Garlic Dill Pickles

I while back I wrote about some of the canning adventures I undertook to overcome the influx of produce upon us.  Well, the day of reckoning is upon us.  The dill pickles have fully pickled and are ready to share world.  I'm sure the remaining jars will improve with age.

I however, am far to impatient to wait much longer before sampling the fruits of my labor.

Adapted from recipes at epicurious and food in jars

yields 3 one-pint jars

The Ingredients:
3-4 cucumbers
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and bruised
3 spring of fresh dill
3 tsp pickling spice
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups white vinegar (apple cider vinegar can be substituted)
1 1/2 Tbsp salt

The Process:
Sterilize the pint jars and lids in boiling water.  Keep warm until ready to use.

In a medium saucepan over high heat, bring the vinegar, water and salt to a gentle boil..

Wash the cucumbers and slice into spears or coins.  To each  jar add a sprig of dill, one bruised clove of garlic, 1 tsp of pickling spice.  Distribute the cucumbers evenly among the pint jars, being sure to pack them tightly in without damaging.

Carefully pour the hot brine over the cucumbers, stopping 1/2" from the lip of the jar.  Wipe the rims of the jars clean and top with lids, screwing them finger tight (not TOO tight). Submerge the  filled jars into a water bath of boiling water and boil for 10 minutes (process times may vary by elevation).

Remove the jars from the water and allow to cool.  Test the seals and reprocess any that have not properly sealed.

Store in a cool, dry place.  Pickles are ready to eat in about 1 week.  Will store for up to 1 year.

The Review:
Homemade pickles.  Better than store bought?  Perhaps to some.  These are not the Heinz Genuine Dill...in all their moth puckering glory.

But these pickles certainly aren't bad.  I have one small complaints...one I know I can rectify for next time.  First...this pickling spice I used was WAY too heavy on the cloves.  Note to self...make own pickling spice and stick with dill seed, corricader and peppercorns.

The texture threw me at first.  The slices weren't as crisp as I was expecting.  They improved remarkable once they was chilled.  And in retrospect...store varities really aren't that crisp either.

Next up, I believe is a jar or two of whole pickle, instead of slice or spears.  Time for a trip to the farmer's market...

Corned Beef from Scratch Part 2: Cooking

The time has come!  The beef brisket has been taking up an awful amount of real estate in our fridge for the last ten days.  Every time we opened the refrigerator door we were struck with the reminder of how incredibly amazing our St Patrick's Day dinner was going to be...or filled with the foreboding of a possible failure.  

 

Because we were expecting a slightly larger turn out of guests, and because our own curiosity nudged us to compare, we did purchase a small 3lb pre-brined brisket from the store...

just in case...

Adapted from Bon Apetite March 2008

Serves 8 to 10

 

The Ingredients:

6-8 lbs brined corned beef brisket

1 12-ounce bottle Guinness or other stout or porter
4-8 cups water

4 bay leaves
1 tsp coriander seeds

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp black peppercorns 
2-3 whole allspice
1 dried chile de árbol, broken in half

3 medium turnips or rutabagas, peeled
8 unpeeled medium red-skinned potatoes
6 medium carrots, peeled
4 medium onions, peeled
2 medium parsnips, peeled
1 2-pound head of cabbage

The Process: 

Remove the corned beef from the brine.  Rinse thoroughly in cold water and pat dry.  Place corned beef in very large wide pot. I had to use Ross' 5 gallon stainless-steel brewing pot to accommodate our cut of meat.  Add the stout and enough water to cover by 1 inch. Bundle the bay leaves, coriander, peppercorns, mustard seeds, allspice, and chile in a 6" x 6" square of cheesecloth, enclosing completely.  Tie the spice bundle with kitchen string to secure and toss it in the pot with the beef.   Bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until beef is tender, about 2 1/4 hours. 

While the brisket simmers prepare the vegetables: Quarter the turnips and cabbage.  Half the potatoes and onions.  Cut the carrots and parsnips into 2 to 3 inch lengths.

After the 2 1/4 hours, transfer beef to large baking sheet or roasting pan.  Cover a keep warm in oven, preheated to 200.

Add the vegetables to the liquid in the pot and return to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and boil gently until all vegetables are tender, about 25 minutes, longer if mushy vegetables are desired. Using slotted spoon, transfer vegetables to a serving dish. Return beef to pot and rewarm and re-hydrate, about 5 minutes. Discard spice bag.

Remove the beef to a butcher block or cutting board and slice against grain into 1/4-inch thick slices. Arrange beef with the vegetables on the serving platter.

The Review:

The decision was unanimous...the store bought brisket didn't stand a chance against the one we brined ourselves.  

 

As I rinsed our attentively cared for cut of meat, I was treated to the wonderful aroma of pickling spices.  The smell of corned beef permeated our kitchen (quite the feat considering how the stale gym sock stench of cabbage...no matter how tasty...can quickly overpower any other smells).  The meat was a beautiful pink going into the pot.  And when sliced, that traditional glorious red color greeted us.

The meat was so much more flavorful than any other corned beef brisket I'd every tried...though very, very salty.  Even compared to the store bought brisket.  I would be hesitant to reduce the amount of salt or curing powder to the brining process though...at least until I poked around a little more into sausage maker, curing, brining and other meat preservation techniques.  No additional salt had been added beyond what originally went into the brine 10 days ago.

Our brisket was also a slightly less fatty cut than you typically find at the grocery store.  While it was incredibly moist when first cut, the slices that were not devoured immediately dried out pretty quickly.  Unless you know your brisket is a particularly fatty cut, I would highly recommend slicing of portions only as needed to retain as much moisture in the meat as possible.

 

The veggies were a supporting role in this endeavor.  Tasty and greatly enhanced by the amazing cooking liquid the brisket created...but by themselves they weren't much to write home about.  The parsnips and turnips did add a nice bit of variety to the standard carrots and cabbage.  That being said...there wasn't much left of this batch of food...

I will never go back to store bought briskets again.  This dinner was more than worth the ten day wait.

Corned Beef from Scratch Part 1: Brining

St. Patrick's Day is just around the corner.  The last few years we have provided a little sanctuary for our friends ho wish to make merry and drink in peace without dealing with the chaos that is amateur night.  Every year we serve the traditional (though not necessarily truly Irish) corned beef brisket with cabbage, carrots, potatoes, etc, etc.  How better to up the ante than by brining your own?

The task is far simpler than I imagined.  Hands-on, I spent maybe ten minutes assembling the brine and submerging the meat....once I actually had everything, that is (note to self, ensure I have enough salt PRIOR to starting the process...).  For the next 8-10 days let the brine do the work for you.

Included in this brine is an ingredient known as Instra-cure.  Some brines call for saltpeter.  These are sodium nitrite compounds.  Yes, nitrite as in that big scary preservative most of our deli meats are chalked full of.  The beef can be corned without the nitrites, for those trying to keep their food as preservative-free as possible.  From what I've gleaned, omitting the Instra-cure or saltpeter will not alter the taste, but the corned beef will not be the traditional rosy color many come to expect from the brisket.

For the pickling spices I opted to use Penzeys Spices Corned Beef Spice Blend, but many pickling blends will do in a pinch.  Alton Brown has a lovely blend including mustard seeds, juniper berries, bay leaves, cinnamon, peppercorns, allspice, cloves and ginger.  I'm taking this one step at a time.  Maybe next year I'll try making my own spice blend...

adapted from Bon Apetit March 2008

yields enough brine for one 6-8 pound brisket

The Ingredients:

6 cups water
2 cups lager beer
1 1/2 cups coarse kosher salt
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp Insta Cure no. 1 or saltpeter (optional)
1/4 cup pickling spices
1 6- to 8-pound flat-cut beef brisket, trimmed, with some fat remaining

The Process: 

In a large bowl combine 6 cups water and beer. Add the salt and sugar; stir until completely dissolved. If desired, stir in Insta Cure No. 1.  Mix in pickling spices. 

Pierce brisket all over with tip of small sharp knife. Place the brisket in a non-reactive roasting pan or large oven bag.  Pour the brine over the brisket, covering completely.  If using an oven bag, squeeze out as much air as possible and tie securely.  Top with heavy platter to weigh down. Cover and refrigerate 4 days.

After four days, remove brisket from brine. Stir liquid to blend and redistribute spices. Return brisket to brine; submerging completely.  Top with heavy platter to keep submerged. Cover and refrigerate an additional four days. Remove brisket from brine. Rinse with cold running water.

 If not using immediately, wrap corned beef in plastic, cover with foil, and refrigerate. for up to 2 days.

The Review:

Pending til Paddy's Day.  Happy Brining!