1st Attempt At Corned Beef

  • Some of the links on this forum allow SMF, at no cost to you, to earn a small commission when you click through and make a purchase. Let me know if you have any questions about this.
SMF is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

smokin monkey

Master of the Pit
Original poster
OTBS Member
SMF Premier Member
Oct 27, 2013
2,357
278
Sutton In Ashfield, UK
Corned Beef

Growing up Corned Beef was one of my favourite foods, but this is what I mean by Corned Beef!


From a Tin.

So I have wanted to try making it for a long time, so today I went and got myself 2Kg (5lb) Brisket.
I am mixing two Recepies together Alton Brown for brining, then BBQ Pit Boys to cook.

Alton Brown Brining,
2 qts Water
1 cup Kosher Salt
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
2 Tbsp Saltpeter Replaced With 5 Grams Cure #1
5 lbs Beef Brisket
1 Cinnamon
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
1 tsp Whole Black Pepper Corns
8 Whole Cloves
12 Whole Juniper Berries
8 Whole Allspice Berries
2 Bay Leafs
1/2 tsp Ground Ginger

Directions:
Place the water into a large 6 to 8 quart stockpot along with salt, sugar, cinnamon stick, mustard seeds, peppercorns, cloves, allspice, juniper berries, bay leaves and ginger.
Cook over high heat until the salt and sugar have dissolved. Remove from the heat and add the ice. Stir until the ice has melted. If necessary, place the brine into the refrigerator until it reaches a temperature of 45 degrees F. Once it has cooled, add cure #1, place the brisket in a 2-gallon zip top bag and add the brine. Seal and lay flat inside a container, cover and place in the refrigerator for 10 days. Check daily to make sure the beef is completely submerged and stir the brine.

After 10 days, remove from the brine and rinse well under cool water.

Brine mixed,


Brisket in Zip Lock with brine (Brisket is fully covered when it's stood upright)


Will remove after 10 days, wash. Then on to the BBQ Pit Boys.

Place in pan with water and simmer for 30-45 minutes, then on to smoker for 3 hours indirect heat, cover in BBQ Sauce after 1 Hour and Wrap, repeat an hour later. then serve.

To be continued......

Back to The Smokin Monkey Cook Book http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/253497/the-smokin-monkey-cook-book
 
Last edited:
SM I think you may have ruined the Cure #1 it should have been put in after it cooled off.

Richie
 
SM I think you may have ruined the Cure #1 it should have been put in after it cooled off.
Richie
Hi Richie, thanks for the heads up about the cure. I did remove the brine from the heat before I added the cure?

So three options,

Leave and brine with out cure.
Add same amount of cure as soon as possible.
Trash it?
 
Last edited:
Hi Richie, thanks for the heads up n the cure. I did remove the brine from the heat before I added the cure?

So three options,

Leave and brine with out cure.
Add same amount of cure as soon as possible.
Trash it?
I am fairly new to curing I would probably trash it ( the liquid) make a new batch 

Maybe some of the more knowledgeable guys will come on

Richie 
 
I have doing some research on this. To date I have only found anecdotal references to hot brine effecting Cure #1 and no USDA or Food Science research articles that say Sodium Nitrite should never be heated. Heat does not change the Cures ability to give the characteristic Pink Color to the meat but I have no idea if heat renders the cure unable to kill Clostridium Botulinum. In this case the meat will be simmered and Botulism is of no concern. If anyone has any reputable info on never heating Cure in a Brine I would like to see it as I can't find anything.

I am going to say the Brine is fine and will do the job so proceed with confidence...JJ
 
I have doing some research on this. To date I have only found anecdotal references to hot brine effecting Cure #1 and no USDA or Food Science research articles that say Sodium Nitrite should never be heated. Heat does not change the Cures ability to give the characteristic Pink Color to the meat but I have no idea if heat renders the cure unable to kill Clostridium Botulinum. In this case the meat will be simmered and Botulism is of no concern. If anyone has any reputable info on never heating Cure in a Brine I would like to see it as I can't find anything.

I am going to say the Brine is fine and will do the job so proceed with confidence...JJ

Thanks JJ, as a test, I am going to continue with this batch, and see what the out come is.
 
 
I have doing some research on this. To date I have only found anecdotal references to hot brine effecting Cure #1 and no USDA or Food Science research articles that say Sodium Nitrite should never be heated. Heat does not change the Cures ability to give the characteristic Pink Color to the meat but I have no idea if heat renders the cure unable to kill Clostridium Botulinum. In this case the meat will be simmered and Botulism is of no concern. If anyone has any reputable info on never heating Cure in a Brine I would like to see it as I can't find anything.

I am going to say the Brine is fine and will do the job so proceed with confidence...JJ
I have not been able to find anything diffinitive one way or the other either. Dave Omak and I discussed this a month or so ago and we could only find oblique references to what happened to the nitrite during cooking. In a book called "Elementary Food Science" by Ernest R. Vieira it implies that nitrite levels fall after processing (heating?) whereas in another book "Nitrates and Nitrites in Food and Water" by Michael J Hill it describes the rate of loss of nitrite slowing at higher temperatures.

I am with JJ on this and personally I would carry on with it. If you are having serious doubts though then let me know and we can get a sample of the brine lab tested.

 
Hi SM !!

I can't help on the heating of Cure #1.

However I can tell you when I was a Kid the only Corned Beef we ever had was from a can like you showed, and I loved it.  It was usually mixed into a batch of little Hash Brown Taters----"Corned Beef Hash". I may have been easy to please, but I loved it !!!
drool.gif


Bear
 
I'm kind of new to this but if he is hot smoking it does it even matter ? I'm not sure either way but just curious
 
I'm kind of new to this but if he is hot smoking it does it even matter ? I'm not sure either way but just curious
The concern here is not whether there will be Bacterial issues handled by cooking, but if heating the Cure destroyes it's effectiveness...JJ
 
Last edited:
The concern here is not whether there will be Bacterial issues handled by cooking, but if heating the Cure destroyes it's effectiveness...JJ


Ok I understand stand now I thought the issue with mixing the cure with the hot liquid was that it would dilute it did not think that it would make it stronger. That is why I will stick to smoking stuff that doesn't require to much thought less chance of hurting myself or my family. Lol
 
Last edited by a moderator:
 
 
The concern here is not whether there will be Bacterial issues handled by cooking, but if heating the Cure destroyes it's effectiveness...JJ

Ok I understand stand now I thought the issue with mixing the cure with the hot liquid was that it would dilute it did not think that it would make it stronger. That is why I will stick to smoking stuff that doesn't require to much thought less chance of hurting myself or my family. Lol
LOL...We all started out knowing little to nothing about food safety and many times our family teachers were no help. Grandma defrosted the Turkey ON THE COUNTER! You came to the right place, SMF, are conscientious about doing things right and most importantly are thinking and asking questions! My Friend, you have all you need to be a Master of the Pit and Charcuterie...JJ
 
Last edited:
Thanks chef. I have learned so much from everyone on this site it is a great site packed with info and so any recipe's and idea's
 
Sorry Weev...I am working on and anwsering multiple threads at one time and answered your question based on my thinking this was another thread...Ooooppps 
icon_redface.gif


I went back and edited my answer in my post and all follow up post of yours. Sorry...I meant what I said...You stick around and you will be the Teacher to Newbies some day...JJ
icon14.gif
 
Thank you all for your input on the Cure #1 matter.

This meat will be cooked as soon as it comes out of the brine. My understanding of the use of Cure #1 in this recipie is to give the meat that "Nice" red apperance when cooked in stead of it going a brownish colour.

As stated I will continue with this batch to see what the out come is. Red or Brownish.
 
Hi SM !!

I can't help on the heating of Cure #1.

However I can tell you when I was a Kid the only Corned Beef we ever had was from a can like you showed, and I loved it.  It was usually mixed into a batch of little Hash Brown Taters----"Corned Beef Hash". I may have been easy to please, but I loved it !!!:drool


Bear

Hi Bear, still one of my favourites to this date, always a tin in the house!
 
I can't hardly get on here without learning something.

Please help me get this straight in my head.

The cure #1 in this recipe is for the color only, is that true?

Would the corned beef be just as safe without it, just not look so good?

Keep on smokin'                  Ed
 
Gearhead, you need to cure to make the meat safe from bacteria and without it it won't have that deep rich taste and beautiful color
 
 
I can't hardly get on here without learning something.

Please help me get this straight in my head.

The cure #1 in this recipe is for the color only, is that true?

Would the corned beef be just as safe without it, just not look so good?

Keep on smokin'                  Ed
Cure does a few things for us. In meats that will be smoked below 200°F it protects against Botulism by killing Bacteria, in this recipe not a concern. The Nitrogen in Cure reacts with the Myoglobin in meat, that which makes meat red, and Sets the Pink color we are familiar with in Ham and Corned Beef when cooked. Cure adds the Characteristic flavor to meats that it is used in. Some describe it as Hammy. In this case using the cure and other spices gives the desired Corned Beef Flavor when cooked. If you left the Cure out or Deactivated it, the Steamed or Simmered Corned Beef would taste like Boiled Beef, with little flavor and no pink color all Gray like a hunk of well done Pot Roast...JJ

This is the goal...

images


Not this...

images
 
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bearcarver
SmokingMeatForums.com is reader supported and as an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases.

Latest posts

Hot Threads

Clicky