Corned Beef

carla8, Feb 27, 2:19am
Are there any butchers or anyone else who knows how corned beef is "corned" in butcher shops now days? Just curious as I am pretty sure the store brought ones have preservative added to them - i think Sodium nitrite or nitrate but I could be wrong on that. Just curious to know how butchers do it. Cheers

maandpa2b, Feb 27, 9:08am
bump. . me too

petal1955, Feb 28, 2:40am
I think all corned beef is injected with a brine these days. . years ago butchers placed beef into a brine and left it there to corn... which IMHO is the best way... . nowdays injected is done for quickness... definately not the most flavoursome.

celosia, Feb 28, 2:44am
I have found corned beef very salty lately and even the long cooking I give it does not lessen it.

eljayv, Feb 28, 2:46am
In the past when i did cook corned beef i always changed the water half way during cooked so it would not be so salty

eljayv, Feb 28, 2:48am
does anyone know a butcher who does corned beef the old fashioned way?

timturtle, Feb 28, 2:53am
Someone may have a recipe, Mum used to do it years ago, I remember you kept adding salt until an egg either floated or sank, I'm not much use ! ! Lol, but someone my know, there wasn't too much to it.

crsdbl, Feb 28, 7:31am
i found this recipe, it doesn't contain saltpeter (potassium nitrate) which is what gives the beef the pink colouring, so it will be a brown meat, not pink.

•10 cups water
•1 1/2 cups kosher salt
•1 cup granulated sugar
•2 tablespoons dry mustard
•3 tablespoons pickling spices
•3 cloves garlic, minced
•1 fresh beef brisket, 7 to 9 pounds

Combine water, salt, sugar, mustard, spices, and 3 cloves minced garlic in an 8-quart nonreactive stock pot. Bring to a boil over high heat. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. When liquids have cooled, trim the corned beef of excess fat and put into the liquid. You may need to transfer the liquids and corned beef to a larger container or bowl, just make sure it is nonreactive. If necessary, add more cold water to cover the beef. Using a heavy pottery bowl or a few small bowls, weigh the corned beef down so it will stay submerged in the water. Cover the pan and refrigerate for 5 to 7 days in the refrigerator. Take out once a day to stir lightly, and turn the beef as needed.
rinse well before cooking as usual.

fishheadsoup, Feb 28, 8:42pm
Yes there is a butcher in palmerston in palmy nrth! Harry from Harris Meats! he does it the best old way! they are always tender and not to salty! well i say they are always bang on the button!

carla8, Mar 2, 2:30am
Thanks for the replies everyone. Might give the butchers where we get our meat done a ring and see how they do it. Cheers

karenz, Mar 2, 5:50am
The last time I bought corned beef in the supermarket it was so salty I couldn't eat it, despite washing all the slimy red goop off, soaking it and changing the water a few times before cooking.

wino3, Sep 23, 12:44pm
Our homekill butcher uses the old methods rather than the quick fix. Delicious.