How To Corn Beef For Drying (Grandmother's Recipe)

Cut a round of beef into four pieces. Rub each piece lightly with salt on all sides, and let it stand one day before corning. Make a brine from one tub of water, a half-pound of sugar, a teaspoonful of powdered saltpetre, and salt until the brine will float an egg. Put the meat into this brine, and allow it to remain two weeks. Cover it carefully and look at it frequently. See that the brine covers the meat; if not, make a little more from salt and water and add to it. At the end of the two weeks, take out the meat and hang it in a cool place, to dry. It may be smoked, but many think this destroys the flavor.

The latter part of October, March or April are the best times for corning beef. If the weather is too warm, the meat will spoil before it dries; if too cold, it will not take the salt well.

This recipe will answer also for mutton hams.

How To Corn Beef For Boiling

Wipe the meat carefully and rub hot salt into it until all disappears; then add more salt and rub again, and so on until the meat will imbibe no more. Place it in a jar or crock, stand in a cold, dry cellar for one week, turning it every day, and it will be ready for use.

This recipe is for small quantities of meat, to use as soon as corned.

How To Boil Corned Beef

Wash it well, and put it on to boil in cold water. Bring slowly to a simmer, and simmer thirty minutes to every pound.

If the meat is to be served cold, allow it to cool in the liquor in which it was boiled.

If for a hot dinner, you may boil with it cabbage, turnips and potatoes, allowing an hour and a half for the cabbage, one hour for turnips, and twenty minutes for the potatoes to cook.

Pressed Corned Beef

Take six pounds of the brisket of beef, remove the bones and tie it tightly in a cloth. Put it in a kettle and cover with cold water. Simmer gently for five hours. When done, take it out, place it between two tin sheets or large plates, put a heavy weight upon it over night. Remove the cloth, and it is ready for use.

Frizzled Beef

Chip dried beef very thin. To every half-pound allow a large tablespoonful of butter, a half-pint of milk, and one tablespoonful of flour. Melt the butter in a frying-pan, then add the meat, and stir over the fire for about two minutes, or until the butter begins to brown; dredge in the flour, stir again, then add the milk and a little pepper, stir again until it boils, and serve immediately.