Think Pink … Naturally

With St. Patty’s Day just around the corner, I’m embarking on my almost annual homecured corned beef adventure. I’ve done this several times in the past with very yummy results, but because I’ve refused to use synthetic sodium nitrate powder in the process, the meat does come out looking a bit … well … grey.

As they say, you eat with your eyes first, so this year, I’m going for the pink! No, not to worry, I’m not caving and adding any of the powder. Yes, it’s touted as a necessity by most of the meat-curing world for its properties of bacteria control, specifically botulism, but you can achieve the same effect without the synthetics.

To get my 2012 pink on, I’m opting for adding natural nitrates via celery seed/powder and sea salt. This is the technical end-around used by producers of “no nitrates added” cured meats. Technically, no, they are not adding nitrate itself, but natural ingredients that will break down into nitrates. You’ll find a lot of debate in the food world about whether this is cheating or not, talk amongst yourselves. I fall on the side of less is more, as in less Pepto-Bismol-pink-synthetically-produced-powder and more celery powder.

That said, I am an unapologetic fan of sandwiches, especially the delish deli-ish variety, so no, I don’t adhere to my mania when I’m eating out. Hypocritical? Probably, but I love me my bacon, sausages, and deli meats, so I confine my obsession to what I purchase for my own consumption at home (Applegate Farms’ products, for example )… and when I’m making homemade corned beef.

So why bother with any sort of distinction? Mainly because of what’s been in the news about nitrates lately. Call me paranoid, but the words “carcinogen,” cellular degeneration,” “Parkinson’s,” “diabetes,” colon cancer,” and Alzheimer’s” get my attention. Again, as with most such issues, you can find an argument to defend any side of this. In fact, throughout your lifetime, you’re probably going to consume more nitrates from leafy green vegetables than from hot dogs, and sodium nitrate itself is a naturally occurring compound element. However, consider this little gem from Wikipedia … “Sodium nitrate may be used as a constituent of fertilizers, pyrotechnics and smoke bombs, glass and pottery enamels, as a food preservative and a solid rocket propellant. It has been mined extensively for these purposes.”

I’m going with celery powder.

But, of course, there’s a catch. Turns out that celery powder and sea salt need some lactic acid to get their nitrate mojo on. So unless I buy “lactic acid starter culture,” I’ve got to find naturally occurring sources of lactic acid … such as sour milk, such as yoghurt. Now, now, I can see your grimace from here. Let’s remember that sour milk products are the yummy love behind sourdough bread and cheese.

So, yes, let the 2012 Pink Corned Beef Experience begin, yoghurt, celery powder and all! If it works, it works. If it doesn’t, I’m heading to one of my favorite delis on St. Patty’s Day for a piled high corned beef sandwich.

 

Homecured Corned Beef

This is more or less the recipe I’ve used in the past, although I like to kick up the spices a bit more, adding more garlic and even hot pepper flakes. For this year’s experiment, I’m using 3/4 cup kosher salt and 1/4 cup Fleur de Sel sea salt, and also adding 1 Tablespoon of ground celery powder and 2 Tablespoons plain yoghurt.*

1 beef brisket, approximately 3-4 pounds
2 quarts hot water
1 cup kosher salt*
1 Tablespoon sugar
2 bay leaves
2-3 teaspoons black peppercorns
2 peeled garlic cloves, mashed
1 Tablespoon pickling spice
1-2 Tablespoons white or apple cider vinegar (optional)

Trim beef of extra fat, then wash and dry, and rub with 3 to 4 tablespoons salt.
Dissolve remainder of salt in hot water.
Stir in spices and vinegar.*
Place beef in enameled or glass pot or stone crock (be SURE not to use a reactive metal one) and pour the salted water over it.
Weigh down meat with plate or other heavy object so that the meat is completely covered by the brine.
Cover pot and refrigerate for about three weeks, turning the meat once or twice a week.
When ready to cook, discard marinade, wash meat well to remove the brine and prepare according to your favorite corned beef recipe.

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