Corned Beef - Is There An Alternative To Saltpetre In The Brine?

[humbersloop]

from another thread, fluff and voddy (and owd, hash recipe bitterness here not withstanding x hmphph) are most welcome to some- I've got a piece of brisket coming I'd like to have a go at corning.

I've never done it before and I'm hunting around for an alternative to saltpetre for the brine - I don't fancy using gunpowder, though I'm told the meat looks grey if you don't use something like it.

Any suggestions? And does anyone have a tested recipe?

[owdhamer]

Sorry sloopy had a look on the net ,all it came up with was sodium nitrate

[DTCwordfan]

brisket is really nice, sloopy, a little hassle.

My ex would just use water and not salt....two hours soak, changing the water out.....

Ingredients

For a Spice Paste:
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon sugar
3 dried bay leaves
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon stone-ground mustard
For The Brisket:
1 whole beef brisket (7 pounds)
10oz beer
8oz fresh orange juice (from 2 oranges)
1 onion, sliced
3 beets, trimmed, washed well, peeled, and each cut into 8 wedges
1 head green cabbage, cut into 8 wedges
2 carrots, cut on the bias into 1-inch pieces
Coarse salt

Make the spice paste: Pulse 2 tablespoons salt, 1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper, the sugar, bay leaves, spices, garlic, vinegar, and mustard in a food processor.

Make the brisket: Rub spice paste all over brisket. Transfer to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Cover, and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F . Combine beer and juice. Top the brisket with onion, and surround with beets. Pour in 12 ozs beer mixture. Bake, covered with parchment-lined foil, basting occasionally, until tender, 3 hours but ok with 3 and a quarter.

Once brisket has baked for 2 hours, place cabbage and carrots in a 2-quart baking dish. Top with remaining beer mixture. Season with salt. Bake, covered with parchment-lined foil, until tender, about 1 hour.

Prepare boiled spuds.

Slice brisket; return to liquid, and serve with vegetables.

[gollob]

Just use a soluton of Salt and Water.

[owdhamer]

I think the brisket will be better than the hash

[humbersloop]

That looks nice dt.

The corning recipes I'm looking at - which are mostly american- talk about brining for 5-8 days though

[gollob]

Salt for one day plus one day per pound