Happy St Patrick’s day folks! Today I pay hommage to the little slice of Irish that is part of my heritage. As I am writing the blog this morning, I am listening to one of my favorite Irish rock bands, the Blaggards, to get me in the mood for the day. I celebrate all food-related things that are Irish, corned beef and cabbage, soda bread, and green beer. Okay, so maybe the green beer isn’t really Irish, but it is still fun and delicious! I always find a little humor in the celebration of St Patrick’s day, as it originated as a celebration of one of Ireland’s patron Saints, who wasn’t actually Irish (he was British). Therefore, I find it perfectly acceptable that everyone takes part in the celebration, regardless of heritage.
A couple of months ago, during one of our adventures at Rustic Pines, I was cooking breakfast for myself and my sweet hubby. I opened a can of corned beef hash (I forgot the can opener that weekend, so it made for an interesting task) and began frying it up. The smell of hash always gets my mouth watering, as it is an indulgent breakfast treat that I crave. While we were enjoying our breakfast, I started thinking about how expensive canned corned beef hash is and wondered why the cost was so high? Surely, it must take a lot of processing time and ingredients for it to justify the expense? After I mulled it over, I announced to John that I was going to make it myself from scratch when we returned home. He responded with a big smile, which I took as a thumbs up to begin my next cooking experiment!
What is corned beef?
Corned beef is essentially beef brisket cured in a salt brine, with some pickling spices for added flavor. “Corn” in cooking language simply means the treatment of meat with large grained rock salt. Curing salt contains nitrates which converts the protein in beef into a compound that gives it a pink color from the curing process. This reduces the risk of botulism in meat, turning it into a longer-term storage option.
How did I make the corned beef?
You can use packaged pickling spices, or create a mix of your own. Of course, because I love experimenting, I chose to make my own mix, with the help of a little research on the internet.
Pickling mix (for a 10 pound beef brisket):
- 2 Tbsp whole allspice berries
- 2 Tbsp whole mustard seeds
- 2 Tbsp coriander seeds
- 2 Tbsp whole cloves
- 2 Tbsp whole peppercorns (I used a mixed blend)
- 2 Tbsp red pepper flakes
- 2 Tbsp cardamon
- 12 large bay leaves, crumbled
- 4 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 stick cinnamon (broke in half)
Take all of the seeds and red pepper flakes and toast them in a pan on low heat (stirring often) until the mustard seeds start to crackle and pop (wow did the kitchen smell good!). Place them in a bowl and crush them into smaller pieces, to release all of it’s spicy goodness. Mix the rest of the spices in and set it off to the side to cool. Part of the spice mix will be used for the brine, and the rest will be reserved for the boil process later.
Curing Brine:
- 2 gallons water
- 10 teaspoons pink curing salt (purchased from Amazon)
- 4 cups Kosher salt
- 6 Tbsp pickling spices
- 1 cup brown sugar
Using a large stockpot, mix in ingredients and heat until it boils. Set it off to the side and allow it to cool to room temperature, then chill it down until it’s nice and cold. Using a big box store 5 gallon bucket, place the beef brisket(s) into the bucket and completely cover it with the brine. If your brisket floats, use something heavy and non-metal to ensure the brisket is completely submerged under the brine. Alternately, you can cut the brisket’s down to a size that fits into large freezer bags if you do not have room in your refrigerator to store the bucket. Flip the brisket’s every day to ensure that the brine is distributed evenly on the beef. Brine for a minimum of 7 days (I did mine for 10, because life got in the way).
After the brining process is completed, take the meat out and rinse it under cold water. Even though the beef brisket is now officially “corned”, it’s still a tough cut of meat that needs to be cooked in order to tenderize it.
Using a stockpot, add the remaining spices, corned beef, and enough water to cover the meat by 1 inch. Heat the water to boiling, then reduce it to a simmer and cook uncovered for 3-4 hours, or until the meat is fork-tender. The corned beef will store safely in the refrigerator for 1 week, or you can freeze it or can it for longer storage options.
Are you all wondering if I made the hash? I was so excited to try it, I made it for dinner as soon as the meat was cooked!
Homemade corned beef hash (4 servings)
- 2 Tbsp butter or olive oil
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 3 large potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes (I used yukon gold)
- 1 pound shredded or cubed corned beef
- 1/8 teaspoon thyme
- salt and pepper to taste (optional)
Melt the butter and cook the diced onions until soft. Add in diced potatoes and cook until tender (approximately 15 minutes). Add in remaining ingredients, and cook until the hash is crisp (approximately 15 additional minutes).
I was finding it difficult not to drool while eating both the homemade corned beef and the hash, it was beyond delicious! Both were really easy to make, you just need to muster a little patience and wait for the magic to happen. And no, I didn’t end up save any money by making it myself, it is not an inexpensive venture. However, like all things made from scratch, it tasted so much better than the purchased version, it was worth it!
Until next time folks, happy St Patrick’s day and happy homesteading!
Katie