Corning Your Own Beef

Papa loves corned beef. He requested corned beef and cabbage for Saint Patrick's Day. He suggested I "..buy it in the deli, pre-packaged and ready to go". I said "What's the fun in that? We'll corn our own".

Not really minding that he thought me silly I went to the Midland Meat Company and bought a small, 2 pound piece of center cut brisket. Since I'm making this just for Papa and myself I didn't need much. For a crowd you would probably want a 5 pound brisket.

Corned Beef is not for Saint Patrick's Day alone.  It can be enjoyed year round and not as the traditional dinner of corned beef and cabbage.  Home-corned beef can make the tastiest Reuben sandwich as well as some of these ideas. 

To corn your piece of meat, give yourself five days prior to cooking.

First step is making the pickling spices for your brine.

Spices, spices, spices!  Black peppercorns, mustard seed, coriander seed, red pepper flakes, allspice, mace, cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, cloves and ginger.

The peppercorns, mustard seeds and coriander seeds are toasted in a skillet until fragrant.

 
 Crack these in a mortar and pestle or in a baggie with the side of a knife.

Combine with all the other spices.

Store in a sealed container.

Next you make the brine that you will corn the brisket in. The ingredients are boiled, cooled then refrigerated until cold.

NOTE:  Michael Ruhlman, whose book I took this recipe from, mentions the option of using 4 teaspoons of pink salt (or sodium nitrate) when making the brine.  It lends a distinct flavor and the bright redness of the meat that is associated with corned beef.  I opted out on using it this time. 

The brine is enough to corn a 5 pound brisket.  Since Papa and I were the only ones partaking I bought a near-2 pound center cut of brisket but I still made a full recipe of the brine.

Isn't that a pretty piece of meat? Place the brisket in a container large enough to hold it and all the brine.  I used a giant plastic zipper bag.  If you use a 5 pound piece of meat you will probably want a large pot (which you can also cook the brine in).

I placed the plastic bag in a glass baking dish (just in case the baggie leaked) and placed it in the refrigerator.

I placed a plate on top of the brisket to make sure it stayed submerged in the brine.

Turn the brisket once a day.

Once 5 days are up it's time to cook.

Remove the brisket from the brine and rinse thoroughly.  Place in a dutch oven just large enough to hold it then cover with water and add some more pickling spices. Toss in the carrot, an onion and a stalk of celery.

Bring to a boil then turn down and simmer on low for about 3 hours.

Remove the beef and keep warm.  Not the prettiest looking piece of meat but oh, 


 
 so, so tender and flavorful!

You can throw vegetables in the broth and simmer until tender.  I usually use new potatoes and chopped green cabbage.

The meat is also great the next day for sandwiches.


Corned Beef
Adapted from Mark Ruhlman's "Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking and Curing"
Yield: 8 to 10 servings

Pickling Spices

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. black peppercorns
2 Tbsp. mustard seeds
2 Tbsp. coriander seeds
2 Tbsp. hot red pepper flakes
2 Tbsp. allspice berries
1 Tbsp. ground mace
2 small cinnamon sticks, crushed or broken into pieces
2 to 4 bay leaves, crumbled
2 Tbsp. whole cloves
1 Tbsp. ground ginger.

Method:
Combine peppercorns, mustard seeds and coriander seeds in a small dry pan.  Place over medium heat and stir until fragrant, being careful not to burn; keep lid handy in case seeds pop.  Crack peppercorns and seeds with a mortar and pestle or in a plastic bag with the side of a knife.

Combine with the remaining spices and mix well.  Store in an air tight container.

Home-Cured Corned Beef

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups koshser salt
1/2 cup sugar
4 tsp. pink salt (sodium nitrite), optional
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 Tbsp. pickling spice, divided
1 5-pound beef brisket
1 carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
1 medium onion, peeled and halved through the root
1 celery stalk, roughly chopped

Method:
In a pot large enough to hold the brisket, combine 1 gallon of water with kosher salt, sugar, sodium nitrite (if using), garlic, and 2 Tbsp. of the pickling spice.  Bring to a simmer, stirring until salt and sugar are dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until chilled.

Place brisket in brine, weighted with a plate to keep it submerged; cover. Refrigerate for 5 days. Turn brisket once a day.

At the end of the 5 days, remove brisket from brine and rinse thoroughly. Place in a pot just large enough to hold it. Cover with water and add the remaining 2 Tbsp. of pickling spice, carrot, onion and celery. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer gently until brisket is fork-tender, about 3 hours, adding water if needed to keep brisket covered. Note, if you have to add water, heat it up to boiling in the microwave before adding it to the pot.

When brisket is tender, remove from pot and keep warm by covering with foil until ready to serve. At this point you can bring the liquid in the pot to a boil and add new potatoes and cabbage. Meat can be refrigerated for several days in the cooking liquid. Reheat in the liquid or serve chilled.     

Baked Meatballs

I took this recipe from Alton Brown. I love the flavor created by the three types of meat that are used. If you have an affinity to lamb, you can use more beef and pork as a substitute.  I personally love lamb. Lovey doesn't know there is lamb in these. Lovey doesn't care for lamb but he gobbles these up. Perhaps he only thinks he doesn't like lamb.

I doubled Alton Brown's recipe so I could freeze them and have them on hand for a last minute supper.  Now that I'm cooking for Papa (my father-in-law), convenience is a nicety. If you are not planning on freezing any I would recommend halving the recipe.

The meatballs will be flavored by these: Parmesan, dried basil, dried parsley, garlic salt, and red paper flakes

 

These ingredients will add texture and binding: thawed and squeezed frozen spinach, lightly beaten eggs, and bread crumbs. The bread crumbs are divided in half; one half mixed in with the meat mixture and the other half for coating.

 

 

In a large mixing bowl combine your three meats: pork, lamb, and ground chuck.

Once the meats are lightly combined, add the flavorings and binders and mix until incorporated.

Just a note on mixing and shaping.  When you are mixing all of your ingredients, use your hands (I use gloves) and mix with your fingers gently until everything is incorporated.  Don't squeeze like your squishing the heck out of a piece of play dough; you don't want the mixture to be compacted.

Cover the bowl and set the meat mixture in the refrigerator for at least an hour
 After the meat mixture has rested, form into 1-1/2 ounce balls (1 fluid ounce volume scoop) and set aside on a parchment lined baking sheet.




Gently roll each portion into a ball .  Remember, you don't want a rock hard, compacted piece of meat!




In a small bowl place the remaining amount of bread crumbs. One meatball at a time, gently toss in the crumbs to lightly coat.




Place each breaded meatball in the cup of a mini cupcake tin. 




Bake at 400° for about 20 minutes; drain on a paper towel.

At this point you can add to spaghetti sauce or make a meatball sub.

If freezing, place the drained meatballs on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and place in freezer.  Once frozen solid, place meatballs in a plastic freezer bag.

Very easy procedure:  measure & mix, weigh & shape, roll & coat, bake & drain.

 

 BAKED MEATBALLS
Adapted from Alton Brown
Yields approximately 40 meatballs

Ingredients:
2 - 5 ounce packages chopped frozen spinach
1 cup finely grated Parmesan
1 Tbsp. dried parsley
1 Tbsp. dried basil
1 Tbsp. Lawry's Garlic Salt
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 cup dried bread crumbs, divided
2 eggs
1 pound ground pork
1 pound ground round or chuck
1 pound ground lamb


Method:
Preheat oven to 400° F.
  
Thaw spinach and squeeze out all the liquid that you can.
Grate the Parmesan and measure out the parsley, basil, garlic salt and red pepper flakes.
Divide the bread crumbs in half. 
Lightly beat the eggs.

In a large mixing bowl, lightly combine the three meats.

Add the spinach, Parmesan, parsley, basil, garlic salt, pepper flakes, 1/2 cup bread crumbs and eggs to the meat mixture. With your fingers, mix all the ingredients. Avoid 'squishing' the meat together. You don't want your meat compacted. Use your fingers and combine until everything is evenly mixed.

Allow mixture to rest in refrigerator for at least an hour.

Using a food scale measure out 1-1/2 ounces of meat portions, or use a 1 fluid ounce scoop.  Place portions on a parchment lined sheet pan.  With your hands, gently roll the weighed out portions into balls.

Place each ball into the cup of a miniature muffin tin.

Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.  Drain on paper towels. 

Party Like a Mad Man With Betty Draper's Swedish Meatballs

I have been anxiously waiting for the new and final season of Mad Men; and it's here at last.  Tomorrow is the beginning of the end of, what has been for me, a trip back into my childhood.  The clothes, the hairdos, the furniture, the cocktails, the kitchens that were decked out in harvest gold and avocado green appliances.  Oh, and the food we grew up on in the 60's.

In celebration of all things Mad Men I'm gonna #PartyLikeAMadMan !!!!

Without a doubt these Swedish Meatballs would have made an appearance at the Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce Christmas Party.  They would have been eaten as an appetizer with cocktail toothpicks.


Betty Draper offered these to Don in Season 3 as a dinner option, although he elected to go with the chicken salad.  When I was a youngster in the 60's they were prepared for dinner and served over egg noodles.

 They are easy and as yummy as they were when I ate them as a child.

Moisten fresh white bread crumbs in a little milk

 

 Mix your ground beef, grated onions, egg, salt, pepper and nutmeg in a mixing bowl, then mix in your moistened bread crumbs.

Form into 1-inch balls

 

Brown in a little butter

Remove browned meatballs to a holding dish and begin your sauce by adding the flour to make a roux.  Add the beef bouillon and whisk until smooth.


 

Add the cream and mix thoroughly.

 

 Return the meatballs to the sauce and simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes, stirring every once in a while.

If you are going to serve the meatballs as an appetizer, transfer sauce and meatballs to a chafing dish and pierce each meatball with a cocktail toothpick.

If you are going to serve as a main course, cook egg noodles while meatballs are simmering in the sauce.  You can also serve this over rice.

If serving as a main course, I would suggest doubling the sauce recipe given below.  The sauce is good and you'll want a lot of it for your noodles or rice.

Swedish Meatballs
Adapted from The Boston Globe Cookbook for Brides, 1963
Yields 24 to 36 meatballs

Ingredients:
1 cup soft bread crumbs
1/3 cup milk
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup finely grated onion
1 egg, beaten
3/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 beef bouillon cube, dissolved in 1 cup of boiling water
1/2 cup light cream or half and half (I use cream)

Mise en place:

• tear up bread crumbs in small bowl and add milk
• grate onion
• beat egg
• measure out salt, pepper and nutmeg
• place butter in large skillet
• measure out flour
• boil 1 cup water and dissolve bee bouillon cube
• measure out cream

Method:
Place ground beef in medium mixing bowl.  Drain excess milk from bread crumbs and add bread crumbs to ground beef.  Add onion, egg, salt, pepper & nutmeg to the ground beef.  Mix up thoroughly with your hands.

Form into one-inch balls.  Melt butter in large skillet over medium low heat.  When butter stops foaming add meatballs and brown on all sides.  Remove meatballs to a holding dish.

Add flour to drippings in skillet and whisk until smooth.  Slowly add the beef bouillon and whisk until smooth.  Add cream and whisk until smooth.  Continue cooking for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly.

Return meatballs to the sauce, and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes stirring occasionally until sauce is of desired consistency.  Serve warm or over noodles or rice.

Beef Stew 101

Cool, gloomy, damp weather brings out the beef stew in me.  I love that this is one of those dishes that fills your house with the most wonderful, homey aroma.

My stew recipe evolves from a recipe published in 'A Skillet Full of Traditional Southern Lodge Cast Iron Recipes & Memories'.  This is a cookbook that is compiled by the South Pittsburg, Tennessee Historic Preservation Society.  South Pittsburg is the hometown of Lodge Manufacturing Company. 

 Season the meat with salt and pepper.  I like to use a chuck roast cut into stew-sized pieces.

Toss the seasoned meat with flour.

 

 Cooking starts out on the range top with browning the meat

 

then adding the onions to the pot.  After breaking up the onions you'll add half of the beef broth and bring to a boil to de-glaze the pot. The browned beef is then added back to the pot along with any accumulated juices. Place the pot in the oven to cook slowly for an hour and a half.

Add the vegetables and return to the oven for another hour, or until the vegetables are tender.

Once the stew comes out of the oven you polish it off with tomato paste and a little red wine. 

This is the tomato paste I prefer.  It has a rich tomato taste and smooth texture.  Sometimes the paste in the little can has a metal taste to it and very rarely do I need to use the whole can so most of it goes to waste.

Beef Stew
Serves 8

Ingredients:
3 Tbsp. + canola oil
salt and pepper
1/3 cup flour
1-1/2 to 2 pounds beef stew meat (I prefer using stew meat cut up from a chuck roast)
4 cups + beef broth, divided
1 large yellow onion
7-8 medium carrots
4 russet potatoes (2-1/2 to 3 pounds)
1 large rib of celery
2 heaping Tbsp. tomato paste
splash red wine

Mise en place:

• rinse and dry stew meat
• measure flour
• measure beef broth, divided 2 cups and 2 cups
• have a dish ready to hold the stew meat once browned
• slice onion (see note below on slicing onion)
• peel and slice carrots into bite-size pieces
• dice celery
• peel and dice potatoes into bite-size pieces
• measure tomato paste
• open bottle of red wine and drink, leaving at least a splash for the stew

NOTE:  Slice onion in half through the root.  Place one half, cut side down.  Instead of slicing on the root end begin slicing from the side of the half.  Slice them as thin as you can.  Repeat with the other half of the onion.

Method:
Preheat oven to 325° F.  In a large mixing bowl toss stew meat with salt and pepper, then flour to coat.  Heat a 5-1/2 quart Dutch oven over medium heat until very hot.  Add 3 Tbsp. oil to hot Dutch oven.  When oil shimmers, add just enough pieces of stew meat so that they are not touching.  Allow to brown and turn to brown on other side.  Place in a holding dish.  Repeat with the remaining pieces of meat.  Browning the meat in this way may take longer but if you try to brown the meat all at once you will only be steaming the meat and will not put a nice seared crust on the pieces of meat.

After all meat is browned and in the holding dish, add onion slices to pot and stir just enough to separate.  Add 2 cups of the broth.  Bring to a boil and de-glaze the fond from the bottom of the pot.  Return meat and any accumulated juices to the pot.  Stir to combine.  Cover pot and place in oven for 1-1/2 hours.   Half way through cooking time check pot for liquid level, making sure it has not cooked down too far.  If you find you need to add a little more broth, heat the broth in the microwave first.

Prior to end of the 1-1/2 hours cooking time, heat the remaining 2 cups beef broth in the microwave so you are not adding cold broth to the pot.

Add the carrots, celery, potatoes and remaining hot broth to pot.  Stir to combine. 

Cook for an additional 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until potatoes and carrots are tender but not mushy.

Remove the pot from the oven & stir the tomato paste and wine into the stew (for my splash of wine I pour it from the bottle counting one thousand one, one thousand two)