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April 13, 2025Smoked Corned Beef Recipe
Corned Beef became popular in the late 19th century in the United States as Irish Immigrants began substituting it for the more expensive bacon. Corned Beef & Cabbage became a staple of St Patrick’s day celebrations.
Making your own corned beef requires a bit of preparation and patience, but it is totally worth it. The finished product is the best combination of sweet, spicy and salty, that will transform the way you think about corned beef forever.
Selecting your Beef
Corned beef is great when made from brisket, but it doesn’t have to be. You can make it out of any cut of beef that responds well to being slow cooked. Chuck roast and even Tri-tip are some of my favorites.
I made this recipe using a full packer brisket, but you can reduce it if desired. Just make sure that you maintain the ratio of Curing salt to the rest of the mixture and make enough to fully cover the whole piece of meat.
For this brisket, I used one of my favorite meat suppliers: Marbled. The Marbled family ranch is located just outside of Billings Montana. They are a family owned business and have been producing spectacular beef for over 30 years. I have been cooking Marbled beef for a while now and am consistently impressed with the flavor, marbling and all around quality of the beef.
I cannot recommend them enough! If you want to try Marbled for yourself, use my discount code HOWLOW10 and get 10% off your order. You will absolutely notice the difference.
Corned Beef Brine
Ingredients
- Marbled Beef, full packer brisket approx. 10-12 lbs
- 2 Cinnamon sticks
- 2 Tablespoons Peppercorns
- 2 Tablespoons Juniper Berries
- 2 Tablespoons Coriander Seed
- 2 Tablespoons Whole Cloves
- 2 Tablespoons Celery Seeds
- 1 Tablespoon Red Pepper Flakes
- 1 Tablespoon Mustard Seed
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 4 Bay Leaves
- 2 ½ qt water
- 2 Cups Kosher Salt
- 2 Tablespoons Pink Curing Salt
- 1 Cup Brown Sugar
- 10 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
Braising Liquid
Ingredients
- 3 carrots, chopped
- 1 ½ qt Beef Broth
- 2 Cinnamon Sticks
- 2 Tablespoons Pickling Spice
- 2 Cups Dr Pepper or favorite dark soda
- 2 Tablespoons Honey
Method
- Begin by trimming your brisket. Remove thick sections of fat from the thick end (Point) of the brisket, leaving about ¼ inch of fat on the thin (Flat) end of the brisket. Cut off any meat thinner than 1 inch. Don’t throw it away, this meat is great for stews or soups.
- In a large pot over medium heat add cinnamon sticks, peppercorns, juniper berries, coriander seed, cloves, celery seed, red pepper flakes, bay leaves and mustard seed. Toast for 3-5 minutes until you begin to hear popping sounds and spices are fragrant. Add ginger and nutmeg and slowly stir in the water.
- Add Kosher salt, brown sugar, garlic and pink curing salt. Stir for 5-10 minutes until the salts are completely dissolved in the mixture. Remove from the heat and cool completely.
- Once cooled, pour over the trimmed brisket until fully submerged. A large Ziplock bag is great for this, but a non-reactive bin will work. If parts of the brisket remain exposed use heavy objects like a plate to help keep it submerged.
- Place the brisket in the fridge and flip every other day to make sure that the beef is fully exposed to the brine. Continue for 10-14 days.
- Remove brisket and discard the brine. Wash brisket with cold water and pat dry.
- Preheat smoker or oven to 250F. Place brisket on a wire rack above a tray and cook for 3 hours.
- While the meat is cooking, prepare the braising liquid. Combine all ingredients and mix until the honey is incorporated. Place brisket into the braising liquid and return to the smoker or oven until the brisket hits an internal temperature of 203F-205F (about 5-7 hours)
- Remove the brisket from the heat and allow to rest in the braising liquid for about 1 hour before slicing against the grain and serving.
