How to Make the Best Homemade Corned Beef Brisket
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If you don’t like corned beef, you’re weird. There, I said it. Kidding. Maybe.
I have been making my own homemade corned beef brisket from beef we grow right here on our farm for a couple years now. I needed a recipe free from sodium nitrate and that awful pink curing salt (aka prague powder). I wanted good flavor sans the poison and this is it! The process to make your own corned beef is insanely easy. I get our beef processed at a local butcher shop and ask for the brisket cut into about 8 pieces depending on how big the steer is we are sending.
Well, this year I asked for 6 pieces and this guy was over 1000 pounds hanging weight, so his brisket was enormous. The processor was kind and cut it into way more chunks than just 6 because it was MASSIVE. Throw your pickling brine together, add the brisket, and in just 7 short days you will have the most tender and best corned beef you’ve ever had. Be sure and save this corned beef brisket recipe cause you’ll want it again. Promise! Even better, I’m gonna show you how I can the leftovers and they hold up beautifully to the canning process and in storage! Being able to pop a jar and quickly make reuben sandwiches on a whim for a random Wednesday lunch is my jam!
What is Pickling Spice?
Pickling spice blend is a blend of whole spices; it typically contains some amount of black peppercorns, mustard seeds, coriander seeds, red pepper flakes, allspice berries, juniper berries, and whole cloves. Quite easily, you can just add equal amounts of each and call it good. I have found a brand that I purchase that is my favorite though, so I stick with it. I’ll link that later on in the recipe card.
You can search all over the internet for different pickling spice recipes to find one that suits you! I’m not about to give you a pickling spice recipe I don’t actually use. I cheat, ok?! Pickling spice is necessary for making corned beef so you get that traditional taste in each bite; I’m talking spice, a teeny pinch of sweetness, and a tang that melds together into the most wonderful flavors. Don’t skip it!
Equipment You Will Need:
- Large container with air tight lid
- Large Pot
Ingredients
- Pickling spice blend
- water
- salt
- sugar
- molasses
- fresh garlic
- cinnamon sticks
- bay leaves
- fresh ginger
- 15-20 lb brisket
Let’s get corny!
Step 1: Prepare the Brine
To a large stock pot, add 4 quarts of water. Heat over medium high heat and bring to a boil.
While the water heats, measure out the brine ingredients and add:
- 1 cup salt
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- 3 tbsp pickling spice blend
- 4 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated or thinly sliced
Stir to dissolve the salt and sugar. Once to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and allow to simmer for about 10 minutes. After this time, remove from heat and allow to cool completely.
Step 2: Prep the Beef Brisket
For this recipe size, I use about 15-20 pounds of beef brisket distributed between two 8 quart containers. If the brisket has a huge fat cap, trim some of it off. Once the brisket is trimmed, be sure it’s cut to a size that will fit in the container you’re using to brine it. I usually need to halve the pieces that come from the processor.
Place the brisket into the brining vessel. Completely cover with the COOLED pickling brine liquid, moving the brisket around to make sure it’s completely surrounded by the brine. It is very important that you completely cool the brine because dumping hot brine over the brisket will partially cook it and it will be tough, chewy, and weird when you go to actually cook it… the second time. Don’t do that.
Step 3: Make the Homemade Brisket Brine
Place your container of brisket in the refrigerator or in a cooler on ice for 7 days. I have forgotten about mine once and left it go for over 2 weeks and it was fine. Unnecessary, but fine.
Step 4: Cook
After the brining time is completed, remove the brisket from the brine liquid and rinse with cool water. Add the brisket to a stock pot big enough to hold them all and add enough water to cover the top of the meat.
Add in:
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tbsp pickling spice blend
- 2 onions, halved and peeled
- 2 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
Bring this to a boil in a large pot or dutch oven, then reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 3-4 hours, or until fork tender. Low and slow, that is the tempo! This batch I did recently actually took closer to 5 hours to get nice and tender; likely because it’s such a big batch.
You can also use a crock pot/slow cooker and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours, again testing for fork tenderness. The goal is tender meat!
I do not recommend using a pressure cooker. Corned beef brisket gets more buttery and tender using the stovetop method or the slow cooker for the initial cook. I don’t like it pressure cooked first off, but it does hold up to pressure canning perfectly fine after it’s cooked. You can try it for yourself and see if it suits your preference. I might just be a little picky!
Step 5: Remove from the Pot
If you’re planning on eating it all, disregard the remainder of this post. Remove the brisket from the pot to a heat proof pan with the fat side up, allow to cool just enough to handle. Scrape or pick off any giant pieces of fat still remaining on the brisket. Slice against the grain or shred; whatever you prefer!
I prefer to shred it into big pieces when I’m canning it! You also really want to make sure you get most of the fat scraped off, because things with too much fat don’t can well, especially if they siphon. It can really affect your sealing success rate. It has nothing to do with animal fats going rancid like lots of people think happens (that’s insane) and more to do with sealing. If fat gets between the jar rim and the lid, game over.
Step 6: Pack the Jars
Into prepared pint or quart canning jars, add the shredded corned beef, packing lighlty and keeping below 1″ headspace. Ladle over the cooking liquid to 1″ headspace, de-bubble well, and add more if needed.
Wipe rims well with a cloth with vinegar, add lids and bands.
Step 7: Pressure Can
Place jars in your pressure canner filled with the recommended amount of water.
Pressure can pints for 75 minutes and quarts for 90 minutes at your elevations recommended weight.
Once processing time is up, allow pressure canner to completely depressurize.
Once the canner has depressurized, remove jars from the canner and allow to cool 18-24 hours before removing bands, testing seals, washing, labeling, and storing in a cool dark place. This corned beef will store great on the shelf for 18 months – 2 years for best nutritional value, but will be fine past the 2 year mark as long as the seal is good.
Pressure canning cured meats is considered rebel canning, mostly because I highly doubt they even tested it. Not recommended does not mean it’s illegal or even dangerous; they’re just releasing liability. Do your own research and see what works for you and your family. This is what works for mine and definitely doesn’t mean you have to do it!
Enjoy!
Now that you have homemade corned beef, you are legally obligated to me to make corned beef hash, corned beef and cabbage, and a homemade reuben on fresh milled rye bread! It’s so good!
Equipment
- Large container with air tight lid
- Large pot
Ingredients
- 4 quarts water
- 1 cup salt
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 tbsp molasses
- 5 tbsp pickling spice blend divided
- 6 garlic cloves, crushed divided
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 4 bay leaves divided
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger grated or thinly sliced
- 15-20 pounds beef brisket
- 2 onions halved & peeled
Instructions
- To a large stock pot, add 4 quarts of water. Heat over medium high heat and bring to a boil.
- While the water heats, add the salt, sugar, molasses, 3 tbsp pickling spice blend, 4 crushed garlic cloves, cinnamon sticks, 3 bay leaves, and fresh ginger. Stir to dissolve.
- Once the brine mixture is boiling, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and allow to simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. After this, remove from heat and set aside to cool completely.
- If the brisket has a huge fat cap, trim some of it off. Once the brisket is trimmed, be sure it's cut to a size that will fit in the container you're using to brine it. Trim it down if need be.
- Place the brisket in the brining container. Carefully pour the cooled brine over top and make sure the brisket is completely submerged. Move the brisket pieces around to ensure the brine is touching all sides.
- Add a lid and place the container in the refrigerator or in a cooler with ice and allow to sit for 7 days.
- After the brining time is completed, remove the brisket from the brine liquid and rinse with cool water.
- Add the brisket to a stock pot big enough to hold them all and add enough water to cover the top of the meat. Add in 1 bay leaf, 2 tbsp pickling spice, 2 smashed garlic cloves, and the onions.
- Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and allow to cook for about 4 hours, or until the meat is fork tender.
- Remove the brisket from the pot to a heat proof pan with the fat side up, allow to cool just enough to handle. Scrape or pick off any giant pieces of fat still remaining on the brisket. Slice against the grain or shred; whatever you prefer! Store in an air tight container in the fridge.
Canning
- Place warm brisket pieces into prepared canning jars packing lightly. Ladle over top the cooking liquid keeping everything at 1" headspace. De-bubble and add more liquid if needed.
- Wipe rims well with a vinegar soaked cloth and add lids and bands.
- Place in a pressure canner and pressure can at your elevations recommended weight for 75 minutes for pints or 90 minutes for quarts (meat times).
- After processing, set jars aside to cool for 12-18 hours before removing bands, testing seals, washing jars, labeling, and storing in a cool, dark place away from direct sunlight.
- Shelf life is 18 months to 2 years for best nutritional value, but they will last much longer and as long as the seal is good, they are good.
