Home Cured Corned Beef
Corned beef has always been an old fashioned favourite, served at the family dinner table, on a sandwich or part of a plowman’s lunch.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon juniper berries
- 1 teaspoon whole mustard seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon whole cloves
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 3 whole cardamom pods
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1/2 stick cinnamon
- 1.5 litres water
- 1/2 cup sea salt
- 2 teaspoons saltpetre*
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 stick of cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon grated ginger
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 0.5 kg beef silverside
*Saltpetre or potassium nitrite, can be purchased from many speciality stores or online. If you don’t have it, you can still make corned beef, but it does assist with the brining process and adds colour and flavour.
Method
- Combine water, salt, sugar and all spices in a large saucepan on low heat.
- Slowly bring water to a gentle simmer stirring until all the salt and sugar is dissolved.
- Remove salt and spice mixture from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
- Transfer mixture to the fridge and allow to cool completely.
- Trim all excess fat from the silverside.
- Place silverside in the cooled brine making sure it is completely submerged.
- Allow silverside to cure for five days, checking every day that is is still submerged.
- After the five day curing process is completed, remove silverside from brine and rinse well to remove all the salt.
- Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil making sure it can hold enough water to to cover the silverside when added.
- Turn down the heat to a low simmer and add silverside to saucepan.
- Cook slowly on the low simmer for two to three hours.
- Once cooked through, remove silverside and allow to rest for two minutes before carving and serving.
