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Nitrate Free Corned Beef and Cabbage

Gorgeous, slow cooked, tender corned beef brisket with insane flavor AND no nitrates. Homemade brine using all the favorite pickling spices, date sugar and pomegranate juice for low sugars and deep color. With all the traditional fixins of cabbage, red potato, carrot and onions to feast of course!
Course Dinner, Entertaining, Main Course
Cuisine American, Irish
Keyword Beef Brine, Beef Brisket, Corned Beef, Homemade Brine, Low Sugar Corned Beef, Nitrate Free Corned Beef, Slow cooker
Author Dawn Loves Food

Ingredients

  • 5-6 Lb Beef Brisket

Brine Mix

  • 3/4 C Redmond Real Salt
  • 3/4 C Date Sugar
  • 1 C Pom Wonderful Pomegranate Juice
  • 2 Qts Water

Brine Seasonings

  • 1 T Mustard Seed
  • 7 Cloves Garlic Minced
  • 1 T Celery Seed
  • 1 t Cloves
  • 1 T Corriander
  • 1 T Dried Onion
  • 2 T Black Peppercorns
  • 2 Cinnamon Sticks
  • 3 Bay Leaves
  • 2 Star Anise

Slow Cooker - Day of Dinner

  • 2 T Dried Onion
  • 1 t Black Pepper
  • 2 C Bone Broth
  • 1 C Pom Wonderful Pomegranate Juice
  • 4 Med Red Potatoes
  • 3 Med Carrots
  • 1 Med White Onion
  • 1 Head Green Cabbage

Instructions

Brine

  1. Combine all brine mix and seasonings to a large stock pot. Stir occasionally on medium until both sugar and salt melt, about 10 minutes. Pour into a large 5-6 Quart container (ceramic or glass preferably) container with 4-5 cups of ice to bring to room temp. 

  2. Add beef to container *you may not need all the brine pending on the size of your beef* make sure it is submerged completely. Refrigerate, rotate meat daily for 3 to 5 days

Slow Cooker

  1. In a large bowl (with a pour spout ideally) combine bone broth and pomegranate juice. I use a powder bone broth with water but you can use any stock or boulion you'd like. 

  2. Rinse (or pick off) off the whole spices off the beef before putting in the slow cooker. Put the meat in the middle of the slow cooker and pour the liquid around it, just to the top sides of the meat, not over the very top of it. Add the pepper and onion flakes to the top. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.

  3. At the 6 hour mark add veggies. Large dice the onion, carrot and potato. Add to the liquid around the corned beef. Cut cabbage into 8 wedges and arrange on the top of the liquid mixture, cover and cook for the remaining 2 hours.

  4. To serve separate out the cabbage and veggies into two bowls. On a large cutting board cut the meat into thin slices and take off any super fatty bites. Drizzle a few spoonfuls of the divine smelling (and tasting) stock from the slow cooker onto the meat. Set it all out family style at your table and enjoy!