There's nothing like a delicious slice of corned beef and here are 6 tips to help you cook it just right

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Corned beef may come from a humble cut of brisket, but it's a mainstay of different types of cuisines throughout the world. In Europe, particularly Ireland, it's very traditional, which may be why so many around the globe opt to have it for dinner on St. Patrick's Day. And in Canada it's the delicious meat packed into Montreal-style smoked meat sandwiches.
Many people choose to buy their corned beef from a deli, or reserve making it only for specific holidays because of the long preparation involved. In order to get it right, corned beef has to first sit in a brine that infuses it with its delicious flavor, and then it has a lengthy cooking time as well. When all is said and done though, it brings a delicious flavor all its own and will leave you wondering when you can make it again; especially if you follow these tips!
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1. Know whether you want to add nitrates or not
Nitrates may be a word that has many turning their noses up, but the addition of them is traditional when making corned beef. And because nitrates are being eliminated or limited from many diets, most online recipes for corned beef boast themselves as being nitrate-free.
If you want to keep it traditional by adding nitrates, you can do so by simply adding saltpeter, or pink salt, to the brine. This will turn the beef a lovely shade of pink, which is more authentic in the eyes of many. If you don't want to add nitrates, you can still achieve a pinkish color by adding beet juice into the brine. It won't change the flavor, particularly after it goes through a long cook period, and will still retain some of that pinkness as you slice it up.
Of course, neither saltpeter nor beet juice is essential when making corned beef. If you choose not to use either, you'll still get all the delicious taste; the meat will just be gray throughout instead of pink.
2. Make the brine
While we're on the subject of the brine for the corned beef, let's talk about how to make up the rest of it. The ingredients include: 3/4 gallon water; 1 cup kosher or pickling salt; 1/2 cup brown sugar; 2 tablespoons pickling spice blend; 3 cloves garlic, crushed; 1 cinnamon stick; 1 bay leaf; and 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger. Place all of these ingredients into a large stock pot and bring to a boil. This will allow the sugar and salt to dissolve.
After the brine has boiled, remove it from the stovetop and allow it to cool completely. Then place a 3 to 5 pound beef brisket into the brine along with a handful of ice cubes to keep it very cold. Place the entire thing into the refrigerator for about 5 to 7 days. That is how long it will take to fully brine the brisket.
3. Rinse the brisket before cooking
Because corned beef goes from one large vessel of liquid to another, many people think that it does not have be rinsed in between. But that's just not true. While the salt and sugar have been dissolved into the brine days ago at this point, they can still cling to the surface of the meat. And that will make the corned beef a bit saltier than anyone wants it. To get the tasty corned beef you're used to getting at the deli, give the brisket a quick rinse with cold water before cooking time. If the water is too hot, it may actually start to cook the beef at this point.
4. Flavor the cooking liquid
Corned beef may be one of the few cuts of meat that is covered completely in water and left that way until the end of its cooking time. But water doesn't have any flavor, so you need to add some before the corned beef really starts to get going. You can place just about anything you'd like in the water (or you can even opt for replacing some of the water with beer), but traditionally the seasonings used are: 2 tablespoons of pickling spice, 1 bay leaf, and 1 onion, halved.
5. Cook the corned beef for long enough, but not too long
Corned beef takes a long time to cook, but that doesn't mean that it can't be overcooked. Overcooking corned beef, just like any other protein, will dry it out and make it tough. So how do you achieve the balance between tender and tough?
Start by placing the corned beef into the cooking liquid, making sure that the water completely covers the meat. Then bring the entire pot to a boil. Lower the heat to a gentle simmer and cover the pot. The general rule of thumb is that corned beef needs 50 minutes for every pound of meat, but you want to keep an eye on it in the last hour or so. Check for tenderness regularly and as soon as it is tender, remove it from the liquid and allow it to rest for a few minutes before slicing.
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6. Add cabbage at the end
You can't really have a corned beef dinner without cabbage can you? But if you let that cabbage simmer away for the same amount of time the corned beef does, you're going to have wilted, soggy cabbage that doesn't really add anything to the dish. Instead, quarter a whole head of cabbage and let it sit on top of the beef during the last hour or so of cooking time. It will be nicely steamed and still have a little bit of crunch to it.
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