# Who is corning their own beef brisket in preparation for St Paddy's day?



## forktender (Feb 20, 2021)

I'm thinking about giving it a go for the first time ever. Talk to me about your process and how many days in the brine.
Thank you.
Dan


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## tropics (Feb 20, 2021)

Dan I have made mine using Pops   Brine with Pickling spice added for 2 weeks they always come out great.
Richie


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## tx smoker (Feb 20, 2021)

This is the method I've used numerous times and it's always been fantastic. The tutorial sounds far more complicated than it is. The process is actually very simple, he just puts in a lot of detail. A couple friends also use this for pastrami and swear it's the best they have ever had.






						Corned Beef and Pastrami by SQWIB
					

This has been a long time coming and to be quite honest I'm glad it's over.  If I find ant discrepancies I'll fix them later but for now I'm spent!  Corned Beef and Pastrami   Pastrami Shown above.  February 21st, 1st day Step 1 Game plan  You will need a game plan as to what your intentions...




					www.smokingmeatforums.com
				




Keep us posted.
Robert


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## smokeymose (Feb 20, 2021)

Ditto what tropics said.


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## SmokinEdge (Feb 20, 2021)

tropics said:


> Dan I have made mine using Pops   Brine with Pickling spice added for 2 weeks they always come out great.
> Richie


I agree. This is a great way to introduce yourself to curing. Follow the recipe and you will enjoy the results.


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## bill ace 350 (Feb 20, 2021)

tropics said:


> Dan I have made mine using Pops   Brine with Pickling spice added for 2 weeks they always come out great.
> Richie


Yup. Pop's Brine is a winner.


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## bill ace 350 (Feb 20, 2021)

I agree with Tropics. Cant go wrong with Pop's .

I am going to try Morton's recipe using Tenderquick for a comparison. 
So many people seem to despise tenderquick,  and I don't know why.


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## SmokinEdge (Feb 20, 2021)

bill ace 350 said:


> I agree with Tropics. Cant go wrong with Pop's .
> 
> I am going to try Morton's recipe using Tenderquick for a comparison.
> So many people seem to despise tenderquick,  and I don't know why.


TQ is too salty for my taste. Will only use in a pinch. Plus it contains nitrate which is not needed for most curing applications. Morton even states on their website that TQ is not recommended for making bacon. I’m thinking that is because of the nitrate, which the FDA says should not be used in bacon.


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## SmokinAl (Feb 20, 2021)

The only thing I don’t like about a wet brine is the texture of the pastrami when it’s done. I definitely prefer a dry cure. Here’s what I do, take it or leave it!





						PASTRAMI FROM SCRATCH ON THE LANG
					

I was in the grocery store the other day with Judy & she was looking for something & I said I'm going to check out the meat dept.  It so happens the meat mgr. was standing by the beef & I asked him if he had any brisket flats around 8 lbs.  He came back with this guy, a real nice Angus choice...




					www.smokingmeatforums.com
				



Al


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## HalfSmoked (Feb 20, 2021)

Waiting this one out I have never done one either but for sure do like corned beef.
TQ can be salty but I do Bear Carvers Canadian bacon all the time using TQ with great results.

Warren


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## forktender (Feb 21, 2021)

I'm going to mix up 2 gallons of Pop's brine after I get the brisket trimmed up.
I have no idea how much pickling spice to use though I still have to read through Robert's recipe to see if it gives me a starting point for the pickling spice amount. Thanks guys I'll keep you posted on how this works out.

Dan


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## forktender (Feb 21, 2021)

tx smoker said:


> This is the method I've used numerous times and it's always been fantastic. The tutorial sounds far more complicated than it is. The process is actually very simple, he just puts in a lot of detail. A couple friends also use this for pastrami and swear it's the best they have ever had.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I just read through this recipe, and it's way too confusing for my A.D.D self. LOL
Thank you for posting it though Robert, I need simple like Pop's brine and the amount of pickling spice per gallon of H2o. I'll keep looking for an ubar simple recipe.
Thanks again.
Dan


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## forktender (Feb 21, 2021)

Ok I just found my Charcuterie book and the measurement for the pickling spice for 1 gallon is 2 tablespoons of store bought pickling spice and 2 cloves of crushed garlic.

I'm not going to use this recipe I'm going to use Pop's recipe with the pickling spice measurements from this recipe.












I'll let you know when I finalize my mixture of recipes I have one more book that I want to check out before I settle on a final recipe.

Thanks a bunch.
Dan


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## forktender (Feb 22, 2021)

Rytek's meat curing book calls for 1 "handful" of pickling spice for 2 gallons of cure. That is approx. 4 tablespoons per gallon of cure.
 I guess I'll go 3 tablespoons of pickling spice to be somewhere in the middle of each recipe. 
Dan


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## kawboy (Feb 22, 2021)

I use Bear's TQ method fairly often. I use chuck roast usually with great results.


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## hoity toit (Feb 22, 2021)

forktender said:


> I'm thinking about giving it a go for the first time ever. Talk to me about your process and how many days in the brine.
> Thank you.
> Dan


I go 14 days in the brine, POPS BRINE of course ! The best.

HT


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## forktender (Feb 22, 2021)

Since Pop's said that the meat will only take on as much as it will take and up to 30 days if fine.
 I'm planning on putting them in the brine some time this week, so they are ready for St Paddy's day supper.
I was only going to do one brisket, but I might just do both of them and keep the point off of the biggest one to make up some burnt ends, and I'll make burger out of the scraps and oddball cutoff pieces. 
I'll render down most of the fat scraps too make a few jars of tallow to put up for roasting veggies and frying country fried steak and asada for street tacos.


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## HalfSmoked (Feb 22, 2021)

kawboy said:


> I use Bear's TQ method fairly often. I use chuck roast usually with great results.



I'm confused nothing new for an old man. But if I understand this right you use chuck roast to make corn beef?

Warren


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## HalfSmoked (Feb 22, 2021)

Forktender thanks for the like it is appreciated.

Warren


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## kawboy (Feb 23, 2021)

HalfSmoked said:


> I'm confused nothing new for an old man. But if I understand this right you use chuck roast to make corn beef?
> 
> Warren


That is correct. Turns out wonderful, and much cheaper.


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## Inscrutable (Feb 23, 2021)

kawboy said:


> That is correct. Turns out wonderful, and much cheaper.



Yup ... have done that ... also have done top round ... much much leaner, so not quite as good or tender, but consistent taste and probably healthier.


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## HalfSmoked (Feb 23, 2021)

Thanks for the like kawboy it is appreciated. 

Yup save a buck where you can I guess you could use other cuts as well.

Warren


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## Smoking Allowed (Feb 24, 2021)

I'm gathering the stuff to do this, but I have a question. Does it matter what type of pan, pot, bucket, etc. that I brine the brisket in? By that, I mean does it matter if it's aluminum, stainless, or plastic? I'm trying to find something that holds 2 gallons of brine plus brisket, yet fits in my refrigerator.

This is my first attempt at anything like this.


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## forktender (Feb 24, 2021)

You don't want to ever brine in aluminum. But you can use aluminum as long as you use a food grade plastic brine bag. I use plastic Cambro containers because they fit perfectly into my garage frig.
I either use these.






Or these depending on how much meat I am brining these.


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## forktender (Feb 24, 2021)

I'm curious how many people have used Pop's low salt brine and how they liked it?

I'm getting ready to brine up 3 brisket, I might go in between Pop's reg brine and his low salt brine to get a middle of the road result hopefully.


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## Inscrutable (Feb 25, 2021)

Smoking Allowed said:


> I'm gathering the stuff to do this, but I have a question. Does it matter what type of pan, pot, bucket, etc. that I brine the brisket in? By that, I mean does it matter if it's aluminum, stainless, or plastic? I'm trying to find something that holds 2 gallons of brine plus brisket, yet fits in my refrigerator.
> 
> This is my first attempt at anything like this.


Avoid anything metallic ... brine will have far more salinity than seawater, and you know how corrosive that can be. I use food grade plastics (usually 3gal ziplocs, multiple when needed, placed in refrigerator crisper trays (And that coldest part of fridge to boot).
Of course those reusable tubs will hold more and save some $


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## Smoking Allowed (Feb 25, 2021)

forktender said:


> You don't want to ever brine in aluminum. ...





Inscrutable said:


> Avoid anything metallic..


Thanks, this is what I suspected...


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## forktender (Feb 25, 2021)

Inscrutable said:


> Avoid anything metallic ... brine will have far more salinity than seawater, and you know how corrosive that can be. I use food grade plastics (usually 3gal ziplocs, multiple when needed, placed in refrigerator crisper trays (And that coldest part of fridge to boot).
> Of course those reusable tubs will hold more and save some $


They are super cheap at the local restaurant supply store as well under $20 for both on styles sale.
I have a wide verity of them from 30 qt down to 2 qt for sauces and leftovers. I love me some Cambro's my wife hates them she wants pretty containers. Well there ain't nothing pretty about me, I go for longevity and functionality 100% of the time. They freeze great as well!


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## chopsaw (Feb 25, 2021)

forktender said:


> I'm curious how many people have used Pop's low salt brine and how they liked it?


I mix it with 1/2 cup pickling salt , 1/2 cup white and 1/2 cup brown sugar . Perfect salt level for me . 


forktender said:


> I'm not going to use this recipe I'm going to use Pop's recipe with the pickling spice measurements from this recipe.


Good . I have that book . Be careful . There are what I consider to be errors in his formulas . HOWEVER , I do use the pickling spice recipe on page 68 . It's really good .


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## forktender (Feb 25, 2021)

chopsaw said:


> I mix it with 1/2 cup pickling salt , 1/2 cup white and 1/2 cup brown sugar . Perfect salt level for me .
> 
> Good . I have that book . Be careful . There are what I consider to be errors in his formulas . HOWEVER , I do use the pickling spice recipe on page 68 . It's really good .


I'm assuming that you are talking about Pop's brine, am I correct?
If so what amount of cure would be safe per gallon of H2o?
Thank you, your salt and sugar amounts are exactly what I was going to go with. I have 10 cups of pickling spice that I got from an old local butcher that is really good as well, so I shouldn't need to make any for a while. (It's vacuum sealed, so it should last awhile.)


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## chopsaw (Feb 25, 2021)

forktender said:


> I'm assuming that you are talking about Pop's brine, am I correct?




Yes . Pop's brine . I noted " pickling salt " because it's not by weight , and that's a fine grain salt . 
I use Pop's lead on the cure and other amounts for salt and sugar . 
So per gallon of water I use 1 Tablespoon cure one . 
I was thinking today it would be cheaper to buy a spice if you don't have the stuff on the shelf to make it up .


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## forktender (Feb 26, 2021)

chopsaw said:


> Yes . Pop's brine . I noted " pickling salt " because it's not by weight , and that's a fine grain salt .
> I use Pop's lead on the cure and other amounts for salt and sugar .
> So per gallon of water I use 1 Tablespoon cure one .
> I was thinking today it would be cheaper to buy a spice if you don't have the stuff on the shelf to make it up ..





Thanks for that, I would hope a guy that worked in the industry would know that there is an enough wiggle room if in fact there is enough wiggle room to call out measurements in tablespoons and not by grams. (Personally I don't know so when I see measurements such as those I always tend to go a smidgen heavy instead of light just to be safe). I'll pick up some pickling salt if I don't have any fine seas salt which I'm pretty sure that I do. Thanks for alerting me to this though I really appreciate it.
I have enough cure #1 & pickling spice to last me a lifetime, so I'm good there.LOL

Thanks again.
Dan


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## Inscrutable (Feb 26, 2021)

forktender said:


> They are super cheap at the local restaurant supply store as well under $20 for both on styles sale.
> I have a wide verity of them from 30 qt down to 2 qt for sauces and leftovers. I love me some Cambro's my wife hates them she wants pretty containers. Well there ain't nothing pretty about me, I go for longevity and functionality 100% of the time. They freeze great as well!


Haven’t seen those low profile ones on Amazon ... guess have to find a restaurant supply store (?)


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## chopsaw (Feb 26, 2021)

forktender said:


> I'll pick up some pickling salt if I don't have any fine seas salt which I'm pretty sure that I do.


That works , or kosher salt . Your right , the volume will be close enough either way .


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## Smoking Allowed (Feb 26, 2021)

I've made the leap. I made up Pop's brine for 2 gallons and added crushed garlic and 4 tablespoons of pickling spice per a recipe I found on here, but have since lost.

Separated the point and flat of a whole brisket and trimmed off a lot of fat. Into an 18qt square poly container and into the refrigerator for a 2 week soak.

My plans are traditional corned beef for the flat and pastrami for the point using this recipe by thirdeye for the rub https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/pastrami-wet-brine.302811/#post-2151312


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## Smoking Allowed (Feb 26, 2021)

After all of the work, my wife points out to me that Aldi's has USDA Choice corned beef brisket points on sale this week for $1.99/lb. I assured her that mine will be much better.


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## forktender (Feb 26, 2021)

Inscrutable said:


> Haven’t seen those low profile ones on Amazon ... guess have to find a restaurant supply store (?)


Don't buy it off Amazon they will break off in you price wise they are 3-4X too high.

You can also find the gray food service totes that are 20" long X15 wide X7" deep with a lid.
They are the gray totes that you see dirty dishes in near trash cans at most restaurant diners and bars. If you have a Smart And Final near you they normally have them or can order them for you. They are probably the cheapest way too go at under $10 for tote and lid which is sold separately. They make great meat mixing totes for grinding meat as well. I like them best because they fit on the refer shelf for holding fresh caught Salmon, Tuna, Halibut, White Seabass, Ling Cod ànd Rockfish, or Ducks, Geese, Hogs,and Venison.
Gray food service totes.
I'll add a picture when I'm done trimming up these brisket later this evening.


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## forktender (Feb 26, 2021)

chopsaw said:


> That works , or kosher salt . Your right , the volume will be close enough either way .


I'm going to convert all the measurements over too grams so I know I get it right. I'm curing up 2-3 brisket and want to make sure I get this done correctly. This is my first go at curing these things up.

I'll make a post with all of the gram measurements and anything else I add to the recipe.

Take care.
Dan


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## forktender (Feb 26, 2021)

Im planning on using 1/4 cup 
of pickling spice as We like the flavor. Do you think that is enough or to much?

If you could respond tonight I would really appreciate it as I'm making up the brine tonight.

Thanks a bunch.
Dan


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## chopsaw (Feb 26, 2021)

You putting all the meat in together ?


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## chopsaw (Feb 26, 2021)

I think that would work . 3 gallons of brine ?


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## forktender (Feb 26, 2021)

chopsaw said:


> You putting all the meat in together ?


Yes, there are 6 good size chunks 2-2 1/2' thick that are going into the brine.
I used 1/2 salt like you recommend. The 1/4 cup pickling spice I can always add more if need be. This is a 2 gallon brine batch.


I have more Burger than I know what to do with. LOL!!!

I also cut up 2 prime Chuck roast too mix into the brisket grind pile I think it gives the burgers a much better bite.

Thanks a bunch.
Dan


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## forktender (Feb 27, 2021)

kawboy said:


> That is correct. Turns out wonderful, and much cheaper.


Chuck roast out here cost almost twice as much as brisket out here in CA.
I know people that use Eye Of Round for corned beef I'm actually going to pick a few up to add to my brine.
I thought I would get a lot more trimmed meat than I did out of 3  prime brisket. I'll have enough burger for the summer with the trim I got off the three prime brisket I also added two prime Chuck Roasts to the grind pile because it holds the burger together and gives the burgers a better mouth feel in my opinion.


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## forktender (Feb 27, 2021)

chopsaw said:


> I think that would work . 3 gallons of brine ?


Two gallons 4 TBSP of pickling spice per gallon is what I went with. I found that amount in one of my curing books, so I rolled with it.


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## forktender (Feb 27, 2021)

Okay here is what I went with.

"I made two gallons Pop's (lower) salt brine"
I converted everything to grams, so it's more accurate and easier to duplicate for me.
I need simple when I'm doing something for the first time. So here are my gram conversions I either rounded up or down depending on which was closer.

#1 curing salt- 35grams=2TBSP.
Fine sea salt-125grams=1C.
White & brown sugar 125grams=1C of each.
That is for 2 gallons of base brine.

Then for the Corn beef  spices I used the following.
Store bought Pickling spice=95grams=1/2 cup+ a touch.
Dehydrated onion-30grams= 2TBSP.
Celery seed-15 grams= 1TBSP.
Allspice- 3grams= 1/2tsp+ a touch.
Whole cloves= 10.
1 Whole bulb of garlic de-papered & smashed.

We will see how this turns out I'm kinda excited and hope it lives up to my expectations.

Let me know how bad I botched my conversions.

*"Edited by me several times due to nine Shiner Bock's"*


Thanks for reading.
Dan


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## chopsaw (Feb 27, 2021)

Sounds like you have it figured out . Just make sure the brine covers everything . If it doesn't , make another gallon . I don't half Pop's formula . I always do it by full gallons . That's what his amounts are based on . 
I'm sure this will be good . Do you have a SV ? Last time I did pastrami I followed Al's method of smoke then SV . Came out really good .


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## forktender (Feb 27, 2021)

chopsaw said:


> Sounds like you have it figured out . Just make sure the brine covers everything . If it doesn't , make another gallon . I don't half Pop's formula . I always do it by full gallons . That's what his amounts are based on .
> I'm sure this will be good . Do you have a SV ? Last time I did pastrami I followed Al's method of smoke then SV . Came out really good .


The 2 gallons covered everything by over an inch then I filled a 2 gallon Ziploc bag half full of water and  sucked the air out to use it as a weight to make sure everything stays submerged  in the brine. I'm going to look for a few nice Eye Of The Round to toss into the brine this afternoon. I'll inject brine into them to make sure I get full penetration of the brine with in the 18 days that they will be in the brine.
Furthermore, I'll turn the chunks of meat every few days to make sure they get brined thoroughly.

I won't be making pastrami this time around everything will be used for St Paddy's Day supper. 
Yes, I do have an Inkbird SV machine and for sure I'll be making Al's Pastrami soon.

Thank you for your help I really appreciate it.
Dan


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## Steve C. (Feb 28, 2021)

forktender said:


> I'm thinking about giving it a go for the first time ever. Talk to me about your process and how many days in the brine.
> Thank you.
> Dan



I just posted my recipe and procedure in a different forum but I don't think it's been "approved" to be posted yet.... <sigh>


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## forktender (Mar 1, 2021)

Steve C. said:


> I just posted my recipe and procedure in a different forum but I don't think it's been "approved" to be posted yet.... <sigh>


The meat is in the brine already... fingers crossed. LOL!!!


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## noboundaries (Mar 6, 2021)

I'll be corning a flat for the first time. Going to use a semi-wet brine like I do with loins and butts, but using proper pickling spices. A semi-wet brine seems to work as well and saves space. I brine in 1 or 2 gallon Ziplocks. If I see tri tips on sale this week, I'll corn one of them, too. 

Will definitely use Prague #1, but less salt than most recipes call for. I had to pre-soak and change water for 12+ hours the last few commercial corned beefs I bought because they were too dang salty. They were cheap, though; corned brisket points, flats, and beef rounds for 39 cents a pound after St. Patrick's Day.


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## noboundaries (Mar 8, 2021)

Started my "space saver corned brisket" this morning. 4 lb brisket flat, trimmed of 9 ounces of fat, and cut in half. Pickling spices, garlic cloves, brown sugar, and salts (Prague #1 and fine sea salt) added to 3 cups water. I created a spreadsheet that does the calculations for ingredient amounts. Double bagged in Ziplocks with air squeezed out. Will flip daily. 

Thickest piece  is about 1 1/2 inches.  The rest is closer to an inch. Planning on 7 days of brine.


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## forktender (Mar 8, 2021)

Awesome, I can't wait to hear how it turns out.

My outside/ garage frig smells amazing I think these are going to be awesome if the saltiness is right.


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## BrianGSDTexoma (Mar 8, 2021)

My chuck looking good.  It may not make it to St Paddy's day!


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## GonnaSmoke (Mar 8, 2021)

BrianGSDTexoma said:


> My chuck looking good.  It may not make it to St Paddy's day!
> 
> View attachment 488269


Yeah, around my house, that probably wouldn't make it.....


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## forktender (Mar 13, 2021)

GonnaSmoke said:


> Yeah, around my house, that probably wouldn't make it.....


Same here, last year even with reduced numbers at Ma's house due to C-19 we still cooked up 6 big bruiser corned beefs. I swear I can eat a whole one by myself, but I really look forward to the sandwiches and hash in the days after, If you think we go through a lot of C.B. you should see the empty bottles of Red Breast and Jameson's.


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## noboundaries (Mar 15, 2021)

Boiled up my corned beef today. Waiting on the potatoes as I type. 7 day cure. Beef came out corned red from the Prague #1 and very mild flavor. No soak at all needed to desalt, which was great! Next time, I'll use less brown sugar and more garlic. Salt level is low enough that the eater can adjust the flavor with table salt. I'm calling this first attempt a success! Going to find a $2.98/lb Select grade tri tip and make pastrami next.

Edit: always double bag when brining. The second day, when I went to flip the brining bags, the outside was wet and sticky. Ah, crap, a leak. Transferred everything to two new bags and scrubbed the fridge. No leaks rest of week.


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## forktender (Mar 15, 2021)

noboundaries said:


> Boiled up my corned beef today. Waiting on the potatoes as I type. 7 day cure. Beef came out corned red from the Prague #1 and very mild flavor. No soak at all needed to desalt, which was great! Next time, I'll use less brown sugar and more garlic. Salt level is low enough that the eater can adjust the flavor with table salt. I'm calling this first attempt a success! Going to find a $2.98/lb Select grade tri tip and make pastrami next.
> 
> Edit: always double bag when brining. The second day, when I went to flip the brining bags, the outside was wet and sticky. Ah, crap, a leak. Transferred everything to two new bags and scrubbed the fridge. No leaks rest of week.
> 
> View attachment 489316


Damn, that looks great…how long did you simmer it for and did you add beer to the braising liquid?

My Ma taught me to add two halved yellow onions, 1 tall Bud heavies, 2 tall Guinness beer to the pot and a palm full of pickling spice. That is for a big pot that has 4-6 roasts in it.  I'm pulling mine out of the brine tomorrow depending on how I feel I might cook some up for supper so all I have to do on Paddy's day is to reheat them.

I've heard of people cooking them in the oven I just don't know how to do it. I've had it cooked in the oven, and it was excellent I guess I need to learn how to do it. It just makes sense to me that it would be more flavorful if it wasn't boiled.

Nice job on the C.B.
Dan


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## noboundaries (Mar 15, 2021)

Hey, Dan. I did a medium simmer in water and pickling spices for three hours until probe tender. My wife isn't a fan of beer braising so I kept it simple. Usually, I simmer the commercial ones with water, onion, and garlic. I pull them out and boil the potatoes in the simmer water, adding shredded cabbage as the potatoes are almost done.

Today, I wanted to really taste the results of my corning recipe. When the meat was ready, I pulled it from the pot and shredded it. Boiled four cubed/peeled baking potatoes in a separate pot with a couple Tbs of butter, tsp of salt, and 2 cups of simmer liquid. Skipped the cabbage.

We put the tender potatoes in a bowl, added the shredded meat, and added a little more of the simmer water. Turned out great with a little salt to taste.

We both agreed to skip the brown sugar in the next brine. It mellowed the flavor too much.

Happy early St. Patrick Day!

Ray


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## Inscrutable (Mar 16, 2021)

noboundaries said:


> Edit: always double bag when brining. The second day, when I went to flip the brining bags, the outside was wet and sticky. Ah, crap, a leak. Transferred everything to two new bags and scrubbed the fridge. No leaks rest of week.


Yeah, happens to me too ... actually as we speak with 2 chucks corning ... I always put them in the garage fridge and in a bottom crisper tray for the cuts that fit ... easy wash/rinse in the garage slop sink.


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## forktender (Mar 16, 2021)

noboundaries said:


> Hey, Dan. I did a medium simmer in water and pickling spices for three hours until probe tender. My wife isn't a fan of beer braising so I kept it simple. Usually, I simmer the commercial ones with water, onion, and garlic. I pull them out and boil the potatoes in the simmer water, adding shredded cabbage as the potatoes are almost done.
> 
> Today, I wanted to really taste the results of my corning recipe. When the meat was ready, I pulled it from the pot and shredded it. Boiled four cubed/peeled baking potatoes in a separate pot with a couple Tbs of butter, tsp of salt, and 2 cups of simmer liquid. Skipped the cabbage.
> 
> ...


Yum, that sounds great. I had a rough night with my back last night I didn't sleep until noon today and had to do a few things with the little lady. So I'm planning on starting them early tomorrow morning then reheating them at supper time.

 Tonight I have to make a few soda breads up for us and my mom and dad.

My mom had an unexpected surgery a few days ago, so she isn't cooking for the family this year. I'm going to bring them corned beef, cabbage, potatoes, carrots, Plochman's stone ground mustard and horseradish and a nice soda bread.


It's going to be amazing if this meal gets done I can hardly walk right now with the change of weather  my back, neck, hip and hands flared up horribly a few days ago. (I'm a mess) 
All I can do is laugh about it at this point.

Thanks for the tips.
Dan


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## forktender (Mar 16, 2021)

noboundaries said:


> Hey, Dan. I did a medium simmer in water and pickling spices for three hours until probe tender. My wife isn't a fan of beer braising so I kept it simple. Usually, I simmer the commercial ones with water, onion, and garlic. I pull them out and boil the potatoes in the simmer water, adding shredded cabbage as the potatoes are almost done.
> 
> Today, I wanted to really taste the results of my corning recipe. When the meat was ready, I pulled it from the pot and shredded it. Boiled four cubed/peeled baking potatoes in a separate pot with a couple Tbs of butter, tsp of salt, and 2 cups of simmer liquid. Skipped the cabbage.
> 
> ...



The last time I made bacon that happened to me so this time I brined them all together in a big plastic Cambro food service container. I always have to learn the hard way.
Dan


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## noboundaries (Mar 16, 2021)

forktender said:


> It's going to be amazing if this meal gets done I can hardly walk right now with the change of weather my back, neck, hip and hands flared up horribly a few days ago. (I'm a mess)
> All I can do is laugh about it at this point.



Dan, get St. PADDY working on making you better. Heck, see if he'll cook the meal!

Hope you get well soon!

Ray


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## Steve C. (Mar 16, 2021)

Well... I would have but it was just delivered tonight and then there's seasoning etc... ;)


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## forktender (Mar 17, 2021)

Here is the soda bread I made up last night. They turned out really moist. Man these loaves are heavy. LOL
They are awesome with good butter along with a plate of C.B.  cabbage, potatoes and carrots and a Guinness.













Dan


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## Inscrutable (Mar 17, 2021)

Hmmm ... love soda bread


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## forktender (Mar 17, 2021)

Inscrutable said:


> Hmmm ... love soda bread


The two in the center are made with Guinness Stout.
I soaked the raisins and currants in the stout for an hour then added them to the recipe. It's frick'in killer.
People that can't stand Guinness love this soda bread.
Try it sometime.
Dan


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## forktender (Mar 17, 2021)

This what the cured meat looks like coming out of 19 days in pop's low salt brine. I actually made it right between the low salt and regular salt brine, so I guess it pop's medium salt brine. LOL
You can see the piece on the bottom left side is a little brownish that's because it was on the very bottom of the brine tub and it didn't get flipped. I actually didn't know that it was down there the brine was so cold that I didn't want to stick my hands into it.  I used tongs and I guess I missed it... same goes for one of the pieces of eye of round. The meat had that nice rainbow effect from the brine, and it smelled awesome.
I'm pretty excited to try it tonight.





The lean pieces on the right side are eye of round that I got on the cheap.
I was curious as to how they would turn out.

Into the pool they go!!!

I actually have two big stock pots going, so I can bring supper over too my parents tonight.  
My Ma had surgery again, so we decided that it would be best if everyone stayed home this year to keep her healthy.






Thanks for looking and happy Paddy's day too everyone that celebrates it.
Dan


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## forktender (Mar 17, 2021)

Well, my back barely held up but I made it. Sorry I didn't get any plate shots I was dieing.
So here is a shot of the leftovers all ready for the corned beef hash.






I over cooked 2 of the flats and they pretty much fell apart. They cooked a lot quicker than I expected.
They only took 3 hrs at a low simmer I was expecting more like 4 hrs. It will still make awesome hash.


The brine was fine although next time I will add some more salt to it. I had to add salt to the stock pot while they were cooking.

Thanks for looking.
Dan.


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