Corned Beef
An Irish-American favorite, this tender, pink meat is excellent alongside cabbage and wheat-free soda bread.
Servings Prep Time
6servings 30minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
8hours 5days
Servings Prep Time
6servings 30minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
8hours 5days
Ingredients
Toasted Spice Mix
Brine
Meat
Instructions
6 days ahead
  1. Toast the spices for the spice mix in a small pan over medium-high heat. Gently swirl the spices around as they toast to prevent burning. The spices should become hot and frangrant and will begin popping occasionally.
  2. Crush the spices a little using a mortar and pestil. Set aside 1/3 of the spice mix in an airtight container to be used when cooking the corned beef. The rest will go in the brine.
  3. Place the water, 2/3 of the toasted spice mix, and the remaining brine ingredients in a large pot. Cover and bring to a boil. Turn the heat off and allow to cool to room temperature; then place in the fridge overnight.
5 days ahead
  1. Place your briscuit into a 4 quart storage container and pour the cold brine over the meat. Weigh the meat down to ensure it is submerged in the brine; then cover. (I like to use an upside-down saucer as a weight.)
  2. Soak the briscuit in the brine for 5 days. Flip the briscuit each day to encourage even brining.
4-8 hours ahead
  1. Remove the briscuit from the brine and place in a 6 quart slow cooker; then add the remaining 1/3 of the toasted spice mix and 1 bay leaf. (Do NOT cook in the brine. The result will be far too salty.)
  2. Add as much water as you can without going above the maximum amount recommended by the manufactuer.
  3. Cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours.
1 hour before
  1. Optional: If you want to prepare cabbage and/or rutabagas to go with the corned beef, now is a good time to take a couple cups of broth out of the slow cooker to add flavor to the veggies.
Serving Time
  1. Carefully place the briscuit on a cutting board with a moat to catch the juice. Slice across the grain. This works best with an electric knife.
Recipe Notes

My recipes avoid all ingredients listed on the American Latex Allergy Association website as known for cross-reacting with latex as well as a few other ingredients that I have discovered elsewhere. However, latex-fruit syndrome is still an emerging issue and poorly understood. There may be other foods that cross-react, and people with latex-fruit syndrome often have other food allergies independent of their latex allergy. Each individual is different, so be sure to discuss with your allergist the safest way for you to try out ingredients that are new to you before you cook with them.