Homemade Corned Beef (Sout Vleis)
Corned beef served with homemade bread or homemade bread rolls are traditionally served on Eid mornings for breakfast.  Very often this will be accompanied by pastei (a large minced meat or steak and kidney pie)

There’s still a couple of days left if you want to start making your own corned beef. 🙂  Homemade corned beef is very easy to make and very inexpensive compared to shop bought corned beef.

Homemade bread rolls filled with homemade corned beef

Ingredients:

4 ½ litres water
2 cups salt
½ cup sugar
5 tsp pink salt*
2 tsp garlic (crushed)
4 Tbsp pickling spice**
2 ½ kg beef brisket, topside or silverside

Spices

Method:

Combine the water, salt, sugar, pink salt, garlic and 2 tablespoons pickling spice in a large deep pot. Bring it to a simmer, stirring until the salt and sugar are dissolved. Remove the pot from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate the mixture until it’s completely chilled.

Place the brisket in the mixture (brine). Put a plate on top of the meat to keep it submerged in the brine. Refrigerate and leave to marinade for 7 days.

Submerge the beef in the brine for seven days.

Remove the corned meat from the brine and rinse it thoroughly under cool running water.

Ready to be cooked

Cooking the corned beef:
Place the brisket in a pot large enough to hold it and add enough water to cover the meat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer gently for 3 hours or until the brisket is soft and tender. Ensure the brisket is covered with water all the time whilst cooking. Add more water if it gets too low.

Remove the corned beef from the water. Allow to cool, slice the corned beef and serve warm or cool, then wrap and refrigerate until you’re ready to serve. Corned beef can be refrigerated for up to a week.

*Pink salt is available from spice shops

**Homemade Pickling Spice
Ingredients
•2 tablespoons mustard seed.
•1 tablespoon whole allspice.
•2 teaspoons coriander seeds.
•2 whole cloves.
•1 teaspoon ground ginger.
•1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes.
•1 bay leaf, crumbled.
•1 cinnamon stick

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