Corned Beef

Name: Corned Beef
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 3 h
Total time: 3 h 25 min
Yield: 1 serving
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 250 g beef brisket; 500 ml water; 60 g coarse sea salt; 20 g light brown sugar; 3 g curing salt; 1 tsp black peppercorns; 1 tsp coriander seeds; 1 tsp yellow mustard seeds; 4 juniper berries; 2 bay leaves; 2 cloves; 1 carrot; 1 onion; 1 celery stick; 1 tsp wholegrain mustard

Beef brisket cured in a spiced brine for five days, then simmered slowly with root vegetables until it slices tender. The Irish salt-beef tradition that gave the world corned beef, served warm with its own cooking liquor and a spoonful of mustard.

Mains 25g+ protein 8g+ fibre

205 min25 prep · 180 cookMedium653 kcalper serving

Instructions

Toast 1 tsp of black peppercorns, 1 tsp of coriander seeds, 1 tsp of mustard seeds and 4 juniper berries in a dry pan over medium heat for about 1 minute, until they smell fragrant and the mustard seeds begin to pop. Crack them lightly with the flat of a knife or a pestle.
Put 500 ml of water in a saucepan with 60 g of coarse sea salt, 20 g of brown sugar, 3 g of curing salt, 1 bay leaf, 2 cloves and the toasted spices. Bring to the boil, stirring until the salt and sugar have fully dissolved, then take off the heat and cool completely, the brine must be refrigerator-cold before the meat goes in, or it will spoil.
Sit the 250 g piece of brisket in a non-reactive container or a zip-seal bag and pour over the cold brine with all its spices. Make sure the meat is fully submerged, weighting it with a small plate or saucer if it floats. Cover and refrigerate for 5 days, turning the meat over once a day so it cures evenly.