So here’s the update for my corned beef making. I have two brines cooling on the counter over night. I’m not sure how I’m going to fit them in the fridge to cool but I think with some of my huge canning jars and a little shifting I can get them in there.

The brine on the left has pink salt that I bought at Christina‘s in Inman Sq. which is about 93.75% table salt and 6.25% sodium nitrite.

This one on the right is nitrite free and will have whey added to it for the lactic acid.

And now for the beautiful meat which I bought at MF Dulock in Somerville.  This is a huge whole beef brisket.  Normally I would only get about 1/3 or 1/2 this much but for this first time I wanted to be able to experiment a little so I divided it into two.

Here it is un “corned” waiting for the brine to be cooled and chilled for the week-long spa treatment in a brine bath.  Then after that it will head into the sauna for the cooking and “rinse” cycle of sorts.

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I am using the Michael Ruhlman Recipe and this Nitrite-free recipe from Pickle Me Too.