How to make a Jewish corned beef at home
Published February 14, 2022
This story originally appeared on Kibitz Spot.
I love corned beef, and it turns out to be easy to make at home with our simple corned beef recipe. Whether it’s thinly sliced and piled high on rye bread with mustard, or thickly sliced and served alongside mashed potatoes and coleslaw, it’s a winner at our house. Growing up in a Jewish neighborhood in America, it was easy to get. While I just called it corned beef, I never fully understood the importance of the word “kosher-style” when describing my favorite deli meat.
Well, now I live in New Zealand, and let me tell you, the deli meat from the local store that is labeled corned beef has little resemblance to the wonderful flavors I grew up with. Our simple corned beef recipe is the solution to enjoying the taste I love.
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Our homemade corned beef ticks all of the boxes
What kind of meat do I use?
Corned silverside is what they call the cured brisket in New Zealand (where I live). By using this meat, we shorten the 10-day process my grandma used to do down to just a few hours. It’s available at most major supermarket chains, some smaller stores, and at butcher shops.
Ready-to-cook corned beef is what it is called in the states, according to Google. I have never looked for it, so I can’t offer guidance on where to find it.
What you need for our simple corned beef recipe
Prepared on the stovetop, you need only either a large saucepan or small stockpot. And while we provided exact measurements below for the two ingredients added to the meat, precision measuring is not terribly important for this boiled corned beef recipe. Here are the three corned beef ingredients in our recipe.
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Corned silverside
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Brown sugar
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White or malt vinegar
Serving suggestions
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A traditional corned beef sandwich with the thinly sliced meat piled high and served on rye bread with mustard.
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As an ingredient in a Reuben sandwich. I know the spicier pastrami is popular, but I always prefer a corned beef Reuben made with Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and Russian dressing.
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Another favorite deli sandwich of mine: corned beef and chopped liver on rye bread.
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Or, I love it thickly sliced for dinner and served warm alongside mashed potatoes and Jeff’s homemade coleslaw.
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Similarly, in summer we serve it cold with a side of coleslaw and one of our favorite potato salads.
Our simple corned beef recipe
This recipe was contributed by Jeff Albom.
Yield: 5 portions
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 2 hours
Total time: 2 hours 5 minutes
Ingredients
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2.2 pounds (1 kilogram) corned silverside (ready-to-cook corned beef)
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1/4 cup brown sugar
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1/2 cup white vinegar
Instructions
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Place corned silverside/brisket in a saucepan or stockpot.
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Add the brown sugar on top of the meat and use a spoon to coat the meat with the sugar.
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Pour the vinegar into the saucepan and fill with water until the meat is mostly covered.
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Heat the saucepan on the stove on high until boiling, then lower to simmer.
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Cook the meat for 50-60 minutes per pound (500 grams). This will be 2 hours for 1 kg size beef we used.
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After cooking, remove the meat from the saucepan, trim excess fat, slice, and serve.
Notes
Serving size based on 5oz of cooked meat. Note that after cooking and removing the fat, the meat will be about ⅔ of its original size.
Nutrition Information:
YIELD: 5
SERVING SIZE: 5oz (140 grams)
Amount Per Serving:
CALORIES: 120
TOTAL FAT: 4g
SATURATED FAT: 2g
TRANS FAT: 0g
UNSATURATED FAT: 2g
CHOLESTEROL: 32mg
SODIUM: 16mg
CARBOHYDRATES: 9g
FIBER: 0g
SUGAR: 9g
PROTEIN: 10g
Nutritional information isn’t always accurate and it will vary based on the specific ingredients used.
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