The Mavin's Way To Pickle Beef or Tongue
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 lbsPREP
10 minCOOK
30 minREADY
40 minMaking 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
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
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