Burke Creek’s Irish Corned Beef

St. Paddy's is right around the corner but there is still enough time to brine and prepare your own wholesome and nitrate free Corned Beef.  Corned beef is traditionally made from beef brisket, but can be made with another roast such as chuck or a leaner option such as round roast.  It brines for 5-7 days and then can be prepared in your instant pot or slow simmer on stove top. I doubled this with a full 8.5 lb brisket.

Step 1: Brine the Beef

Combine and Dissolve. Submerge 5-10 days is fridge or cool dark area.  Place a glass jar on top if it floats.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup kosher salt

• 1/2 cup coconut sugar

• 1/4 cup pickling spices, divided

• 12 whole juniper berries, divided

• 2 cinnamon sticks, divided

• 2 pounds ice cubes (about 6 cups)

• One 3-4 pound beef brisket (grass-fed, if possible)

• 1/2 large onion, cut into wedges

• 4 cloves of garlic, smashed

• 1 quart beef broth

• 1 red beet (if you want your corned beef pink, as this recipe does not contain nitrates which traditionally gives corned beef the pink hue)

Directions:

• Let the brine simmer until the sugar is dissolved and then remove it form the heat. dd the ice to the pot to cool the brine quickly. Refrigerate the brine until it is at least 45 degrees F or colder. This might take a few hours.

• When the brine is ready, cut the brisket in half and put it and the cooled brine in a very large pot or container that will be used to hold the submerged brisket (and fit in your fridge) for several days. Add a little water, if needed, to cover the brisket entirely. A 6-quart pressure cooker insert pot may work well for this. Chill for at least 5 days and up to 10 days. If it floats to the top, put a sealed aluminum can (like a can of tomatoes) or a glass jar on top.

Step 2: Prepare Beef; instapot, oven or stovetop

• 12 ounces Guinness beer or other stout beer (1 bottle)

• 1.5 cups beef broth

• 1/3 cup brown sugar

• drain brined brisket, rinse well and pat dry

• 1 tablespoon of pickling spice

• 1/2 onion

• 1 head garlic halved

• 4 large carrots, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

• 1 small head cabbage, cut into wedges or large pieces

• 2 lbs baby potatoes cut into 1.5- 2 inch pieces

When you're ready to cook the brisket, prepare your pressure cooker by putting the rack in the bottom. Pull the brisket pieces out of the brine, rinse them off, and put them on a wire rack, laying flat. It's okay to stack them. Add the onion wedges and garlic on top of the beef and pour the beef broth over everything. Add the remaining pickling spices, juniper berries, and cinnamon stick.

Close the lid and the steam valve and set the cooker to high pressure for 90 minutes. Let the cooker release pressure naturally for 10 minutes before releasing the rest of the pressure manually. Transfer the beef to a serving plate and cover to keep it warm.

Use a slotted spoon or a spider skimmer to remove the onion, garlic, and large spices from the pot. Add the carrots, cabbage, and potatoes to the pot. Close the lid and the steam valve and set the cooker to high pressure for 4 minutes. Do a quick release when the vegetables are finished cooking.

Transfer the vegetables to the platter with the corned beef, discarding the cooking liquid.

Serve with whole grain mustard.

Serves 6-8 people