Corned beef: A tradition worth planning for

Come Saint Patrick’s Day, “the one thing you won’t find on the Irish table is corned beef,” says Cathal Armstrong in My Irish Table. Well, that and green beer, another American tradition. In my native Dublin, March 17 is a solemn religious holiday, and families generally take the one-day break from Lenten fasting to enjoy an elegant spring dinner of roast lamb, roast beef, or even baked salmon.

Corned beef is a good dish to serve, though, on any day when you’re too busy to do much but simmer a pot. To cure, or “corn,” your own beef using my recipe, you need to get started 17 days in advance, allowing 10 days for brining (using a store-bought pickling spice and curing salt) and seven for seasoning. I like to serve corned beef with braised cabbage, boiled potatoes, or colcannon—a combination of the two. I top it with a simple béchamel, flavored with chopped parsley.

You can keep the cooked corned beef up to three days before serving. Just pull it out of the refrigerator and simmer it in water for 20 minutes to warm it through.

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Recipe of the week: Corned beef

For the brine:

• ¾ cup kosher salt
• 1 tbsp pink curing salt, such as Insta-Cure No. 1
• ½ cup light brown sugar
• 3 tbsp pickling spice
• One 5-lb beef brisket, with deckle

For the rub:

• 3 large fresh bay leaves, torn
• 9 cloves garlic, crushed
• 3 tbsp yellow mustard seeds
• 2 tbsp coarsely ground black pepper
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground allspice
• ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• ¼ tsp ground cayenne pepper
• ¼ tsp ground coriander

To brine the meat:In a saucepan over high heat, heat 2 quarts water with salts, brown sugar, and pickling spice, stirring until dissolved. Remove from heat and add 2 quarts ice water. Place beef in a 2-gallon ziplock bag. Pour in brine and seal, squeezing out as much air as possible so meat remains completely submerged. Refrigerate for 10 days. Remove beef and discard brine. Thoroughly rinse beef under cold running water, removing all spices. Blot dry on paper towels.

To season the meat:Combine rub ingredients in a small bowl. Spread rub all over beef with your hands. Place beef in a 2-gallon ziplock bag and seal, squeezing out as much air as possible. Place bag on a baking dish. Refrigerate for 1 week, turning the bag once a day.

To cook the meat:Transfer beef and all accumulated juices from bag to a large pot. Add water as needed to cover; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and simmer for 3 hours, until beef is fork tender but not falling apart. Drain and transfer to a cutting board. Let rest for 15 minutes. Carve in ½-inch-thick slices, cut lengthwise against the grain. Arrange on a serving platter or plates. Serves 8 to 10.