Corned Beef and Cabbage

Brine

• 1 gallon water
• 1 ½ cups kosher salt
• ½ cup sugar
• 4 teaspoons pink curing salt #1
• 3 cloves garlic (smashed)
• 1 bunch fresh thyme
• 2 tablespoons pickling spice
• 1 (5 pound) beef brisket

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Pickling Spice (or your favorite store-bought)

• 2 tablespoons black peppercorns
• 2 tablespoons mustard seeds
• 2 tablespoons coriander seeds
• 2 tablespoons red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons allspice (whole)
• 1 tablespoon ground mace
• 2 small cinnamon sticks
• 4 each bay leaves
• 2 tablespoons whole cloves
• 1 tablespoons ground ginger

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Additional Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons pickling spice
• 2 each yellow onions (peeled and roughly chopped)
• 3 each large carrots (peeled and roughly chopped)
• 1 large celery root (peeled and roughly chopped) or 6 stalks of celery
• 1 head green cabbage (cut into quarters)
• 2 quarts chicken or beef stock
• 2 quarts water
• 2 tablespoons of kosher salt

Brining Procedure

1. In a large pot, add the water, kosher salt, sugar, pink salt, garlic, thyme, and the pickling spice and stir to dissolve. Bring the brine to a gentle simmer and turn off immediately and chill.
2. Once the brine is fully chilled (below 40 F), submerge the beef brisket into the liquid and weigh it down with something to ensure it stays submerged. Refrigerate for 5 days.

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Cooking Procedure

1. After 5 days, remove the brisket from the brine and place it into a pot large enough to allow you to cover it with water. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of pickling spice, the kosher salt, the stock, and the water to cover the brisket.
2. Bring the liquid to a very low simmer, cover and cook for about 3 hours. Another way to cook the brisket if you would prefer not to have the burner on for multiple hours, is to bring everything to a low simmer, cover, and then place the pot into the oven at 275 F for 3 hours.
3. After 3 hours, add the carrot, celery root, onion, and green cabbage to a sheet pan or cookie tray and coat them with your oil of choice and lightly season them with salt. Roast them at 400 F for 25 minutes (you are just looking to add color to them and slightly caramelize, not fully cook).
4. Once the vegetables are roasted, take the cabbage off the sheet tray, and add it to the pot with the brisket and continue to cook for 1 hour.
5. After 1 hour, add the rest of the roasted vegetables to the pot with the brisket and continue to cook until the brisket can be pulled apart with forks but does fall apart when pulled (an internal temperature between 180-190 F).
6. If serving immediately, allow the brisket to rest in the liquid for about 30-40 minutes then remove from the liquid, slice to your desired thickness, and serve with some of the cooking liquid and vegetables.