Brining Corned Beef

If anyone can help me with the recipe for corning beef I sure would be grateful. I especially need the amount of sodiun nitrate and the length of brine time. I remember the wonderful c.b. that i used to get back east but out here it just does not exsist and I'm mighty tired of supermarket style c.b. that is mostly fat. I sure would love to be able to do my own c.b. brisket to go with my home made rye bread.

Ric,

If you don't mind doing a little research, the April 1997 Cook's Illustrated has an entire section dedicated to brining corn beef. They chose not to use sodium nitrate. If you're in a hurry, I'l post the recipe. Let me know>

mofo 1
Thanks for the info. If memory serves Cooks talked about something they called grey brisket, what ever that is, but I'm looking for the traditional redish/pinkish type of corned beef. Unless I'm mistaken that color can only be obtained with sodium nitrate. So, I'm still looking.

I found this. How does this sound?


1 beef brisket
1/4 tsp salt peter
1/4 C warm water
2 T sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp paprika
1 T mixed pickling spices
3/4 C salt
2 quarts water

Place the meat in a large crock. Dissolve the salt peter in the warm water. Add the next
four ingredients. Dissolve the salt in the 2 quarts of water. Mix everything together and pour over the meat. Be sure the
meat is beneath the surface of the liquid. Refrigerate for three
weeks, turning the meat once or twice per week. Prepare according to any standard
recipe for corned beef.

Salt peter is commonly used in veterinary medicine. Some drugstores carry it. I hope this works for you.

[This message has been edited by mofo1 (edited 10-26-2000).]

MOFO 1
This looks like a winner to me. I'll be trying it real soon. Thanks for your help.

[UniChef]

Saltpeter is a deadly poison (potassium nitrate) and was all but banned by the USDA in 1975. It is no longer allowed for curing cooked meat or sausages, however, it is still allowed very sparingly in making dry-cured sausages such as hard salami, but in greatly reduced amounts.

Commercially cured corned beef is processed with Prague Powder #1 which is sodium nitrite and a salt carrier (at the rate of 1 oz. to 1# salt). It only takes 4 ounces of Praugue Powder to cure 100 lbs of sausage.

For a recipe on corned beef, go to http://www.unichef.com/cornbeef.htm

-Mike

[UniChef]

You may also find this helpful- http://www.unichef.com/sausageglossary.htm