Making Corned Beef

Due to the serious lack of (non-canned) corned beef available here in the UK, we decided to make our own.  Using the recipe here, we purchased a 3lb beef brisket from the butcher, and spices from the local deli.  We made our own pickling spice mix rather than using a pre-made.  We also did not add the sodium nitrate, so our meat isn't pink like a store bought corned beef would be. 

toasting the peppercorn, mustard and coriander seed

all the spices together

Pickling Spice

2 tablespoons black peppercorns

2 tablespoons mustard seeds

2 tablespoons coriander seeds

2 tablespoons hot red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons allspice berries

1 tablespoon ground mace

2 small cinnamon sticks, crushed or broken into pieces

2 to 4 bay leaves, crumbled

2 tablespoons whole cloves

1 tablespoon ground ginger.

Brine mix: 1 gallon of water with 1 1/2 cups salt, 1/2 cup sugar, 3 smashed cloves garlic and 2 tablespoons of our home made pickling spice. Bring to a simmer, stirring until salt and sugar are dissolved. Remove from heat and let coo.

After letting the brine cool we soaked the brisket in it for 5 days in a tupperware in the fridge.  Lovingly turning it every day (when remembered).

When we were ready to eat the corned beef, we cooked it in the slow cooker.  First I rinsed the meat to remove the brine solution, then in the pot it went, with an onion, 2 more tbs of the spice mix, a couple of carrots, and enough water to cover everything.   Cook for 8-10 hours.

The next day we made Ruben sandwiches with home made rye bread. 

Rye bread, thousand island dressing, Swiss cheese, and sourkraut.  Divine!