Speckle Park Cook Book Glossary

British (London)

Salt Beef

Complexity
complex
Serves
8
Prep
30 min + 5 to 7 days
Cook
3 hr
Technique
Cure
Cut
Brisket
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Ingredients

  • 2 kg (4½ lb) beef brisket, trimmed of excess fat

Brine

  • 2 litres (8 cups) water
  • 150 g (⅔ cup) coarse sea salt
  • 75 g (⅓ cup) light brown sugar
  • 6 g (1 tsp) pink curing salt (Prague powder #1, from butchers, sausage-making suppliers or online; about 3 g per kg of meat)
  • 1 tbsp black peppercorns
  • 1 tbsp coriander seeds
  • 1 tbsp mustard seeds
  • 6 juniper berries (optional; leave out if you can't find them)
  • 4 cloves garlic, smashed
  • 3 bay leaves

To cook

  • 1 onion, halved
  • 2 carrots, halved
  • 1 celery stick
  • Rye bread, English mustard and gherkins, to serve

Steps

  1. Simmer the brine ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring until the salt and sugar dissolve. Let it cool completely, then chill.
  2. Put the brisket in a deep non-reactive container or large zip bag and pour the cold brine over. Weight it down so the meat stays submerged.
  3. Cure in the refrigerator for at least 5 days, ideally 7 for a brisket 5 to 6 cm (2 in) thick, turning the beef once a day. The meat will firm up and turn a deep rosy pink inside.
  4. Rinse the brisket under cold water. If you like it milder, soak it in fresh water for 1 hour.
  5. Put it in a large pot with the onion, carrot and celery. Cover with cold water, bring to a boil over high heat, and skim off any foam.
  6. Lower the heat so the water barely trembles. Cover and simmer for 3 hours, topping up with hot water if needed, until a skewer slides in easily.
  7. Rest the beef in its hot liquid for 20 minutes, then slice about 5 mm (¼ in) thick against the grain.
  8. Pile the slices onto rye bread with plenty of English mustard and gherkins.

Notes

  • Curing salt: it keeps the meat pink and protects against bacteria during the long brine. Use Prague powder #1 only, not Himalayan pink salt, and do not skip it or exceed the amount given.
  • Make ahead: the cooked beef keeps 3–4 days chilled in its liquid, and slices best cold.
  • Serving: the leftover broth makes a good base for pea or split-pea soup.
  • Slow cooker: after curing and rinsing, cover with water and cook on low 8–10 hr or high 5–6 hr. No browning needed.
  • Freezer: slice cooled beef, add a splash of cooking liquid and freeze up to 3 months.