Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 lb. flank steak
- Brine:
- 1 1/2 qt. water
- 3/4 cup kosher salt
- 5 Tbsp. sugar
- 1 lg garlic clove; smashed
- 2 Tbsp. pickling spice (you can buy pickling spice at the supermarket, but
- I prefer making my own)
- 1/2 tsp pink salt (sodium nitrate, optional)*
Preparation:
1. Combine brine ingredients in a large sauce pan and bring to a boil, stirring until salt and sugar dissolve.
2. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Then refrigerate for 4 hours.
3. Tie flank steak into a roll, place in a bowl and cover with brine. Weight down with a plate to keep it submerged.
4. Refrigerate for 5 days. Remove from brine and rinse.
5. Prepare the corned beef as you would any corned beef - but be ready for a real treat.
But because it's a smaller piece of meat reduce cooking time by about 1/3.*Note: Sodium nitrate is not something most grocery stores have - I get it mail-order. It will keep the meat pink (otherwise the beef turns gray) but it isn't essential in this case because the Kosher salt, sugar, spices and refrigeration provide enough preservative.
Note: Be sure to slice the beef across the grain.