Cooking with AH2: Salt Beef

Glaucus

Glaucus

Glaucus

Man of Honour
Joined
11 Mar 2004
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Salt beef

Step1 brine the brisket
2.5kilo beef brisket
4l of water
400g salt
150g sugar
30g Prague Powder #1 (optional) (I didn't use this)
3 bay leaves
4 cloves garlic
25g pickling spice (mace, allspice, juniper, coriander, ginger, dried chilli and just a couple of cloves. You can go wherever you fancy with flavourings). (I used garlic, chili, juniper berries, cloves, ginger)

1) mix altogether, bring to the boil and leave to cool.
2) place beef in a big freezer seal bag and pour over the brine.
3) double bag it and put in a dish
4) leave for 10 days in the fridge turning daily

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After 10 days
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Stage2 salt beef
Onions
Carrots
Bay leave
(or what ever you want)

Place in a plan with the brisket, cover in water and bring to a simmer for about 3-4 hours or until very tender.

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It's just on simmering away now. Just wish my sough dough starter was ready.

Wow is all I can say first time I've done this and the taste is bang on. Wouldn't want any more spice flavour. Looks grey but couldn't stop picking through it whilst slicing.
Removed the fat and cut into more manageable chunks before slicing.

I'm over the moon for a first try. End of the month I have a. Two kilo brisket coming. Will be doing 1 kilo of this and 1kilo of pastrami, pastrami is same 10day brining but second stage is different.


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It's due to lack of Prague powder otherwise knowen as curing salt which helps preserve the meat colour while curing.

Well I hope it's ok, it didn't smell off at all.
 
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Your stuff always looks good, but it's the 10 days 'preparing' that puts me off. I don't really have the fridge space, and I'd probably get bored waiting and just eat it after a few days.
 
I've made corn beef like this several times. Hot corned beef is absolutely great. I find the pickling spice in the boil gives it a lovely armomatic hint. Brisket is a great cut, nice and cheap and this technique really works wonders with it.
 
I can tell you're not Jewish. Onions, carrots and cloves with dumplings when you cook it properly, lol :D

As you said, adding saltpetre will stop it losing its colour. It also alters the taste of the beef and makes it more tender. I didn't salt mine long enough and it was pink salt beef on the outside and not quite salt beef in the middle (but still tasty). Definitely need to use brisket for salt beef; otherwise it's a bit tough and dry.
 
Salt beef is amazing. I always get mine from Brick Lane with sour dough and mustard.
Be interested to see how it turns out, but 10 days would make me impatient.
 
Wow is all I can say first time I've done this and the taste is bang on. Wouldn't want any more spice flavour. Looks grey but couldn't stop picking through it whilst slicing.
Removed the fat and cut into more manageable chunks before slicing.

I'm over the moon for a first try. End of the month I have a. Two kilo brisket coming. Will be doing 1 kilo of this and 1kilo of pastrami, pastrami is same 10day brining but second stage is different.


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If anyone's interested got the recipe here, more detail as well.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandst...o-brine-a-brisket#/?picture=368290523&index=0

Jonny69 How much does curing salts affect the colour?
 
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It stays pink. Looks like dark gammon. The flavour is ever so slightly different as well, but it's difficult to describe. The texture is also slightly more flaky. I think the saltpetre breaks the meat down slightly, which improves the texture.

Mmmm, I need to go up to Waitrose and get some brisket :p

How much are you paying for yours (and where from) out of interest?
 
Meats from here

http://www.fieldandflower.co.uk/
£80 Medium Monthly Meat Box
Brisket Roasting Joint - Weight: 1kg
Brisket Roasting Joint - Weight: 1kg
Leg Of Mutton Cut - Weight: LMC 1kg
Small Chicken - Size: Small (min 1.4kg)
Rump Steaks
Chicken Breasts - Pack of: 2 Breasts
Coarse Cut *Beef Mince
field&flower Burgers
Coarse Cut Lamb Mince
Diced Lamb
Pork Spare Ribs
Pork Sausages
Chicken Thighs - Pack of: 4 Thighs
 
Tbh I have no idea how long that will last. Haven't had a box yet, so it's a bit of a stab in the dark. As well as including all lunches out of it and a few roasts and stuff for friends.
It's pretty much like the veg box scheme see how it goes and adjust.

But yes I am a fat git..
 
My first job was in Leather Lane in Holburn, London. It's the next road up from Hatton Garden which for those of you who don't know, is a road almost entirely made up of jewellry shops and gold and diamond merchants. There was a deli cum sarnie shop called Danny's there. Salt beef was so good all the Hacidic lads used to walk up for a sarnie. Not had the stuff in years but you've made me want to try now.
 
Family of 4 here and we go through a mammoth amount of meat I'd say! That monthly meat pack wouldn't last us.
In the last week we've had a pork belly, lamb steaks, massive pork shoulder, 2 chickens, a gammon joint, mince, loads of bacon and 10 sausages
 
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