Recipes and Cooking Corned Beef 4.9 (9) 2 Reviews Curing your own corned beef is easier than you think! The secret to this ultra-tender meat lies in a five-day brine. By BHG Test Kitchen BHG Test Kitchen The Better Homes & Gardens Test Kitchen has been in continuous operation for nearly 100 years, developing and testing practical, reliable recipes that readers can enjoy at home. The Test Kitchen team includes culinary specialists, food stylists, registered and licensed nutritionists, and other experts with Bachelor of Science degrees in food science, food and nutrition, or culinary arts. Together, the team tests more than 2,500 recipes, produces more than 2,500 food images, and creates more than 1,000 food videos each year in the state-of-the-art test kitchen. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Published on January 19, 2017 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Andy Lyons Hands On Time: 45 mins Total Time: 3 hrs 45 mins Servings: 6 Yield: 6 servings plus leftovers Jump to Nutrition Facts Ingredients Pickling Spice: 2 tablespoon mustard seeds 2 tablespoon coriander seeds 1 tablespoon black peppercorns 1 tablespoon whole allspice 1 tablespoon whole cloves 8 whole cardamom pods 2 cinnamon sticks, broken into pieces 4 bay leaves, crumbled 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional) Brine: 1 gallon water 2 cup kosher salt 1 tablespoon pink curing salt 4 cloves garlic, minced ½ cup packed brown sugar 1 recipe Pickling Spice (above) Corned Beef: 1 3.5-4 pound flat cut beef brisket 1 medium head cabbage, cut into wedges 1 onion, coarsely chopped 4 carrots, cut into 2-inch chunks Directions Pickling Spice In a small bowl combine all ingredients. Set aside. Brine: In a large pot combine the water, kosher and pink salts, garlic, brown sugar, and 1/4 cup Pickling Spice. Bring to a simmer, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat. Let stand until room temperature. Transfer to a 2-gal. resealable plastic bag set in a large shallow pan. Corned Beef: Place brisket in bag; seal. Chill 5 days, turning occasionally. Remove brisket from brine; rinse thoroughly. Transfer to an 8- to 10-qt. pot. Cover with fresh water. Place remaining Pickling Spice on a double-thick 8-inch square of 100% cotton cheesecloth. Bring up corners; tie with 100% cotton string. Add to pot with beef. Bring to boiling; reduce heat to low. Simmer, covered, 3 hours or until brisket is fork tender, adding cabbage, onion, and carrots the last 15 minutes. Remove spice bag; discard. Thinly slice corned beef. Serve with cabbage, onion, and carrots. Corned Beef Sandwich Melt: Spread inside of marble rye bread slices with Dijon-style mustard and thousand island dressing. Add sliced corned beef, shredded fontina cheese, and Pickled Onions*. Spread outside of sandwich with butter and cook in a skillet over medium heat until toasted, turning once.*Pickled Onions:In a medium saucepan place 1 cup of the corned beef cooking liquid, 1/2 cup cider vinegar, and 1 tablespoon sugar. Bring to boiling. Place 1 red onion, thinly sliced, in a medium heatproof bowl. Pour vinegar mixture over onions. Let stand at least 1 hour. Drain before using.Nutrition analysis per serving: 682 calories, 31 g protein, 40 g carbohydrate, 45 g total fat (24 g sat. fat), 153 mg cholesterol, 2 g fiber, 5 g total sugar, 20% Vitamin A, 2% Vitamin C, 1946 mg sodium, 14% calcium, 11% iron Rate it Print Nutrition Facts (per serving) 198 Calories 8g Fat 14g Carbs 19g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 6 Calories 198 % Daily Value * Total Fat 8g 10% Saturated Fat 3g 15% Cholesterol 55mg 18% Sodium 1064mg 46% Total Carbohydrate 14g 5% Total Sugars 8g Protein 19g Vitamin C 58.8mg 294% Calcium 88mg 7% Iron 2.5mg 14% Potassium 692mg 15% Folate, total 77.8mcg Vitamin B-12 1.5mcg Vitamin B-6 0.7mg *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.