Manageability – Slightly Insane
Martha’s “quick” brined corned beef recipe is anything but. I didn’t realize that “quick” meant 5 DAYS. Way to give me the head’s-up on that one, MS.
To be fair, part of this is on me. The brisket alone cost $50, but also I was shopping in the middle of the coronavirus craziness, and I didn’t notice. Be sure you have a dish large enough and deep enough for the slab to soak up all that juicy sweetness, which I did not. In order to ensure it brined all the way through, I put another dish on top. Here’s my monstrosity. It was quite the mess in the fridge, dripping down from the top shelf. RIP leftover Caesar salad.
Also, this guy is a root-veg extravaganza. I didn’t even get turnips, and got away with two-fewer onions. Let’s be clear, cooking everything in this meal at once is LITERALLY impossible. For example you will use the same large pot to cook both the beef and the cabbage at different times, and mine fit neither the beef nor the cabbage. I had to cut the brisket in half, and I went with 7 cabbage wedges in the pot rather than 8. I had to stand over the cabbage to press it down to fit until it softened a bit. I’m used to spinning plates in the kitchen, but this was pretty insane.
While this recipe was pretty labor intensive, I tell you what, this corn beef was salty, juicy, kinda sweet, had a nice tang, and fell apart quickly. Oh damn, she ain’t wrong. And now, instead of Caesar salad, I’m eating Reubens for lunch. Yum.
Recipe
Prep: 50 mins; Total: 5 hrs 30 mins (also 5 days); Yield: Serves 12 to 15
Ingredients
- 1 cup kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon pink curing salt
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, crushed
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds, crushed
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns, crushed
- 1 cinnamon stick, crushed (1 teaspoon)
- 4 dried bay leaves, crushed
- 8 whole cloves, not crushed
- 4 to 5 pounds flat- or first-cut beef brisket
- 1 medium onion, halved, plus 2 more, quartered
- 1 celery stalk, halved
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and halved, plus 3/4 pound small carrots, peeled
- 1 pound baby turnips, peeled
- 3/4 pound small parsnips, peeled and halved on a bias
- 1 head green cabbage, cut into 8 wedges (core trimmed but not removed so wedges stay intact when cooked)
- 12 parsley sprigs, plus 2 tablespoons finely chopped
- 1 pound small potatoes (golf-ball size), such as baby Dutch Yellow
- 2 tablespoons salted butter, melted
- Dijon and wholegrain mustards, for serving
- Fresh Red and White Horseradish Sauce, for serving (Oh yeah, all this and Martha wants me to make my own Horseradish. Yeah right)
Directions
Step 1
In a large pot, bring 2 quarts water to a boil. Add kosher salt, pink curing salt, sugar, and spices; remove from heat and stir until both salts and sugar have dissolved. Let cool completely. Place brisket in a nonreactive container just large enough to hold it; pour cooled brine over meat. Place 2 small plates on top to keep meat submerged; cover and refrigerate 5 days.
Step 2
Remove brisket; discard brine. Rinse brisket and place in a large pot. Add enough water to cover by 2 inches. Add halved onion, celery, and halved carrot; bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until very tender, 3 to 3 1/2 hours.
Step 3
Meanwhile, set a steamer in a large saucepan. Add enough water to reach the bottom of steamer and bring to a boil. Add turnips, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and steam until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Repeat with small carrots and parsnips (together), steaming until tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to bowl.
Step 4
Transfer beef to a cutting board. Tent with foil to keep warm. Strain broth through a fine-mesh sieve. Return all but 4 cups broth to pot; bring to a boil. Add cabbage, quartered onions, and parsley sprigs; simmer until very tender, about 35 minutes.
Step 5
Meanwhile, in another pot, combine reserved 4 cups broth and potatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 25 minutes. Strain (reserving broth), then toss potatoes with butter and chopped parsley; cover to keep warm. Add turnips, carrots, and parsnips to pot with cabbage mixture; cook until warmed through, about 10 minutes.
Step 6
Remove and discard parsley sprigs; transfer vegetables to a platter with potatoes, reserving broth. Trim excess fat from beef. Slice thinly against grain, and transfer to platter. Serve with reserved broth and horseradish sauces.