Insta Cure #1." It looks like pink salt. It is both a preservative and an aid in making the corned beef red. Very important.

I placed the corned beef in a large Tupperware container, added the brine, then put the corned beef in the fridge for a week.

After one week I drained off the brine and made a braising liquid per the recipe in Bon Appetit. But I used 2 bottles of beer instead of one, 3 dried red chiles instead of 2, and some pickling spices. I added the brine to a roasting pan, the corned beef, then covered it in foil.

I braised the corned beef for 5 hours at 300 degrees. Here's Mr. Corny Beef after he was brought out of the oven.

This is the finished corned beef on the cutting board ready for slicing.

And finally, slices of the rich corned beef, in all it's gooey, sticky, absolutely delicious fattiness. Later this week I hope to tempt you with a photo of the corned beef in a classic Rueben sandwich. Enjoy.

[David Ross]

Sorry, that last photo was a bit too red and fuzzy. But as promised, here are the results of my attempt at making Corned Beef at home.

Sliced and ready for the Rueben:

And in the classic Rueben-Dark Rye, Homemade Russian Dressing, Sauerkraut, Swiss Cheese, Corned Beef (most of the fat left on). All toasted in a cast iron skillet with a good measure of butter to crisp the bread. Served with a Dill spear:

[ChefCrash]

The last photo is killer David. Nice job.

[Peter the eater]

Very nice job David Ross, I am not at all surprised, and I appreciate your additional comments.

We did something similar this past weekend:

We did not add any nitrate so I'm keen to see the final color of the beef.

[kbjesq]

We did not add any nitrate so I'm keen to see the final color of the beef.

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Umm, I think that you or your guests will be disappointed with the final color if they are expecting "traditional". Here's what happened to mine last year without any nitrate (I basically used Alton Brown's technique, but left out the saltpeter). People said that it tasted good, but didn't look anything like corned beef. This year, I'm just sending my guests to David Ross' house.

[David Ross]

The last photo is killer David. Nice job.

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Thanks for the kind comments. In fact, I am loving my corned beef so much I am having a Rueben Sandwich for breakfast, 752am Pacific Time!

[David Ross]

Sodium Nitrate is essential when making corned beef because it acts as both a preservative and coloring agent. But somebody prove me wrong and give us a photo of a nice pinky-red corned beef made without sodium nitrate. Without adding it to your brine you'll probably end up with tasty meat that is a pretty sad greyish-brown. Remember, the first sensation we use at the table is the sense of vision-quite simply, how good our food looks. If the corned beef looks the way our brains think it should look, i.e. the right color, then our sense of smell and taste will kick in and tell us we're in store for a nice meal of corned beef and cabbage. If the corned beef looks bad, well, let your mind determine if it tells your stomach that dinner will taste o.k.

[nliedel]

My local sporting good store is lacking a sausage making aisle. dag nabbit and I don't have the energy to drive thirty miles and fight the crowd at Cabellas this weekend. Any ideas where I can get the sodium nitrate if I don't have a local source? I'm dying for some good corned beef that does not cost more than my kids shoes.

(Otherwise, I would just fight the crowds at Zingerman's).

[ChefCrash]

My local sporting good store is lacking a sausage making aisle. dag nabbit and I don't have the energy to drive thirty miles and fight the crowd at Cabellas this weekend. Any ideas where I can get the sodium nitrate if I don't have a local source? I'm dying for some good corned beef that does not cost more than my kids shoes.

(Otherwise, I would just fight the crowds at Zingerman's).

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Morton's Tender Quick (sodium nitrate). Find it in the spice, or canning isle at Meijer's or Kroger's.

[David Ross]

My local sporting good store is lacking a sausage making aisle. dag nabbit and I don't have the energy to drive thirty miles and fight the crowd at Cabellas this weekend. Any ideas where I can get the sodium nitrate if I don't have a local source? I'm dying for some good corned beef that does not cost more than my kids shoes.

(Otherwise, I would just fight the crowds at Zingerman's).

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You can also find it in the Sporting Goods section of any Walmart store. Hopefully you've got one close by. Go to the aisle where they have wood chips and smokers. You'll find it in a little clear package, looks like pink salt. Barring that, you would probably have to order it online.

[MikeTMD]

My local sporting good store is lacking a sausage making aisle. dag nabbit and I don't have the energy to drive thirty miles and fight the crowd at Cabellas this weekend. Any ideas where I can get the sodium nitrate if I don't have a local source? I'm dying for some good corned beef that does not cost more than my kids shoes.

(Otherwise, I would just fight the crowds at Zingerman's).

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There are a few sources for you:

www.sausagemaker.com ( look in the "Meat Curing")

www.sausagesource.com

www.butcher-packer.com

[MikeTMD]

I recently had a chance to visit Terminal Market in Philly.

These are the examples of their corned beef and Rueben Sandwiches.

[Brian Brenner]

I have made corned beef several times following the recipe in Ruhlman and Polcyn's "Charcuterie". I totally agree with most comments on this thread. It is extremely easy and you get great results even from a generic "pickling spice blend" provided it has not been sitting on your supermarket shelf forever. If you are on the fence as to whether or not to try your hand at corned beef I would start with the commercial blend of spices just to make life easier. If you can, definitely try and find Kobe brisket. It is significantly better than the standard commercial and still very reasonably priced. If you cannot, making your own is still way better than you get at any deli I've been to. The biggest difference I've found is that in the freshly made corned beef you can really identify the individual components in the spice blend as opposed to just tasting that "corned" flavor. Mind you, these flavors seem to be somewhat volatile and I've noticed flavor degredation over just a few days, so eat up or vac pac to keep that goodness in as much as possible. Bottom line...this is so easy anyone who likes corned beef should try it...I will never buy even from a good deli again.

[jmcgrath]

We did not add any nitrate so I'm keen to see the final color of the beef.

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Umm, I think that you or your guests will be disappointed with the final color if they are expecting "traditional".

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In New England, especially in the Boston area, gray corned beef is more traditional. Both red and gray versions are available in most supermarkets, but gray is much more common. Perhaps "gray" is an Irish tradition.

Jim