I’m excited to share this recipe. It’s really delicious and the addition of the pho spice really puts it over the top flavor wise.
This is the corned beef I used in my Pho Reuben sandwich. I devoted a whole section of my website to this epic meal because I created the recipes for nearly every component and made it all from scratch at home, all the way down to the fermented pho ketchup, Paleo mayo, fermented hot sauce and horseradish used in my Russian dressing, the pickles, sauerkraut, and more.
This corned beef was extremely moist and flavorful. I also knew I’d be serving it to family who hadn’t had pho before, so I wouldn’t say I was heavy handed with the pho seasonings. I didn’t do away with the traditional base seasonings I use either. I think the end result was fantastic; they loved it and I think you will too.
The corned beef was delicious all by itself and I had to be careful not to snack it all away before I made a few glorious Reubens.
Corned beef is not very hard to make, but you need to have patience, attention to detail, and the right equipment. The full process takes 10 days.
With no further no further ado, here’s the recipe.
You will need:
- 6-8 quart stockpot
- Wooden stirring spoon
- 2-gallon zip top bag
- Very sharp carving knife
- Mortar & pestle
- Kitchen thermometer
Ingredients:
- 4-5 lb. beef brisket, trimmed
- 2 quarts water
- 7/8 cup kosher or canning salt
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 TBSP mixed pho spice
- 1 cinnamon stick & black cardamom pod (both included in the pho spice pack above)
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 10 cloves
- 10 allspice berries
- 10 juniper berries
- 2 bay leaves, crumbled
- 2 lbs. ice
- 3 tsp (or 22g) pink curing salt (“Prague Powder #1”)
After the 10-day curing stage:
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 large carrot, chopped
- 1 stalk celery, chopped
Directions:
1.) Coarsely crush all the hard spices, bay leaf, and juniper berries with the mortar & pestle.
2.) Pour the water into stockpot with salt, sugar, curing salt, cinnamon stick, cardamom pod, mustard seeds, peppercorns, cloves, allspice berries, bay leaves, pho spice, and ginger.
3.) Turn heat to high and stir until the salt, sugar, and curing salt have dissolved. Remove from heat and add ice to pot. Stir until melted and take temperature. If above 45F, place in refrigerator until temperature reaches 45F.
4.) Place the brisket in the zip top bag, followed by the cooled brine.
5.) Seal and lay flat in a container, and place in a refrigerator. Monitor daily to ensure it is fully submerged. Allow 9-10 days to fully cure the meat.
6.) After the allotted time, remove from the brine bag and rinse thoroughly under cool water.
7.) Transfer the brisket to the stockpot and add water until meat is covered by one inch. Add the onion, celery, and carrot.
8.) Set heat on high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 2.5 – 3 hours or until the meat is fork tender.
9.) Remove from the pot and allow to stand for ten minutes. Cut away any thick fat that remains (or trim most of it away leaving only a thin layer). Using a sharp, long knife, thinly slice using long strokes, across the grain.
