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corned beef and cabbage on a plate with carrots and potatoes

Home Cured Nitrate Free Corned Beef

Home-cured corned beef is easy to make a home
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Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours
Curing time: 5 days
Total Time: 5 days 4 hours 10 minutes

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Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine: American, British, Irish American
Keyword: comfort food, corned beef recipe, home cured corned beef, savory, slow-cooked
Servings: 8
Calories: 424kcal
Author: Anne Lawton

Home Cured Nitrate Free Corned Beef

Equipment

Scale this Recipe 8

Ingredients

  • 1 3 to 4- pound flat-cut beef brisket
  • 3/4 cup sea salt
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 7 cloves garlic 5 for brine
  • 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger or ground
  • 5 1/2 tablespoons pickling spices 4 1/2 for brine & 1 for cooking
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 cup crushed ice
  • Water to cover the meat about 1 to 2 cups
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Instructions

  • Add 3/4 cup sea salt, 1/2 cup sugar, 5 cloves of smashed garlic, 1 teaspoon grated ginger, 4 1/2 tablespoons pickling spices, and 2 bay leaves and 4 cups water to a saucepan and heat it over medium heat. Cook the mixture until the sugar and salt have dissolved.
  • Turn the heat off and add 1 cup of crushed ice to cool the brine off.
  • Once the brine has cooled to room temperature, place it in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
  • Pour the cold brine into a glass or ceramic dish and add the meat to the brine in the casserole dish. Make sure that the meat is completely covered with the brine. Use a plate or something heavy weigh it down if needed. Cover and place it the meat in the refrigerator for five days. Each day flip the meat over.
  • After 5 days (and up to 7) drain and rinse the brine and cook it using your favorite corned beef recipe.

Notes

  • If you don’t like the brownish-gray color, add 1/4 cup of beet juice to the brine for a pinker corned beef.
  • Make sure the top of the beef is submerged throughout the brining process for even brining.
  • To avoid the growth of bacteria, make sure the brine is completely chilled before adding the meat to it.
  • To keep the meat fully submerged, place a weighted object such as a small plate on top of the meat.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 424kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 47g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 141mg | Sodium: 10795mg | Potassium: 808mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 24IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 5mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and can vary based on cooking methods and ingredients used

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