To Corn Beef
Ingredients
Directions
Make the brine
In a large container, mix 1 gallon of cold water with 1 quart of coarse sea salt, 1 ounce of saltpetre, and 4 ounces of brown sugar until the salt is dissolved.
If scum rises, scald and skim it off, then add more salt, saltpetre, and sugar as needed.
Prepare and submerge the meat
Rub each piece of meat with salt before placing it in the brine.
If the weather is hot, gash the meat to the bone and cover it with salt.
Place a flat stone or weight on the meat to keep it submerged in the brine.
Alternative method
For an alternative method, boil 4 gallons of water with 2 pounds of brown sugar and 6 pounds of coarse sea salt for 20 minutes, skimming off any scum.
The next day, pour this brine over the packed meat in a pickling tub.
Maintain the brine
Boil and strain the brine every two months, adding 3 ounces of brown sugar and ½ pound of coarse sea salt each time.
Sprinkle the meat with salt the next day and wipe it dry before covering it with the brine.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Saltpetre
- Helps cure the meat, keeping its colour pink and slowing spoilage during brining.
- Coarse sea salt
- Seasons the meat and draws out moisture while preserving it in the brine.
- Brown sugar
- Balances the harshness of the salt and adds a mild sweetness to the meat.
The step that matters
Keeping the meat submerged. Meat that rises above the brine cures unevenly and can spoil at the exposed surface. A weight holds every piece under the liquid so the salt and curing agents reach it throughout.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
More corned beef recipes
You might also like
Tomato Soup526 recipes
Brown Bread461 recipes
Mutton Broth292 recipes
Yorkshire Pudding264 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.