How to Make Homemade Corned Beef (Home Cured)

Corned Beef and Vegetables
Diana Rattray
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 3 hrs 30 mins
Cure Time: 168 hrs
Total: 171 hrs 50 mins
Servings: 6 to 8 servings
Yield: 1 brisket

Make your own corned beef with spices and an easy brine, and skip the preservatives!

Here's a delicious homemade corned beef recipe, along with instructions for the corned beef and cabbage dinner. Start the corned beef with a fresh beef brisket about 7 days before you plan to make your dinner. You can also make corned beef and cabbage right in your Instant Pot, once you have made your own corned beef as the base.

Ingredients

For the Beef:

  • 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 (7- to 9-pound) fresh beef brisket

For the Vegetables:

  • 3 ribs celery, cut into 2-inch pieces

  • 2 large onions, cut into wedges

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 6 medium red potatoes, halved

  • 5 carrots, cut into thirds

  • 2 small rutabagas, or 1 medium rutabaga, cut into 2-inch chunks

  • 1 head of cabbage, cut into 6 or 8 wedges

Steps to Make It

  1. Combine water, salt, sugar, mustard, spices, and 3 cloves minced garlic in an 8-quart nonreactive stock pot.

  2. Bring to a boil over high heat. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. On the 6th or 7th day, remove the beef from the brine and rinse well with cold water. Place in a large (8-quart or larger) pot. Cover with cold water and add the celery, onions, and 2 cloves minced garlic. Bring to a boil; skim off any scum which develops on the surface. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer for 2 1/2 hours.

  6. Uncover the pot and add the potatoes, carrots, rutabaga or turnip, and cabbage. An 8-quart pot should be large enough, but if you don't have room for all of the vegetables, bring another pot of water to a boil and add a 1 tablespoon of salt; add the cabbage or other vegetables which wouldn't fit.

  7. Cover the large pot and cook until meat and vegetables are tender, about 1 hour longer.

  8. If cooking some vegetables in another pot, cook just until tender and keep warm.​

You Might Also Like

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
1801 Calories
97g Fat
72g Carbs
155g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories 1801
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 97g 124%
Saturated Fat 38g 189%
Cholesterol 545mg 182%
Sodium 11667mg 507%
Total Carbohydrate 72g 26%
Dietary Fiber 9g 33%
Total Sugars 37g
Protein 155g
Vitamin C 93mg 464%
Calcium 269mg 21%
Iron 15mg 86%
Potassium 2585mg 55%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Recipe Tags: