Corned Beef

Corned Beef is a product cured in brine and then slowly cooked until very tender. Many call it “canned meat” or “canned meat”, but this may not be an accurate translation, as the origin of the name comes from the grains of salt originally used in production, which were called “corns of salt”. The word “corn” derives from Old English and is used to describe small particles or grains. Canned meat or carne na can would be the translation for “canned beef” and not “corned beef”, which originates from grains of salt (corns), hence corned beef. The biggest confusion came from the product being traditionally canned, mainly for sending to troops during major wars. It's the type of product I'd rather not translate.

Most recipes include sodium nitrite, which reacts with the myoglobin in the meat and sets the pink color. Is it possible to do without sodium nitrite? Yes, it just won't have the same color and the specific flavor of the cure won't exist either, but it's not a big problem as this recipe is well seasoned. Personally, I prefer to use it, but it is an optional ingredient as the risk of botulism in meat brined and cooked for 3 hours is, if not completely, practically non-existent.

Want to know more about sodium nitrite, read curing salt what it is and how much to use

The recipe has a lot of ingredients, especially condiments, but it is very easy to make.

Ingredients

Pickling spice mix

• 2 pieces of cinnamon stick;
• 14 grams of allspice;
• 20 grams of ground black pepper;
• 12 grams of dry pepperoni;
• 24 bay leaves;
• 20 grams of mustard seed;
• 20 grams of coriander seed;
• 6 grams of ground nutmeg;
• 6 grams of whole cloves;
• 8 grams of powdered ginger.

Mix preparation: mix all the ingredients and quickly pound in a mortar or pulse a few times in the grain grinder/blender/processor. Beforehand, toast the seeds if you want to extract even more flavor.

Brine

• 2 liters of water;
• 200 grams of salt;
• 50 grams of sugar;
• 8 grams of curing salt 1 (6.25% of nitrite and 93.75% of salt);
• 2 crushed garlic cloves;
• 10 grams of pickling spice mix.

Meat

• 1 kg of beef, we use beef brisket

Preparation

1) Bring the water with 10 grams of the spice mix, salt, sugar, curing salt and garlic to a boil for 2 minutes, turn off the heat and wait for it to cool. Soak the meat and refrigerate for 5 days;

2) Remove from the refrigerator and wash the meat under running water;
3) In a large pan, place the meat, cover with water and add another 10 grams of the spice mix;
4) Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook for 3 hours or until the meat is very tender and falling apart;

5) Remove the meat and save the broth to use as a sauce when serving;
6) Cut into thin pieces and serve chilled or warm.

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