Corned Beef

Ingredients

• 1 4-5 lb beef brisket, trimmed
• 1 small onion, quartered
• 1 large carrot, coarsely chopped
• 1 stalk celery, coarsely chopped
• 2 qt water
• 1 C kosher salt
• ½ C brown sugar
• 2 tbs saltpeter
• 1 cinnamon stick, broken into several pieces
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• 8 whole cloves
• 8 whole allspice berries
• 12 whole juniper berries
• 2 bay leaves, crumbled
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• 2 lbs ice

Directions

1. Make Brine: In a large stockpot, combine water, salt, sugar, saltpeter, cinnamon, mustard seeds, peppercorns, cloves, allspice, juniper berries, bay leaves, and ginger. Bring to a boil until salt and sugar dissolve.
2. Cool Brine: Remove from heat, add ice, and stir until melted. Chill if needed until the brine reaches 45°F.
3. Brine Beef: Place brisket in a large zip-top bag or container, add brine, seal, and refrigerate 10 days, turning and stirring daily to keep fully submerged.
4. Rinse: Remove brisket from brine after 10 days and rinse thoroughly under cool water.
5. Cook: Place brisket in a pot with onion, carrot, and celery. Cover with water by 1". Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer gently 2½-3 hours, until fork-tender.
6. Serve: Remove and slice thinly across the grain.