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The Mavin's Way To Pickle Beef or Tongue

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Submitted by chipmunk

Old-world pickled beef brisket or tongue brined for 19 days with garlic, bay leaves, and pickling spices. A traditional Jewish deli-style corned beef you can make at home from scratch.

YIELD

3 lbs

PREP

10 min

COOK

30 min

READY

40 min

Making your own pickled beef takes patience, but the payoff is something no deli counter can match.

A 3-pound brisket or beef tongue gets submerged in a cold brine of water, salt, garlic, bay leaves, and pickling spices, then sits in the coldest part of your fridge for 19 days.

You turn it every couple of days with wooden spoons, and the salt and spices slowly work their way deep into the meat, transforming it into something rich, savory, and deeply flavorful.

When the brining is done, rinse and cook it however you like: simmered, braised, or sliced thin for sandwiches.

Chef Tips

  • Use a glass bowl or stoneware crock, never metal. The salt and acid in the brine will react with metal containers
  • Turn the meat every 2 days religiously. This ensures even curing and prevents any spots from going off
  • Only add a tiny amount of water if the level drops. Too much dilutes the brine and risks spoiling
  • Ascorbic acid works as a modern substitute for saltpeter if you prefer to avoid it. Either one helps preserve the rosy color of the meat

Ingredients

3 1.4
POUNDS KG BEEF BRISKET
or beef tongue
1 0.9
QUART L WATER
cold *
2 10
TEASPOONS ML PICKLING SPICE
minus the, red pepper. or with them *
5 5
CLOVES EACH GARLIC
4 4
EACH BAY LEAVES *
3 45
TABLESPOONS ML SALT
1 5
TEASPOON ML SALTPETER
or 1 ts ascorbic acid *

Directions

Place the meat in a deep glass bowl or a stoneware crock.

Pour the quart of water into another glass bowl.

Add the remaining ingredients, mix together, and pour over the meat; add enough water to cover.

Tightly cover and refrigerate.

It is best to keep this in the coldest part of the refrigerator.

Mark your calendar: For best results, marinate for 19 days.

Every 2 days turn the meat, using wooden spoons.

Add water if necessary, but ONLY A LITTLE BIT, or the meat might spoil.

At the end of the pickling period, discard the pickling water, and wash the meat with cold water.

It is ready to cook

* not incl. in nutrient facts Arrow up button

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Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 365g (12.9 oz)
Amount per Serving
Calories 1205 69% from fat
 % Daily Value *
Total Fat 93g 142%
Saturated Fat 36g 181%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 313mg 104%
Sodium 5469mg 228%
Total Carbohydrate 1g 1%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Sugars g
Protein 168g
Vitamin A 0% Vitamin C 6%
Calcium 5% Iron 47%
* based on a 2,000 calorie diet How is this calculated?
Trans-fat Free, Low Carb, Sugar-Free
 

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