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    Home » Recipes » Gluten-Free Holidays

    Published: Feb 27, 2018 · Modified: May 4, 2021 by Jen Wooster

    Nitrate-Free Corned Beef Brisket

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    corned beef dinner on white plate

    Homemade Corned Beef Brisket is easier to make at home than you might think. And being able to make it without nitrates is just a bonus. Our nitrate-free corned beef recipe cures at home in about a week using everyday ingredients you probably already have on hand.

    You can cook the cured corned beef in a stockpot, pressure cooker (aka Instant Pot), or a slow cooker. Serve with colcannon, gluten-free soda bread, and a slice of our GF Dark chocolate cake for a proper Irish dinner.

    corned beef dinner with colcannon and brisket
    Nitrate Free Corned Beef Recipe

    Please read the entire post for tips and tricks to ensure a perfect recipe every time. And don't forget to tag @peelwithzeal on Instagram so we can admire your creation!

    This post may include affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

    Jump to:
    • 💭 Common Questions About Corned Beef
    • 🧾Ingredients
    • ⏲️How to Cure and Cook Corned Beef
    • 🥗Recommended Side Dishes
    • 📖 Recipe
    • Nitrate- Free Corned Beef
    • ⭐Reviews

    Mr. Peel and his family take a lot of pride in being Irish-Americans. It is no surprise that any Irish dish would be a Mr. Peel favorite. But none more than this Nitrate-Free Corned Beef, 100% from scratch.

    It takes just a few minutes of prep and 7 days in the fridge. Plenty of time before St. Patrick’s Day to try your own from-scratch corned beef!  We already made this nitrate-free corned beef and froze it.

    close up photo of corned beef on plate

    💭 Common Questions About Corned Beef

    What is the "corned" part of corned beef?

    The ‘corned’ in corned beef means pickled or cured. The origin of the term ‘corned’ comes from the process of curing meat with salt using large crystal salt, also referred to as ‘corns’ of salt.

    Is nitrate-free corned beef better for you?

    There is much debate regarding the harmfulness of nitrates and nitrites.  They naturally occur in many vegetables but are also required for preserving meat in an industrial setting. But there are concerns if you frequently eat processed meats.

    Luckily, there is no need to use them in a home kitchen except to achieve that very pink color. Sodium nitrate is dyed pink to distinguish it from regular salt. We can get a soft pink color into the beef naturally by adding beet juice. Not as bright but certainly as tasty.

    To learn more about nitrates and nitrites, this article from Dr. Axe breaks it down in an easy-to-understand format.

    Can You Cure Corned Beef Ahead of Time?

    For best results cure and cook your corned beef. Then place in a large freezer bag or plastics container with the broth.

    Freezing corned beef in its own broth keeps it nice and moist so we can pull it out for our St. Patty's Day feast or a Saturday afternoon Reuben.

    Is Corned Beef really an Irish dish?

    Yes and no. When the Brits came to Ireland they brought their love of beef. In Ireland, cattle were used for producing milk and plowing fields. They weren't often used for meat consumption.

    The Smithsonian magazine has an interesting article about the winding path corned beef took from 16th century Ireland to today's American table.

    How long does corned beef take to cure?

    Corned beef from scratch will cure in 7 to 10 days.

    What is the best cut of meat for corned beef?

    Corned beef is typically made with a brisket cut. A brisket is a cut of meat from the breast or lower chest of the cattle.

    🧾Ingredients

    • Beef Brisket- If you can find it, I prefer a grass beef brisket.
    • Pickling Spice- You can use any spice you want but we have provided our homemade mix on the recipe card.
    • Kosher Salt
    • Molasses- Old fashion skip the blackstrap for this recipe.
    • Fresh Garlic
    • Beet Juice or Purple Sauerkraut Juice- Optional, but it does provide that classic pink corned beef look.
    • Onions, Carrots, Celery- The trinity of stewing veggies.
    • Water- Typically corned beef is cooked without beer but for a fun twist add your favorite ale.
    pickling spice in a bowl and brisket in a brine

    I never make the same pickling spice twice. This is my basic go-to blend. But inevitably I am out of something or have extra of another. It always comes out just fine. The cinnamon is where I think most people differ in opinion. I think this recipe is a little high in cinnamon so definitely pull back if that isn’t your thing. Store-bought pickling spice blends work too.

    ⏲️How to Cure and Cook Corned Beef

    This recipe has two steps. First, we are going to brine the meet. This brining process is what cures the beef. After waiting about a week, the beef will be ready for cooking.

    How to Brine Corned Beef

    To make the brining liquid we are going to heat the water. Don't get it too hot, just warm enough to melt the molasses. Cool with ice and add the pickling spice.

    Trim the excess fat from your brisket and place the brisket in a large roasting pan. Cover with the brine.

    nitrate free grass fed beef in brine

    After placing the brisket in the brine, it is critical to check on it daily and to ensure the beef is completely submerged, and give the liquid a stir. If the beef isn't submerged you can place a sauce on top and weigh it down with a can.

    The meat can sit in the brine anywhere from 3 to 10 days, so the recipe can adjust to your schedule. I find a week is just about right.

    If at any time it starts to smell, something went wrong and you will need to toss it and start over.

    corned beef in stockpot

    How to Cook Corned Beef

    Most recipes for corned beef say two to three hours of roasting time. Two hours will get you sliceable brisket. Cooking it up to four hours gets you that perfect stringy texture.

    I cook my corned beef with carrots, celery, and onions. Cooking with cabbage is optional. When serving with our dairy-free colcannon or when making corned beef for homemade Rubens I opt not to use cabbage.

    dinner plate of Irish meal

    🥗Recommended Side Dishes

    Looking for side dish options to serve with your corned beef? Here are a couple of our favorites. Enjoy!

    Dairy-Free Colcannon

    Every Irish family has their special colcannon recipe. I converted my husband's tried and true traditional Irish recipe to a dairy-free version.
    go to recipe Pin for later
    dairy free colcannon potatoes in a white serving bowl

    Gluten Free Soda Bread

    A gluten free take on the classic Irish soda bread. This savory soda bread is perfect for everyday, and with your traditional St. Patrick's day dinner.
    go to recipe Pin for later
    soda bread on cutting board with slices cut

    Sautéed Greens

    This foolproof simple sauteed greens recipe takes less than 10 minutes from prep to table. Perfect for a weeknight using any greens you have on hand including kale, swiss chard or spinach.
    go to recipe Pin for later
    Sauteed greens on a plate with onions and garlic.

    If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave us a rating or a comment. It helps other wonderful people connect with our food.

    📖 Recipe

    sliced corned beef brisket on a white plate

    Nitrate- Free Corned Beef

    Recipe Created By: Jen Wooster
    Easy to make nitrate-free grassfed corned beef. Needs approximately 7 days to cure before cooking.
    5 from 7 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save RecipeSaved!
    Prep Time 20 mins
    Cook Time 4 hrs
    Curing Time 7 d
    Total Time 4 hrs 20 mins
    Course Dinner, Main Course
    Cuisine American, Irish
    Servings 14 servings
    Calories 267 kcal

    Equipment

    • Roasting pan
    • Stockpot or slow cooker

    Ingredients
      

    • 4-5 lb grass-fed beef brisket
    • 2 qts filtered water
    • 1 c kosher salt
    • ½ c Molasses
    • 6 cloves garlic
    • ¼ recipe pickling spice
    • ½ c beet or purple sauerkraut juice
    • 2 sm onions, quartered or 1 large
    • 2 carrots, chunked
    • 2 celery stalks, chunked

    Pickling Spice

    • 4 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
    • 4 tablespoon whole mustard seed
    • 4 tablespoon whole coriander seed
    • 2 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
    • 4 tablespoon whole allspice berries
    • 4 sticks cinnamon, broken
    • 4 tablespoon whole cloves
    • 2 tablespoon ground ginger
    • 8 bay leaves

    Instructions
     

    • Place water, salt, molasses, garlic and pickling spice into pot on low heat. Stir until salt and molasses completely dissolve. Remove from heat and add 2-4 cups of ice to cool liquid. Should be chilled. Stir in beet juice.
    • Add brisket.  Meat should be totally submerged. Place saucer or plate to hold meat down if necessary. Cover and place in fridge for 5 to 10 days, ideally 7 days. Check daily to ensure beef is staying submerged and to stir brine.
    • When ready to cook, remove beef and discard liquid. Trim off any excess fat.

    Slow Cooker Method

    • Place the brisket into a large slow cooker, add the onion, carrot and celery and cover with water by 1-inch (about 2 quarts). Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.

    Stove Top Method

    • Place brisket into large pot, cut into pieces if needed. add the onion, carrot and celery and cover with water by 1-inch (about 2 quarts). Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Partially cover and cook 3 to 4 hours until fork tender.

    Video

    Notes

    • Leftover corned beef can be stored for up to 5 days covered in the fridge.
    • To freeze, place corned beef in its juices in a freezer bag. Store for up to 3 months. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 267kcal | Carbs: 16g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 10g | Fiber: 3g
    Keyword Corned Beef, Gluten Free, homemade corned beef, Nitrate Free
    Tried this recipe?Tag us @peelwithzeal so we can see your creation!

    Corned Beef Web Story

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Mtmama23 says

      December 28, 2020 at 6:13 pm

      5 stars
      Excellent flavor after only 8 hours of pickling! And so easy!!! It was the afternoon of Christmas Eve and I needed something great for Christmas day dinner (not a planner). I put the marinade and brisket in the frig for 8 hours, then moved it to the crock pot unit to cook for eight hours overnight on low. I used half of the pickling spice instead of a quarter the recipe called for. It was perfect. My $16 homemade corned beef tasted better than the $50 pre-made beef my mom served last Christmas. It was so good that I didn't even have enough for leftovers the next day.

      Reply
      • Jen says

        December 29, 2020 at 9:11 am

        Thank you so much for your kind review. I am thrilled to hear it was delicious after just a few hours.

        Reply

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    My name is Jen and I am the recipe developer, writer, and photographer around here. Since being diagnosed with celiac disease over 10 years ago I have been slowly curating a recipe box full of gluten-free goodness. I adore vegetables, crave chocolate, and I am always up for an adventure.

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