Corned Beef 2019

[Jim]

Owen, the color of the powder is added in to distinguish it from table salt. If used as table salt by mistake it could be very dangerous
Your beef should be pink from the nitrates in the instacure/Prague powder.

 

[oc_in_fw]

Owen, the color of the powder is added in to distinguish it from table salt. If used as table salt by mistake it could be very dangerous
Your beef should be pink from the nitrates in the instacure/Prague powder.

Thanks for the info, Jim.

 

[oc_in_fw]

Anyone else doing one?

 

[TexLaw]

I hope to make it over to the store in the next day or two and grab a brisket.

 

[DoctorShavegood]

Anyone else doing one?

I just smoked one so I'm gonna drool over ya'lls.


Come to think of it, how would a cold smoked corned beef brisket comeout? Just simply smoke it for a few hours then throw it in your brine.

 

[TexLaw]

Come to think of it, how would a cold smoked corned beef brisket comeout? Just simply smoke it for a few hours then throw it in your brine.

I bet you'd get no more than a very, very mild smoke note. Nearly all of what you add is going to come off into your brine.

 

[DoctorShavegood]

I bet you'd get no more than a very, very mild smoke note. Nearly all of what you add is going to come off into your brine.

You could be right. How about the opposite? Smoking the brined corned beef. These guys did it and it looks amazing:

 

[AACJ]

Ok, so here's what I've done up until now. Yesterday was very busy for me. I had a bunch of errands to run, plus buy the brisket and spices. But my wife left me a surprise. She bought a pork butt for me to rub. But I couldn't smoke it. We had to make the long arduous journey from Richmond to D.C. to see Fleetwood Mac, then come back the same night as my 16 year old daughter and her boyfriend still had school today. So anyway, I went to my local Fresh Market to get fresh spices and asked the for a beef brisket. He asked what it was for and I told him corned beef. He pointed to the packages of already brined beef. I told him I was making it from scratch and his eyes lit up. Be right back, he said. He came out from behind the counter and brought 5 of his best looking briskets. We looked at each and both he and I agreed on the same one. It was even all around and not too much fat on it, not the best marbling I've seen but not all that bad either. Took it home and shoved it in the fridge. So we went to the concert and made it back to Midlothian at 12:30 am. We put the pork butt in the crock pot and turned it to low and went to bed. When we woke up, the smell of pork filled the air. We took the butt out of the crock and put it in the oven at 190 degrees. Now to concentrate on the brine. I prepared my spice mix yesterday in order to save time today. Got the water started then moved right to trimming. This is what it looked like on side A and B before trimming. And side B after trimming. Got my brine to a boil. Oh, and my wife surprised me with another gift. C&E West Indies Limes Shave Soap. At this point, I am waiting for the sugar and salt to dissolve and have my cooling ice at the ready. Once I poured the ice in it melted right away so I put it in the freezer to chill out. I also put the brisket in the brining bag and shoved it back in the fridge. This is where I am up until this minute, so it's time to enjoy a cup of coffee. I hope my pictures are in line with my narrative. I'm doing this from my smart phone.

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[Ad Astra]

It is the horseradish that matters ... beastly hot, nose-burning, eye-watering, fresh horseradish.

AA

 

[TexLaw]

How about the opposite? Smoking the brined corned beef.

Granted that the rub is as important as the smoking, but that's pretty much how one makes pastrami.

 

[AACJ]

It is the horseradish that matters ... beastly hot, nose-burning, eye-watering, fresh horseradish.

AA

Ah, good point! I suppose I'll have to do my research on horseradish now.

 

[TexLaw]

To that point, I may have to make some horseradish. I have to tell you, though, that I'm pretty happy with Beaver Brand Extra Hot.

 

[oc_in_fw]

Ok, so here's what I've done up until now. Yesterday was very busy for me. I had a bunch of errands to run, plus buy the brisket and spices. But my wife left me a surprise. She bought a pork butt for me to rub. But I couldn't smoke it. We had to make the long arduous journey from Richmond to D.C. to see Fleetwood Mac, then come back the same night as my 16 year old daughter and her boyfriend still had school today. So anyway, I went to my local Fresh Market to get fresh spices and asked the for a beef brisket. He asked what it was for and I told him corned beef. He pointed to the packages of already brined beef. I told him I was making it from scratch and his eyes lit up. Be right back, he said. He came out from behind the counter and brought 5 of his best looking briskets. We looked at each and both he and I agreed on the same one. It was even all around and not too much fat on it, not the best marbling I've seen but not all that bad either. Took it home and shoved it in the fridge. So we went to the concert and made it back to Midlothian at 12:30 am. We put the pork butt in the crock pot and turned it to low and went to bed. When we woke up, the smell of pork filled the air. We took the butt out of the crock and put it in the oven at 190 degrees. Now to concentrate on the brine. I prepared my spice mix yesterday in order to save time today. Got the water started then moved right to trimming. This is what it looked like on side A and B before trimming. And side B after trimming. Got my brine to a boil. Oh, and my wife surprised me with another gift. C&E West Indies Limes Shave Soap. At this point, I am waiting for the sugar and salt to dissolve and have my cooling ice at the ready. Once I poured the ice in it melted right away so I put it in the freezer to chill out. I also put the brisket in the brining bag and shoved it back in the fridge. This is where I am up until this minute, so it's time to enjoy a cup of coffee. I hope my pictures are in line with my narrative. I'm doing this from my smart phone.

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk

And I thought my day was busy.

 

[AACJ]

Brine is sufficiently cooled down so into the bag with the brisket it goes. I used a cardboard box, cut to fit, with some inserts to get maximum brine coverage. See you in 10 days! Update on the pork butt, currently at 168 and slowly rising. What's weird is it looks like a chicken roasting in the oven.

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk

 

[Ad Astra]

To that point, I may have to make some horseradish. I have to tell you, though, that I'm pretty happy with Beaver Brand Extra Hot.

I know it has to be fresh - has a short expiry date - and has to be refrigerated - I think.

AA

 

[TexLaw]

and has to be refrigerated - I think

Oh, yes. It can lose its potency fairly quickly, but not so quickly that you have to toss it only days after. It's pretty cheap, too, so it's easy enough to restock.

 

[StuartT]

I just smoked one so I'm gonna drool over ya'lls.


Come to think of it, how would a cold smoked corned beef brisket comeout? Just simply smoke it for a few hours then throw it in your brine.[/QUOTE
Smoke after brine.

 

[bassman314]

Just measured out my brine ingredients. We are doing 14 lbs (untrimmed), so it will likely be around 11 lbs. Splitting the brisket into 2 slabs.

This is my second year.

 

[AACJ]

Just measured out my brine ingredients. We are doing 14 lbs (untrimmed), so it will likely be around 11 lbs. Splitting the brisket into 2 slabs.

This is my second year.

PICS!!

 

[oc_in_fw]

I may have trimmed off too much fat. Guess we will find out in a little over a week. I have a question, but first let me explain what I did. Alton Brown said to take 2 quarts of water (plus the spices), add 4 to 5 pounds of ice, then a 5 pound brisket, and put that in a 2 gallon bag. Knowing there was no way to fit all of that in the bag, I let the brine cool naturally (it was 36 in my garage that day) and skipped the ice. It took a while, but it cooled. Will this present any problems (ie overspiced)