Several slices of homemade corned beef in a sandwich on a wooden table.

Bootleg corned beefiness, and its corned beefiness seasoning mix, is crazy easy to brand. It'south substantially brisket that's given a makeover by letting information technology linger in an piece of cake brine with spices and then slowly braised until falling-apart tender. Here's how to make it (including a slow-cooker variation).

Several slices of homemade corned beef in a sandwich on a wooden table.

Homemade corned beef sort of defines Saint Patrick's Twenty-four hour period. And if you've heard of it merely not experienced it, or maybe downed a few sandwiches it just even so aren't exactly certain what corned beefiness is, it's essentially brisket that's lingered in a brine solution of corned beef seasonings for a few days. Information technology becomes a little salty and a little redolent of spices and, equally information technology turns out, it may be good for you.

Run across, its alkali solution is essentially a pickling liquid. And you've certainly heard the buzz in recent years about how healthful pickled things are, yes? Ergo, the only logical affair to do is pickle and swallow copious quantities of corned beefiness. Right?! Or if you don't purchase that, consider that one time a year, we're all Irish. Kindly note, you'll demand to starting time the corned beef about a week before you intend to sit down at the table. #worthit–David Leite

Homemade Corned Beef FAQs

What is first cut brisket?

A whole key brisket weighs 10 to 16 pounds and makes up ii subprimal cuts that are divided by a layer of fat. The 5-to-9-pound "first cut," sometimes chosen the "flat cut," is one complete muscle and is relatively lean. The five-to-7-pound "second cutting," aka the "indicate cut" contains more fat, or deckle, and sits on top. This recipe calls for commencement cut, but I've successfully made information technology with both cuts.

Two images: left the first cut of brisket, the right the second cut of brisket
: Kōsh

What is pinkish table salt?

Pink common salt is a curing salt containing nitrite. It does a few special things to meat: It changes the flavor, preserves the corned beef's red color, prevents fats from developing rancid flavors, and–most importantly in dwelling house curing–prevents many bacteria from growing.

It's sold under various brand names, including tinted cure mix (or T.C.K.), DQ Curing Salt, Prague Mix #1, Curing Salt #1, and Insta-Cure Salt #1. Do non buy Insta Cure #2, which is used for air-cured meats that aren't cooked, such every bit pepperoni, difficult salami, genoa salami, prosciutti hams, dried farmers sausage, capicola, and the similar. And don't confuse this pink salt with Himalayan pinkish salt, which is entirely dissimilar.

Pink Curing Salt : Jes

How can I make this into corned beef and cabbage?

To make corned beef with cabbage and potatoes, first, render the fat from some bacon that y'all've cut into matchstick-size strips or whatsoever size dice in a big bucket or pot over medium heat. Toss in some big wedges or large chunks of green cabbage and cook, turning as needed, until the edges are lightly browned. This volition impart a little actress flavor oomph to the cabbage.

Add some of the reserved cooking liquid from the corned beef to the pot. And then toss some chunked potatoes and the sliced corned beef in with the cabbage, cover, and cook until the cabbage is tender. (If you adopt the potatoes not pick up any cabbage flavor or color, boil them separately in salted water.) Either way, cover and cook until the cabbage and potatoes are tender. The liquid that steams the cabbage then becomes a succulent sauce into which you can, if you like, stir a tablespoon of Dijon mustard.

A white plate with corned beef and cabbage : Brent Hofacker

How tin can I cook this in a slow-cooker?

Place the brined brisket inside your slow cooker and add enough water to cover the meat. If the unabridged brisket won't fit, cutting off a smaller portion that volition fit and reserve the remaining brined brisket. Add 2 tablespoons of the corned beef seasoning pickling mix to the slow cooker and melt on depression until the brisket is fork-tender, well-nigh 7 hours. Remove it from the cooking liquid, which can be reserved for serving if desired.

Slice the corned beef and serve it warm or cool it, wrap it, and air-condition information technology for up to a calendar week. Curious to hear more well-nigh coaxing the perfect corned beefiness from your tedious cooker? Check out what our tester Jackie M. had to say in her TC comment below. (Spoiler alert: She turned her leftover brined brisket into homemade pastrami, natch.)

What's in corned beef seasoning mix?

Corned beef seasoning mixes, or pickling spices, vary from cook to cook. But it's safe to say that black peppercorns, mustard seeds, coriander seeds, allspice, mace, cinnamon, bay leaf, clove, and ginger volition be part of information technology. Ours adds crushed red-pepper flakes for a wee flake of heat.

Bootleg Corned Beefiness

Several slices of homemade corned beef in a sandwich on a wooden table.

Bootleg corned beef is crazy easy to make. It'southward substantially brisket that's given a makeover by letting it linger in an easy alkali with spices and so slowly braised until falling-apart tender. Hither'due south how to make it (including a deadening-cooker variation).

Michael Ruhlman

Prep 30 mins

Cook iii hrs

Full 5 d 3 hrs

x servings | 4.five lbs

309 kcal

  • Slow cooker (if following the tiresome cooker method)

For the pickling spice

  • two tablespoons black peppercorns
  • 2 tablespoons mustard seeds
  • 2 tablespoons coriander seeds
  • two tablespoons crushed red pepper flakes
  • 2 tablespoons allspice berries
  • ane tablespoon ground mace
  • 2 pocket-size cinnamon sticks crushed or broken into pieces
  • 2 to four bay leaves crumbled
  • 2 tablespoons whole cloves
  • 1 tablespoon ground ginger

For the brine solution

  • 1 gallon water
  • two cups Morton kosher salt (or three 1/iii cups/450 yard Diamond Crystal kosher salt)
  • one/ii loving cup granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons pink salt (see FAQs)
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 tablespoons pickling spice (above) (see above recipe or use store-bought)
  • I (5-pound) well-marbled (first-cut) beef brisket

Brand the pickling spice

  • In a pocket-sized, dry skillet over medium rut, toast the peppercorns, mustard seeds, and coriander seeds until the spices are lightly toasted. Carefully turn them onto a cutting board and advisedly boom them using the flat side of a chef's knife to cleft them, being careful to non let the seeds scroll all over your counter and onto your flooring.

  • Scrape the cracked spices into a large plastic container or glass jar or other nonreactive container and add the remaining ingredients. Stir until completely combined. Cover tightly.

Make the brine solution

  • In a pot that's only big plenty to hold the brisket, combine the water, salt, saccharide, pink table salt, garlic, and 2 tablespoons pickling spice. Bring to a simmer, stirring until the common salt and saccharide dissolve. Remove the pot from the heat, let the brine cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until the alkali is completely chilled. For a quick chill: Bring ane/2 gallon of h2o to a simmer, add the brine ingredients, and stir until dissolved. Slide the pot off the heat and add i/2 gallon of ice and water. Brand certain the h2o is cool before adding the brisket.

  • Place the brisket in the chilled brine and weight it with a plate to keep it submerged. Refrigerate for 5 days, flipping the brisket once or twice.

  • Remove the brisket from the brine solution, discarding the brine. Rinse the brisket thoroughly under cool running h2o. (Don't worry, you're only rinsing the brine solution from the surface of the brisket. The brine will continue to permeate the beef and work its considerable magic.)

Cook the corned beefiness

  • To make the corned beef in your slow cooker, see the Slow Cooker Variation beneath.

    To make the corned beefiness on the stovetop, reach in one case over again for a pot just large enough to concord the brisket. Identify the brined brisket inside and add plenty water to cover the meat. Add ii tablespoons of pickling spice and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and gently simmer for about 3 hours, or until the brisket is fork-tender. Y'all want to make certain that there'due south always enough water to cover the brisket. You may need to occasionally replenish the water if it gets too low.

  • When the corned beef is washed, remove it from the cooking liquid, which can be reserved, and identify information technology on a cutting lath. Piece the corned beefiness and serve it warm, with cabbage and potatoes if desired (see the Variation in the FAQs) or cool it, wrap information technology, and refrigerate it for up to a week to utilize in this Reuben sandwich. It's also non likewise shabby in corned beef hash. Y'all can distill the cooking liquid over the cabbage and vegetables or cover and air-condition the liquid and rewarm it along with your leftover corned beef.

Serving: 1 portion Calories: 309 kcal (15%) Carbohydrates: one chiliad Protein: 23 g (46%) Fat: 23 yard (35%) Saturated Fatty: 7 g (44%) Polyunsaturated Fat: i g Monounsaturated Fat: 11 thousand Cholesterol: 84 mg (28%) Sodium: 1898 mg (83%) Potassium: 463 mg (13%) Vitamin C: 42 mg (51%) Calcium: eleven mg (1%) Fe: 3 mg (17%)

David Says

David Leite caricature

This homemade corned beef recipe is so damn adept, information technology'southward almost enough to brand me consider converting back to Catholicism. The One and I absolutely dearest it. I've been making this recipe from Michael Ruhlman for years, and of course, I whip it up every St. Patty's Day. (The first photo below is me going rogue. Instead of using first-cut brisket, I used the uber-fatty second cut, as it was all I had in the freezer. I trimmed much of the fat cap. We'll run across how it turns out. Stay tuned.) Over the years, I've played around a little with the brine ingredients: more than bay leaves, a bit more ginger, more than peppercorns. I don't particularly similar corned beef and cabbage, so The One and I go straight to corned beefiness sandwiches or Reuben sandwiches and, naturally, corned beef hash. When the weather warms up—volition information technology ever happen, God? (I told yous I go really religious-y around corned beef-time)—I desire to make pastrami, which is really just a smoked cousin of corned beefiness.

second-cut-brisket

Well, using the 2nd cut proved to be a wise move. Y'all can always become rid of fat, just yous tin't add together it. Judicious trimming prior to brining and careful carving after the meat was cooked yielded juicy, tender, memorable corned beef--the best I've ever made (below). So from here on out, information technology'due south 2d cutting for united states of america.

Corned Beef Cooked

Recipe Testers' Reviews

Originally published March fourteen, 2011

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