Jigg’s Dinner. Salt brisket. New England boiled dinner.
It doesn’t matter what you call it. Briny corned beef with a thin, meltingly soft layer of fat takes center stage on the St. Patrick’s Day dinner table, flanked by the traditional boiled cabbage and potatoes. Corned beef is generally considered an Irish dish, but according to Smithsonian magazine, “what we think of today as Irish corned beef is actually Jewish corned beef. In honor of their culture, the (Irish American) immigrants splurged on their neighbors’ flavorful corned beef, which was accompanied by their beloved potato and the most affordable vegetable, cabbage.”
The name originated in 17th century England and is derived from the corns (small crystals) of salt that were used to cure the meat. While many people buy brisket already brined, it’s easy to make at home. You’ll need to start the brining process 7-10 days in advance of cooking. Don’t get too overzealous in trimming the brisket (like I did, unfortunately). You’ll want a thin layer of fat for extra moisture and taste. Once the brining is complete, the meat needs to simmer for a couple of hours in pickling spices and fresh water. Pair it with boiled potatoes, carrots or cabbage for a traditional St. Patrick’s Day feast!
Homemade Corned Beef
Ingredients
Making the Brine
- 4-5 lb. beef brisket
- 2 quarts water
- 1.5 – 1 cup pickling salt (If desired, use pink curing salt that contains sodium chloride and sodium nitrate)
- 1 stick cinnamon
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tsp. peppercorns
- 8 cloves garlic, peeled
- 8 whole allspice berries
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
- 12 whole juniper berries (optional)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar (optional)
Cooking the Corned Beef
- water
- 1 Tbsp. pickling spice
- 1 small head cabbage (cut into wedges)
- 6 potatoes (peeled and quartered)
- 4 carrots (peeled and sliced into large chunks)
Instructions
Brine
- Put all brine ingredients (minus the brisket) into a saucepan and simmer over low-to-medium heat until salt is dissolved (approximately 8-10 minutes).
- Remove brine from heat and cool to room temperature.
- Put the brisket in a glass or ceramic (non-reactive) container that's large enough to hold the meat and the brine (including brine spices). Make sure the brisket is fully submerged in liquid. (You may need to weight it down with a plate.)
- Cover the container and place in refrigerator for 7-10 days.
Cooking the Corned Beef
- After 7-10 days, remove the brisket from the brine and discard brine.
- Thoroughly rinse the brisket to remove salt from the exterior of the meat.
- Place brisket in a Dutch oven or pot large enough to hold the brisket and enough cold water to cover the meat.
- Bring the water to a simmer.
- (Optional step: To reduce saltiness of the brisket, you can remove pot from the heat and discard the water. Then, refill the pot with cold water and bring it back up to a simmer.)
- Add the pickling spices and bring to a boil. Cook for 20 minutes. Skim off any foam or residue that accumulates on the surface.
- Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 3-4 hours until tender. (As a guideline, suggested cooking time is 45 minutes per pound of meat.)
- Approximately 30 minutes before the meat is done, add the potatoes and carrots.
- Approximately 15 minutes before the meat is done, add the cabbage.
- Remove corned beef and vegetables from the cooking water.
- Slice meat diagonally across the grain. Serve with cooked vegetables.