Home-cured Corned Beef Brisket
This home-cured corned beef brisket is deep-flavored and contains no artificial ingredients! You only need 3-5 days to let it sit in the brine, and you’re ready for authentic corned beef brisket. The glaze adds yet another depth of flavor and brightness to the brisket.
You’ll see my roast doesn’t have the typical pinkish tone that store-bought corned beef does because it doesn’t contain the chemical compound sodium nitrate. The nitrate changes the pigment. I assure you, this has the most authentic corned beef flavor. You can add purple sauerkraut juice or beet juice to the brine if you want to change the color of the meat. I personally love the natural color and flavor of this brisket.
It is a satisfying experience to cure and brine your meats. Over time, you’ll learn to adjust the seasonings to your preferences. I love buying cuts on sale and freezing them. Then, as needed, I pull them out of the freezer and defrost them in the refrigerator overnight. From there, I put them in the brine and let them do their thing in the fridge for four or five days. Cook, cool, and slice, and they’re ready to serve for much less cost than lunch meat from the deli! You can also vacuum seal the sliced meats and refreeze them in portion sizes.
I love this corned beef brisket recipe, yet I also love brining chicken breast, turkey breast, and pork roasts! There is no limit to curing your own meats once you understand the basics of home brining.
Home-cured Corned Beef Brisket
Ingredients
Brine
- 2 qt water
- 1 cup sea salt important to use real sea salt (not iodized)
- ½ cup brown sugar can substitute cane sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick or ¼ tsp cinnamon powder
- 1 tbsp mustard seeds
- 2 tbsp black peppercorns
- 8 whole cloves
- ½ tsp ginger powder or 1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
- ½ tsp thyme
- 5 cloves garlic crushed, or ½ tsp garlic powder
- 3 bay leaf small to medium, crushed
- 1 tsp allspice berries or 1/2 tsp ground allspice
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds optional
- 1 tsp juniper berries optional
- ¼ cup beet juice or juice sauerkraut made with purple cabbage. Optional for adding color to meet to simulate store bought.
Cook
- 4-5 pound beef brisket
- 2 cups organic beef broth
- 12 ounces stout Guinness Stout or Wisconsin's Central Waters Brewing Co - Black Gold Stout.
Glaze
- ¼ cup whiskey
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- ⅓ cup ketchup
- 2 tbsp brown sugar packed
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp yellow mustard
Instructions
Brine
- Place the water, sugar, and salt in a two-gallon bag. Rub the ingredients with your fingers until the sugar and salt are dissolved in the water. Add the remaining ingredients. Finally, add the brisket. Press out all of the air and seal the bag. Place the bag in a 2nd two-gallon bag in case the inner bag leaks. ; ) Place the bags in a large casserole dish. The brisket should be entirely submerged in the liquid throughout the brining process.2 qt water, 1 cup sea salt, ½ cup brown sugar, 1 cinnamon stick, 1 tbsp mustard seeds, 2 tbsp black peppercorns, 8 whole cloves, ½ tsp ginger powder, ½ tsp thyme, 5 cloves garlic, 3 bay leaf, 1 tsp allspice berries, 1 tbsp coriander seeds, 1 tsp juniper berries, ¼ cup beet juice, 4-5 pound beef brisket
- Brine for a minimum of three days on the lower shelf of your refrigerator. Four or five days is preferable. Once a day, flip the bag over and mix up the ingredients.
Cook (Dutch-Oven)
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Remove the brisket from the brine and rinse well with cool water. Discard the brine.2 cups organic beef broth, 12 ounces stout
- Add the brisket, beef broth, and beer to a large Dutch oven. Cook with the lid on for 1 hour. Turn the heat down to 325 °F. Cook with the lid on for another 3-4 hours, flipping the brisket every hour and a half if it's not fully immersed in the water to ensure even cooking.
Glaze
- Turn the oven to broil. In a small saucepan, whisk the glazing ingredients and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Continue to boil until the mixture has slightly reduced and thickened, about 7-10 minutes. Brush the glaze evenly over the beef. Place under the broiler and broil until the glaze has darkened and started to caramelize about 6-8 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the meat to rest for 15 minutes before slicing.¼ cup whiskey, ¼ cup apple cider vinegar, ⅓ cup ketchup, 2 tbsp brown sugar, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp yellow mustard
Kitchen Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
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First time cooking corned beef slowly in the oven. Oh my gosh, it was great! This will be my go-to every St Pat’s Day for sure! The glaze made it!!!! Wish I could post a pic! Looks like the cover of a magazine & tastes even better!
It sounds like you nailed it, Michelle! I’m thrilled you found a new method and go-to. I’d love to see your pictures!! You can share them on the Facebook recipe post if you’d like. It will be fun! Regarding the glaze, you and my husband would get along famously! : )
Is the the dutch oven covered with the lid or un-covered during cooking?
Great question, Mark. The brisket is cooked with the Dutch oven lid on. I’ll update the recipe. ; ) Be sure to give it a good rinse to remove the salty brine before you move it into the Dutch oven.