How To Make Salt Beef

Step 1: You will need…

Step 2: Make the brine

Add the water, salt, sugar, bay leaves, thyme, pepper, coriander seeds and all spice into the saucepan and bring to the boil. Once it's boiling, take the saucepan off the heat and allow it to cool down.

Step 3: Check the saltiness

It's important that we check the saltiness of the brine. Place an egg into the saucepan. If it floats, the brine is salty enough. But if not add more salt, then remove the egg.

Step 4: Seal to cure

Once the brine has completely cooled, transfer the meat into the large plastic container. Add the head of garlic and pour over the brine. Due to the amount of salt in the cure, the meat will float to the top. Place a medium sized bowl, or some other heavy object on top of the meat, to keep it fully submerged, then seal it tightly with the lid.

Step 5: Cure the meat

Mark the date with a sticky note and place it on top of your container. Transfer the sealed container into the fridge. It can be left to cure for a minimum of 5 days, for a lighter, less salty cure, or up to 2 weeks, for a more mature fully rounded flavour. But most importantly, remember to remove the meat from the fridge to turn it around once a day, to ensure an even distribution of cure, throughout. Place the bowl back into the container to submerge the meat, seal and place back into the fridge.

Step 6: Wash the meat

When it's cured to your liking, tip the meat into a colander and wash it thoroughly for a few minutes under a cold running tap to get rid of all the salt. Then put it into the pan and cover it with water.

Step 7: Cook the meat

Next, place the pan on a medium to high heat and bring it to a simmer. Skim off any impurities that float to the top, with a large spoon then cover and allow the meat to gently simmer for 3-4 hours until it's super tender. Top it up with water when necessary. When it's cooked, very carefully remove it with a large fork and a slotted spoon, to securely hold it and place it onto a tray. Don't worry if your meat breaks up. It just means it's really soft and tender.

Step 8: Serve

Salt beef can be served equally well, either hot or cold. If you wish to serve it hot, allow it to rest for a few minutes before slicing. However, you can place it in the fridge overnight and the meat will be easier to slice the next day. Serve with mustard, pickles, sliced gherkin in a bagel or on crusty bread.