When I was learning to cook in San Francisco I lived up the street from this hofbrau named Tommy’s Joynt, it is an institution that has been around for 70 years, it serves ridiculously large portions of delicious corned beef, pastrami, ham and turkey among other things for an equally ridiculously low price. Whenever my dad would come to visit that’s the only place he wanted to eat which was really frustrating to me because we were in a city full of amazing food. But he’s from Indiana, he’s meat and potatoes and I can accept that. Tommy’s is solid so I can’t blame him.

A few years ago after having spent the day in San Francisco’s Chinatown eating dumplings of dubious origin,

I knew I had to treat my extremely patient and meat loving husband to something he would really enjoy eating. We headed to Tommy’s Joynt,  for Şeref and corned beef it was love at first bite. We ended up having to go back before the trip was finished..

It is currently Ramadan and it has become an annual tradition where I make an Iftar (fast breaking meal) for my husband’s friends in the neighborhood. These are people who help us out in little ways throughout the year, resolving a small plumbing issue or fixing an electrical outlet. This is my way of saying I appreciate them. My corned beef is always the star of the show.

Ingredients

6 Pounds Beef Brisket

1 Gallon of Filtered Water

12 Ounces of Pickling Salt

3 Teaspoons Curing Salt (also called Prague Powder #1)*

½ a Cup of Dark Brown Sugar

6 Large Cloves of Garlic, Smashed

3 Tablespoons of Pickling Spice- This is the blend I made from the spices I had on hand:

Pickling Spice Blend

A Few Cardamom Pods

1 Tablespoon Whole Black Peppercorns

1 Tablespoon Red Pepper Flakes

 

1 Tablespoon Whole Mustard Seeds (any color)

1 Teaspoon Cloves

1 Tablespoon Coriander Seeds

1 Tablespoon Dill Seeds

1 Star anise

1 3 Inch Piece of Cinnamon

6 Bay Leaves Crumbled

Other additions could be ground ginger, allspice berries, juniper berries or celery seed. Store in a jar for later use.

Method

In the container that you will store the beef mix the pickling salt, curing salt and sugar, stir until well dissolved. Next add the pickling spices, garlic and brisket. It is essential that the meat is covered in brine. I use a plate to weight it down. Check periodically that it is still covered. It can shift during brining.

Pickle refrigerated for 5-7 days, I have left it as many as 10. You can flip it at the halfway point but it isn’t essential.

After 3-10 days rinse the brisket. This is the point where you can freeze some of the beef if you won’t be using it all right away. It freezes beautifully.

In a pot add one quartered onion and another tablespoon of pickling spices. Boil until the meat is tender. Usually about 5 hours.

 

After boiling the meat I like to put it in a roasting pan and roast it fat side up for about 30 minutes at 350˚F to get the fat nice and caramelized.

*Note: You don’t have to use the curing salt, but without it the meat will be a rather unappealing gray and it is a guarantee against bacteria surviving in the brine.