Corned beef

Ingredients:

• 1 piece (1.8 – 2.2 kg) beef brisket, trimmed
• 2 liters of water
• 1 cup coarse salt
• 0.5 cup brown sugar
• 2 tbsp. l. potassium nitrate E252
• 1 cinnamon stick, broken into several pieces
• 1 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 8 whole cloves
• 8 allspice berries
• 12 whole juniper berries
• 2 bay leaves, crumbled
• 0.5 tsp ground ginger
• 1 kg of ice
• 1 small onion, cut into 4 pieces
• 1 large carrot, coarsely chopped
• 1 stalk celery, coarsely chopped

Preparation:

1. In a large 6-8-quart saucepan, fill it with water and add salt, sugar, potassium nitrate, cinnamon stick, mustard seeds, peppercorns, cloves, allspice, juniper berries, bay leaf, and ginger. Heat over high heat until the salt and sugar dissolve. Remove from heat and add ice. Stir until the ice melts. If necessary, refrigerate the brine until it cools to 7°C (45°F). Once the brine has cooled, place the brisket in a 9-quart (0.3-gallon) zip-lock bag and add the brine.
2. Seal the bag and place it in a container, cover, and refrigerate for 10 days. Check daily to ensure the beef is completely submerged in the brine and stir the brine.
3. After 10 days, remove the meat from the brine and rinse thoroughly in cool water. Place the brisket in a large saucepan, add the onion, carrot, and celery, and cover with water to a depth of 2.5 cm. Place over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 2.5-3 hours, or until the meat is tender. Remove from the pan and slice thinly across the grain.