Ginny Sher
Sheldon's recipe for cooking corned beef looks just fine. Here's a recipe for making corned beef. I know that's not what you are looking for, but look at the spices it uses halfway down the recipe in the steamer. You can use the same mixture and proportion of whole spices if you want instead of using mixed "pickling spices". (I'd also add a bay leaf, and leave out the salt.) But any decent brand of store-bought mixed pickling spices should work too. Don't but really cheap pickling spices because it will be mostly mustard seeds. (If you *like* lots of mustard, buy mustard and use that -- it's even cheaper than cheap pickling spices)
Best regards, Bob
TASTE SHOW#TS4838
JEWISH STYLE CORNED BEEF
1-12 pound whole brisket 4 quarts water 2 cups Kosher salt 1 teaspoon saltpeter 5 bay leaves 7 cloves garlic, smashed 1-4 teaspoon ground cloves 2 teaspoons whole peppercorns 1 teaspoon allspice berries 1 teaspoon mustard seeds 1 cup white vinegar 1-2 cup white sugar
Place all ingredients except garlic and brisket in a large pan and bring to a boil and cool. Place garlic and brisket in non-reactive pot and cover with brining liquid, cover with a plate and weight for 3 weeks, turning after 1 1-2 weeks.
Add to a steamer pot: 1-4 teaspoon cloves 2 teaspoons peppercorns 1 teaspoon allspice berries 1 teaspoon mustard seeds 3 cloves garlic 1-4 cup salt
Remove meat from the brine and rinse. Add enough water to the steamer pot to reach just below the bottom of the steamer. Place meat in steamer.
Steam for 3 hours, until tender.
Suggested wine: 1988 Erdener Treppchen Riesling Kabinett, Elisabeth Christoffel - Berres
