Dry or brine, dry or brine? _ Now with link to the Cook

[dirtsailor2003]

Can't make up my mind if I should dry rub cure my St pattys day brisket or brine cure it. Hmmmmm!

Here's the link to the Cook:

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/259594/half-n-half-saint-patricks-day-corned-beef

 

[crankybuzzard]

Dry cure it, brining is so last month...

 

[pc farmer]

I must be old Cranky.   I brine cure mine.  For now anyway.

 

[dirtsailor2003]

I suppose I could seperate the point from the flat and do both.

 

[crankybuzzard]

I must be old Cranky.   I brine cure mine.  For now anyway.

I do too, I was just being an educated donkey

 

[crankybuzzard]

I suppose I could seperate the point from the flat and do both.

Now you're talking

 

[pc farmer]

I suppose I could seperate the point from the flat and do both.

I have a briskey in the freezer.      Maybe I will try both also.

 

[dirtsailor2003]

I like both methods. Like bacon I prefer dry brine best. Hmmm maybe I'll dry brine cure the flat and Pop's brine cure the point.

 

[crankybuzzard]

I like both methods. Like bacon I prefer dry brine best. Hmmm maybe I'll dry brine cure the flat and Pop's brine cure the point.

Pop's brine with some pickling spice works nice

 

[dirtsailor2003]

Pop's brine with some pickling spice works nice

Yeah Back when I didn't have a scale I made several with Pops.

Better go through my spices to make sure I have everything I need!

 

[chef jimmyj]

Now my interest is peaked. Never tried a dry cured brisket...JJ

 

[dirtsailor2003]

Now my interest is peaked. Never tried a dry cured brisket...JJ

I did a flat last year and it was tasty.

 

[dirtsailor2003]

I Have decided that I will dry cure the flat and brine cure the point.

For this experiment I will use the same spices for flavoring and the same process for cooking the meat after the cure is done.

I will start a new thread to document the entire process when I start it tomorrow. I'll post a link to the new thread here.

 

[stovebolt]

 I'm in on this one.

Chuck

 

[SmokinAl]

I have done both & the dry cure give a much better flavor & texture, IMHO.

Al

 

[tropics]

I'm going with the store bought $1.88 a pound

I'll be watching

Richie

 

[dirtsailor2003]

 
I have done both & the dry cure give a much better flavor & texture, IMHO.

Al

Yep exactly. I really prefer the dry cure method for most things I cure. This test should be fun! Picking up the brisket after work and into the pot it will go. Going to be cutting it close on the cure time, but since this isn't going to be smoked, the cure is really only for flavor and color.

 

[dirtsailor2003]

 
I'm going with the store bought $1.88 a pound

I'll be watching

Richie

Amazingly there haven't been any St Patty day corned beef sales here yet. My Restaurant supply has brisket and corned brisket packers on sale. I probably would have gone with the corned, but I got sucked in. Wife told everyone that I cure my own. So now we have half a dozen guests coming over!

 

[browneyesvictim]

Corned beef or Pastrami? I have made a recipe I found on the web multiple times with great success (Tori Avey Pastrami). It has the perfect flavor profile as far as the spices goes. However Please note- its brine calls for a lot more cure than Pops brine, and I don't add the cure until after I've brought the brine and spices to a boil.

 

[dirtsailor2003]

 
Corned beef or Pastrami? I have made a recipe I found on the web multiple times with great success (Tori Avey Pastrami). It has the perfect flavor profile as far as the spices goes. However Please note- its brine calls for a lot more cure than Pops brine, and I don't add the cure until after I've brought the brine and spices to a boil.

This is going to be corned beef, not pastrami. Note I have made corned beef for many years using both methods. My preference is dry cured,

I have also made pastrami for many years using both dry brine and wet brine cures. Once again dry cure is preferred method.

The reason I am doing is this is to show in one thread the differences between the two methods and the results.

You are correct that when making a wet brine if you plan on steeping the aromatics you should let the liquid cool prior to adding the cure.

Most recipes that are online contain more cure than what Pop's brine has in it. I have seen recipes using as little as 1 teaspoon cure all the way up to a cup. Most also do not mention how much water to use. Very vague.

So with that said I will be using the methods followed here. For the dry cure I will use Martin's "Digging Dog Farm" cure calculator. For the wet cure I will be using Pop's brine. The aromatics will both be the same, however the amounts will be different as the dry brine method doesn't require as much as the spices are not diluted like in a wet brine method.

Both will be prepared the same way after curing.

I will outline more when I post the official thread.