Making very Local Corned Beef for St. Patrick's day Part 2

5 days in the Fridge soaking in the corning brine and the brisket is looking a bit on the sad side -


But then after 5 1/2 hours in a 300 degree oven the result is:


I can't wait until Thursdays, so I can add some potatoes, cabbage and carrots (all with butter) to some great Corned Beef (I had a nibble).

Making very Local Corned Beef for St. Patrick's day

My dog Radley, who is Irish, has decided to make this year's Corned Beef Dinner from Michael Ruhlman's book Charcuterie, The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing.

First the brine:
1 gallon of water
2 cups of kosher salt
1/2 cup of sugar
4 teaspoons of pink salt ( aka sodium Nitrite, Instacure #1)
3 cloves of minced garlic,
2 tablespoons of pickling spice (Radley used a mix from Penzeys)

Combine brine ingredients in a large pot, bring to a simmer, stirring until the salt and sugar are dissolved. Remove the pot from heat and allow to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate the brine until it's completely chilled.



Here is the star of the show. A 5 pound beef brisket - which was grass fed and locally grown in Ohio, with just a bit of fat and marbling.



Place the brisket in the brine and weight it down with a plate (Radley chose a cheese plate) to keep it submerged.



Transport the pan to the Fridge with the assistance of many hands and wait 5- 6 days.



to be continued...