Ingredients
1tbspwhole allspice berries
1tbspwhole mustard seeds,(brown or yellow)
1tbspcoriander seeds
1tbspred pepper flakes
1tbspwhole black peppercorns
2tspwhole cloves
9wholecardamom pods
6large bay leaves,crumbled
2tspground ginger
½stickcinnamon
16cupswater
300gkosher salt,(2 cups of Diamond Crystal brand kosher salt or 1 cup 3½ tbsp of Morton’s kosher salt)
5tsppink curing salt,optional
3tbsppickling spices
½cupbrown sugar
5lbbeef brisket
1tbsppickling spices
Preparation
Toast the allspice berries, mustard seeds, coriander seeds, red pepper flakes, peppercorns, cloves, and cardamom pods in a small frying pan on medium heat until fragrant. Remove from heat and place in a small bowl. Use a mortar and pestle to crush the spices a little (or the back of a spoon or the side of a knife on a flat surface). Add to a small bowl and stir in the crumbled bay leaves and ground ginger.
Add about 3 tablespoons of the spice mix (reserve the rest for cooking the corned beef after it has cured), plus the half stick of cinnamon, to a gallon of water in a large pot, along with the Kosher salt, pink salt (if using), and brown sugar.
Bring to a boil, then remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Then refrigerate until well chilled.
Place the brisket in a large, flat container or pan, and cover with the brine. The brine should cover the meat.
Place in the refrigerator and chill from 5 to 7 days. Every day, flip the brisket over, so that all sides get brined equally.
At the end of the cure, remove the brisket from the brine and rinse off the brine with cold water. Place the brisket in a large pot that just fits around the brisket and cover with at least one inch of water. For a less salty brisket, add another inch of water to the pot. Add a tablespoon of the pickling spices to the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce to a very low simmer (barely bubbling), and cook 3-4 hours, until the corned beef is fork tender. (At this point you can store in the fridge for up to a week.)
Remove the meat to a cutting board. Notice the visible lines on the meat; this is the “grain” of the meat, or the direction of the muscle fibers. To make the meat easier to cut, cut it first in half, along the grain of the meat. Then make thin crosswise cuts, across the grain to cut the meat to serve.
