Sous Vide Corned Beef

Sous Vide Corned Beef

Everyone knows that corned beef descended from the heavens. It takes a while and some dedication to make, but by Odin’s beard is it amazing.

Sous Vide Corned Beef Corned beef and Cabbage!

Prep time: 60 Hours(!)
Cook Time: 60 Hours(!!) IT IS WORTH IT. Most of the time is waiting.

Ingredients (yields 12 servings. Make more at once if you can since it takes a long time)

  • 3 quarts/12 cups/2.84 liters cold water, divided into 1 quart/~1 l & 2 quarts/~2 l
  • 1 cup kosher or 1/2 cup sea, Himalayan, or table salt
  • 1/2 c coconut sugar/brown sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons Prague powder/saltpeter (you may have to order this online)
  • 2 whole cinnamon sticks
  • 1 Tablespoon green cardamom pods
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons whole cloves
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons allspice berries
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons black peppercorns
  • 2 whole bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
  • 1 7-8lb brisket, trimmed

Brining Steps:

  • 1. In a small saucepan, combine 2 cups water with the salts, sugar, and spices over medium to medium-high heat. Simmer and stir to dissolve the salt and sugar. This will also allow the flavors from all of the spices to steep like tea and be more readily available to be soaked up by the meat.
  • 2. After the salts and sugar are dissolved, remove from the heat and cool. This can be expedited by adding ice or refrigerating.
  • 3. Once the mixture is cooled, stir into the remaining 2 1/2 quarts of water in a container large enough to hold the entire brisket and taste. You want it to taste both slightly sweet and pretty salty. However, if the level of saltiness is too extreme for you, this is your opportunity to dilute with more water. The meat is going to soak up all if the salt and flavor and you do not want it to be to salty to enjoy.
  • 4. Now add the brisket, making sure that it is covered entirely with the mixture. Cover your container (or close your bag) and place in the refrigerator for at least 5 days, as many as 10. The longer you brine, the more salt and seasoning the meat will retain.
  • 5. After the chosen number of days has passed, remove your corned beef from the brine and pat dry.
  • 6. Set your Sous Vide to 140ºF/60ºC, preferably in a well-insulated container, (like this cover for a 12 quart rubbermade) and Water Balls (like these),and Water Balls (like these), or a lid as this is going to be a long cook. You’ll use a lot of electricity and lose a lot of water to evaporation otherwise.
  • 7. Place your brined brisket into a vacuum seal pouch and remove the air.
  • 8. Transfer the sealed bag into the preheated water bath and, stabilizing either with clips or lid placement, submerge for 60 hours.

Finishing Steps

  • 1. Remove the cooked corned beef from the bath and bag. Rinse to remove any extra salt and pat dry.
  • 2. For a little color, you can sear the corned beef. It is also perfectly fine and delcious to slice and eat as it is.