CORNING BEEF
To “corn” a cut of meat means to preserve it in salt or heavily salted brine. (A “corn” of salt used to mean what we term “a grain of salt,” hence “corned beef.) The process is simple, although time-consuming, and was used by shippers of beef, and other meats, from Europe to the New World.
Perhaps that’s why we (whether Irish-American or not) eat more corned beef for St Patrick’s Day than the Irish themselves do.
RECIPE: Traditional Corned Beef and Vegetables
Scaled for home use from recipe of former Euclid Hall Restaurant, 1317 14th St, Denver. Serves 6-8, depending on cut of beef.
Ingredients
6 pounds bone-in beef short ribs (or 4-5 pounds brisket, rump or round)
2 cups and 2 quarts cold, filtered or distilled water, separated
3/4 cup kosher salt (do not use iodized table salt)
2 and 1/2 tablespoons curing salt (also known as Insta cure #1, “pink salt,” saltpeter, or Prague powder, see note)
4 tablespoons sugar
4 to 5 tablespoons pickling spices (see below)
Pickling spice ingredients:
1 and 1/4 teaspoons whole allspice
2 teaspoons black peppercorns
1 teaspoon whole mustard seeds
1 and 1/4 teaspoons chili pepper flakes
1 and 1/4 teaspoons whole cloves
1 large or 2 small sticks cinnamon or canela
1 large or 2 small bay leaves
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
To serve:
Boiled cabbage, potatoes and carrots, preferably boiled in the corned beef simmering liquid
Directions
Boil all of the spices in the 2 cups of water; add the remaining 2 quarts of water. Once cool, completely submerge the chosen beef cut for a minimum of 5 days. Use 1 very large or 2 large zipped plastic bags to fit the ingredients equally, as much air pressed out of the bag(s) as possible. Refrigerate, turning the bag(s) over once a day.
After 5 days (up to 8 days for more flavor), remove the meat, saving the brine and spices. In a large pot or Dutch oven, cover the beef with liquid, in a ratio of half of the reserved brine and half fresh water.
Simmer, slightly covered if desired, 4-5 hours for brisket, rump or round; 3-4 hours for short ribs. Remove from cooking liquid, let rest a few minutes before slicing or deboning, and serve with cabbage, potatoes and carrots, all boiled, grated horseradish and mustard.
Note: Available online from various sites or at retail in Denver at Savory Spice stores, 1537 Platte St or 200 Quebec St, Denver.
Wine Pairings and Why: A fair amount of salt marks this dish, no getting around it. Corning beef, well, salts it; the simmering liquid isn’t close to seawater, but it’s not far off. Wine’s best matches for salt (in any amount) are those with tangy acidity and zest. That’s why a dab of lemon juice makes an oyster tastier or a spoonful of vinegar rounds out a jar of pickled olives. And because wine is a food, salt also helps many lean wines taste juicier, rounder and more flavorful. Wines that fill the bill, both red and white (yes, white wine is great with corned beef, in truth) include off-dry German, Austrian or American Riesling, whites such as Bordeaux Sauvignon Blanc or a lean Traminer from Northern Italy, and a soft red (with good acidity; that is key) such as a simple Bourgogne Rouge or an easy-drinking Rioja Crianza.