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Smoked Corned Beef

Tender smoked corned beef is prepared with a homemade brine and dry rub, then smoked for a little over 4 hours. It’s totally worth the wait!

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
9 hrs
Brine Time + Cooler
1 d 2 hrs
Total Time
1 d 11 hrs 15 mins
Servings: 8
Calories: 386 kcal
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • 3 lb beef brisket flat
Brine
  • 2 quarts water (8 cups)
  • 250 g kosher salt (See Note 1)
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup pickling spice blend
  • 2 tsp pink curing salt (See Note 2, 3)
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
Rub
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp ground black pepper
  • 1 tbsp Colman's Dry Mustard
  • 2 tbsp paprika
  • 2 tsp onion powder
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp chipotle powder
Smoking
  • 8 ounces apple juice

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. If you purchased a beef brisket that has not been corned (brined), go to Step 3 below.
  2. If you purchased a corned beef brisket from the store you should let it soak in cold water for 6 hours to flush the excess salt out of the meat before smoking. Change the water every 2 hours. This step is essential, then proceed to Step 5.
  3. In a Dutch oven or large stock pot combine brine ingredients and stir. Bring to a boil, lower to simmer and cook 5 minutes (until salt and sugar have dissolved). Turn off heat and cool.
  4. In a large container or large sealable plastic bag place the beef brisket. Pour cooled brining liquid over and cover or seal (remove excess air in bag). Store in a refrigerator for for 24 hours. Flip the bag after 12 hours.
  5. Combine the rub ingredients, set aside. Trim any excess fat off of the brisket, leave a ¼" of fat on the fat cap side of the brisket. Spritz the brisket with apple juice, and apply the rub all over.
  6. Wrap the dry rubbed brisket in plastic wrap, place on a tray to catch any drips and refrigerate over night.
  7. Bring the brisket to room temperature before smoking (1 hour is fine).
  8. Insert your meat thermometer. Smoke the brisket (Super Smoke if on a Traeger) at 225°F until internal temperature reaches 165°F (about 4.5 hours for 3 lb, adjust time for larger cuts), then turn temp to 275°F and smoke until the internal temperature of the brisket reaches 200°F (about 4.25 hours for 3 lb, adjust time for larger cuts). Spritz the brisket every 90 minutes with apple juice during this process.
  9. Remove from smoker and wrap in (unwaxed) butcher paper to secure. Place in a small cooler to rest for 1-2 hours before slicing thin ACROSS the grain.

Notes

  • Per Epicurious: It’s industrially produced by boiling off brine that’s pumped in and back out of a salt deposit. It is not kosher-certified; the name refers to how the salt crystals draw out moisture in the meat koshering process.
  • “Without curing salt that contains sodium nitrite, the color of the cured meat will be gray rather than pink and the flavor is less sweet with a more pronounced “pickle” flavor.” Source: Home Preserving Bible site.
  • Kosher salt is what I use and what I used to use from when working in the food industry, namely for its coarse, uniform, easy-to-pinch granules. It’s most often used in restaurant kitchens and catering. Kosher salt has much lighter, flakier crystals than table salt, but if you allow the salt to dissolve in the food, there really isn’t any difference compared to regular table salt. However, kosher salt is less likely to contain additives like anti-caking agents and iodine. Per Epicurious: It’s industrially produced by boiling off brine that’s pumped in and back out of a salt deposit. It is not kosher-certified; the name refers to how the salt crystals draw out moisture in the meat koshering process.
  • A key ingredient in the “corning” process is using pink curing salt. I’m not talking Himalayan pink salt either! Pink curing salt is made using sodium nitrite that prevents food from going bad and spoiling while it’s being stored for a time. It’s also known as Prague powder #1, which is a combination of 6.25% sodium nitrite and 93.75% salt (sodium chloride) and usually some anti caking agents as well as pink dye. It’s also known as Pink curing salt is made using sodium nitrite that prevents food from going bad and spoiling while it’s being stored for a time. It’s also known as DQ Curing Salt #1, and is available online or at your local specialty market or butcher shop. Curing salt is dyed that pink color so it’s not mistaken for everyday white table salt. If you don’t have it, you can still make corned beef, but it is necessary for that vibrant pink color we associate with corned beef. If you don’t have or don’t want to use curing salt containing sodium nitrite, you can brine meats without it. “Without curing salt that contains sodium nitrite, the color of the cured meat will be gray rather than pink and the flavor is less sweet with a more pronounced “pickle” flavor.” Source: Home Preserving Bible site.
  • If you prefer, there is a product made by Morton called Tender Quick. Tender Quick is a fast-cure mix so you can cure meats, poultry or game. It gives meats a tasty, cured flavor and that characteristic pink color. Simply omit the kosher salt and pink curing salt from my Brine recipe above and use 250g or 1 cup of Tender Quick in lieu of those two. Mix with remaining brine ingredients and follow the recipe. Morton Tender Quick mix contains salt, the main preserving agent; sugar, both sodium nitrate and sodium nitrite, curing agents that also contribute to development of color and flavor; and propylene glycol to keep the mixture uniform.

Nutrition Information

Calories 386kcal (19%) Carbohydrates 30g (10%) Protein 36g (72%) Fat 14g (22%) Saturated Fat 5g (25%) Polyunsaturated Fat 1g Monounsaturated Fat 6g Cholesterol 105mg (35%) Sodium 1374mg (57%) Potassium 747mg (21%) Fiber 2g (8%) Sugar 23g (46%) Vitamin A 966IU (19%) Vitamin C 3mg (3%) Calcium 82mg (8%) Iron 4mg (22%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 8Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 386

% Daily Value*

Calories 386kcal 19%
Carbohydrates 30g 10%
Protein 36g 72%
Fat 14g 22%
Saturated Fat 5g 25%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g 6%
Monounsaturated Fat 6g 30%
Cholesterol 105mg 35%
Sodium 1374mg 57%
Potassium 747mg 16%
Fiber 2g 8%
Sugar 23g 46%
Vitamin A 966IU 19%
Vitamin C 3mg 3%
Calcium 82mg 8%
Iron 4mg 22%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.