Making your Own Corned Beef (Salt Peter Method)

If you want the red colored corned beef this is the recipe to use. The preservative salt peter will great the typical color. The advanage to making your own corned beef is that you can control the type of meat used. The corned beef you buy at the store tends to be very fatty. This recipe takes three weeks to prepare so it is too late for this years Saint Patricks Day but it can be used for any type of meat you would like to corn. Instead of using a crock you can use ziplock bags by putting the meat and brine in the bags and then placing in a crock or bowl and placing weight on it. Then massage the bags every day to make sure it gets brined everywhere.


1 beef brisket
1/4 tsp salt peter
1/4 C warm water
2 T sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp paprika
1 T mixed pickling spices
3/4 C salt
2 quarts water

Place the meat in a large crock. Dissolve the salt peter in the warm water. Add the next four ingredients. Dissolve the salt in the 2 quarts of water. Mix everything together and pour over the meat. Be sure the meat is beneath the surface of the liquid. Refrigerate for three weeks, turning the meat once or twice per week. Prepare according to any standard recipe for corned beef.