Here are Alton Brown's 10 day and Michael Ruhlman's 5 day versions. I did a combo version.
Corned Beef
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2007
2 quarts WATER
1 cup KOSHER SALT
½ cup BROWN SUGAR
2 Tbsp SALTPETER
1 CINNAMON STICK, broken into several pieces
1 tsp MUSTARD SEEDS
1 tsp BLACK PEPPERCORNS
8 WHOLE CLOVES
8 WHOLE ALLSPICE BERRIES
12 WHOLE JUNIPER BERRIES
2 BAY LEAVES, crumbled
½ tsp GROUND GINGER
2 lbs ICE
1 (4 to 5 lb) BEEF BRISKET, trimmed
1 SMALL ONION, quartered
1 LARGE CARROT, coarsely chopped
1 STALK CELERY, coarsely chopped
Place the water into a large 6 to 8 quart stockpot along with salt, sugar, saltpeter, cinnamon stick, mustard seeds, peppercorns, cloves, allspice, juniper berries, bay leaves and ginger. Cook over high heat until the salt and sugar have dissolved. Remove from the heat and add the ice. Stir until the ice has melted. If necessary, place the brine into the refrigerator until it reaches a temperature of 45 degrees F. Once it has cooled, place the brisket in a 2-gallon zip top bag and add the brine. Seal and lay flat inside a container, cover and place in the refrigerator for 10 days. Check daily to make sure the beef is completely submerged and stir the brine.
After 10 days, remove from the brine and rinse well under cool water. Place the brisket into a pot just large enough to hold the meat, add the onion, carrot and celery and cover with water by 1-inch. Set over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and gently simmer for 2 ½ to 3 hours or until the meat is fork tender. Remove from the pot and thinly slice across the grain.
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Homemade Corned Beef
from Charcuterie by Michael Ruhlman and Brian Polcyn. Making your own corned beef is especially satisfying because it's so easy — and so inexpensive compared to commercial corned beef. It's also a pleasure to have a hand in what is an extraordinary transformation of a cheap cut of meat. When making a meal of it, include an onion and carrot and other aromatics in your poaching liquid and then spoon it, strained, like a jus or a broth over the corned beef. Makes 4 ½ lbs, about 8 to 10 servings
PICKLING SPICE
2 Tbsp BLACK PEPPERCORNS
2 Tbsp MUSTARD SEEDS
2 Tbsp CORIANDER SEEDS
2 Tbsp HOT RED-PEPPER FLAKES
2 Tbsp ALLSPICE BERRIES
1 Tbsp GROUND MACE
2 small CINNAMON STICKS, crushed or broken into pieces
24 BAY LEAVES, crumbled
2 Tbsp WHOLE CLOVES
1 Tbsp GROUND GINGER
BRINE
1 gallon WATER
2 cups MORTON'S KOSHER SALT
½ cup SUGAR
1 oz (5 tsp) PINK SALT (see Note)
3 GARLIC CLOVES, minced
2 Tbsp PICKLING SPICE (above or store-bought)
One 5 lb well-marbled (first-cut) BEEF BRISKET
2 Tbsp PICKLING SPICE (above or store-bought)
PICKLING SPICE: Lightly toast peppercorns, mustard seeds, and coriander seeds in a small dry skillet, then smash them with the side of a knife to crack them. Combine cracked spices with remaining ingredients, mixing well. Store in a tightly sealed plastic container or glass jar.
BRINE: Combine the water, salt, sugar, pink salt, garlic, and pickling spices in a pot large enough to hold the brisket comfortably. Bring to a simmer, stirring until the salt and sugar are dissolved. Remove the pot from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate the brine until it's completely chilled.
Place the brisket in the brine and weight it down with a plate to keep it submerged. Refrigerate for 5 days.
Remove brisket from brine and rinse thoroughly under cool running water. (Resting is not required here because the distribution of the brine will continue in the long, slow cooking process.)
COOKING: Place the brisket in a pot just large enough to hold it and add enough water to cover the meat. Add the remaining pickling spice and bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer gently for about 3 hours, or until the brisket is fork-tender There should always be enough water to cover the brisket; replenish water if it gets too low.
Remove the corned beef from the cooking liquid, which can be used to moisten the meat and vegetables, if that is what you're serving. Slice the beef and serve warm, or cool, then wrap and refrigerate until you're ready to serve, or for up to a week.
Note: Pink salt, a curing salt with nitrite, is called by different names and sold under various brand names, such as tinted cure mix or T.C.M., DQ Curing Salt, and Insta Cure #1. The nitrite in curing salts does a few special things to meat: It changes the flavor, preserves the meat's red color, prevents fats from developing rancid flavors, and prevents many bacteria from growing.
