Came Out Well

Periodically I make my own corned beef.  Quite a number of years ago a Kitchen & Co was closing near the blood bank center where I donate platelets.  I stopped in at their clearance where I found Morton Tender Quick salt preparation for curing meat.  At the time I had been keeping my eye open for Pink Curing Salt Number 2 with a respected online kosher source had recommended for making corned beef, but was only able to find one tiny package at an exorbitant price.  This package of curing salt was reduced as part of the store's clearance, it had a basic corned beef recipe on the package, so I got it.

Since my kosher briskets are obtained as flat end on sale, weighing about 800 grams most of the time, only a couple of coffee scoops of salt are needed each time.  This package will last quite a while.  They have a more advanced recipe online at the Morton Tender Quick dedicated site, so I gather the spices and brown sugar needed to make the rub.  Once rubbed, it goes in a plastic freezer bag for five days, inverting the brisket each day.  Then either on Sunday or for shabbos, as this is a special meal, I wash off the salt, fill a pot with water, peppercorns, some prepared pickling spice or bay leaves, an onion, and a carrot, then insert the now cured brisket to boil gently for about three hours.

On previous attempts, it always resulted as recognizable corned beef, though a long way from what the kosher deli would sell at a much higher price.  It's usually tough, somewhat stringy, does not slice readily.  I thought it was because I used this product in lieu of Pink Curing Salt 2 or because my brisket was only the more lean flat half.  Commercial corned beef that the delis make into sandwiches use whole briskets.  Or maybe I did not have a slicing machine to make each slice thin enough.

This spring, Shop-Rite offered clearance kosher briskets a few times.  When discounted enough, by about a third, I get one.  Having accumulated one more than I could comfortably cram into the freezer, I committed myself to another stab at corned beef.  This one came out just right.  Nice and pink, tender.  Tasted almost like what the kosher deli would offer.  I sliced it before shabbos with an electric knife which enabled reasonably thin, even cuts.  Serve with a choice of Dijon or spicy brown mustard on either a shabbos minichallah or Trader Joe's Tuscan Loaf.  Perfect for shabbos dinner and the following day.  Best I've ever made, and enjoyed making it.

Making Corned Beef

Every now and again I go off the deep end.  I wanted to get some curing salt #4 but either did not see a package with a kosher mark or did not want to pay excessively for something used rarely.  As luck would have it, a kitchen store was closing and had Morton's curing salt at half price so I got a package.  There was no instruction on how to use it, as it was white rather than pink.  I inquired with the company and received their curing recipe, which I made a short time later with good success.  The barrier has not been time or spice but the price of kosher brisket.  It apparently sold poorly this Passover with seders largely limited to just a few people, making poultry a better centerpiece than brisket.  Shop-Rite had to clear its briskets, mostly about a pound.  I got the largest of their collection, 1.86 pounds and went about making the dry rub.  It's now curing in a plastic bag to be inverted every morning and evening.  Ready next weekend.

Making Corned Beef

Making corned beef turns out to be less tedious than expected until the final day.  I had purchased a small kosher brisket on clearance some time ago, froze it, never really planned for its use.  A nearby kitchen store had a going out of business sale where I found a package of Morton's curing salt, though no Prague #1 which is what the internet usually says to use.  I wrote to the Morton Salt company for some guidance.  They responded with a fairly easy dry rub that goes in a plastic bag, invert twice a day for five days.  The curing completed today, followed by a somewhat difficult task of removing the cure from the surface.  A wash, three 2.5 hour soakings, and now simmering for another 2.5 hours in water with an onion, carrot, peppercorns and bay leaves.  Make sure there is always water.  In the meantime some lima bean soup from a mix that should be ready about the same time.  Have pumpernickel, mustard, no pickles and some salad greens.  Should be a little off the beaten path, and a lot less expensive than premade at the Shop-Rite Kosher Deli.