Will you please post your recipe? I did one a long time ago and have recently been thinking about doing more.

I would go ahead and cook the whole thing, slice, then freeze in whatever portion sizes you like! Better safe than sorry! I really don't know if the brining makes a difference, but if it were me.......I'd cook it!

Deanna

ekgrows -

I usually buy a whole brisket, cut into 3 portions - which comes to about 3-4 lbs apiece. Then freeze them individually. In this way, I can either make a fresh roast or brine as I wish. Our family is quite small, so large portions of meat will stay around for quite awhile. In that case, if brined and already cooked, I freeze and thaw later for slicing.

I agree with Deanna, I'd cook it if it were previously frozen.

Just wondering how you managed to brine a whole brisket - finding the space and/or container to do it in. Am also wondering if 7 days is long enough for one that large. If I'm doing a really big one, I will use an injector to make sure I get the brine in the middle of the large cut, and also use the pickle as well.

Which method did you use?

Just my 2 c's.

Bejay

ekgrows, I also cut the brisket into pieces, brine it, then freeze it uncooked, so it's ready to cook when I want it.

Right now I have half a brisket in the freezer to make pastrami, which I do cook and then refreeze. Now I'm reconsidering, I'm thinking St. Pat's is coming up and corned beef would be good.

Annie

Thanks everyone - freezing the cooked meat is what I did.

I cut the brisket into pieces, so it would fit in gallon sized bags, then covered it with brine, and put it in a big pot in my second fridge.

I have a tendency to combine recipes. This is the 3rd brisket I brined, and when I was originally searching for recipes, I printed out 3 - the one I linked to below and 2 others (one from the food network site), and wrote out my own version - to use what I had on hand. I came up with:
1 brisket
2 Qts water
1/2 c brown sugar
3 bay leaves
4 cloves
1/2 cup vinegar
1/2 tsp ground mustard
dash of cinnamon, allspice, and thyme
2 garlic cloves
1 TBSP peppercorns
3/4 cup canning or kosher salt
Bring brine to a simmer / boil to dissolve salt and sugar, then cool. Cover meat with brine, and refrigerate for 3-10 days - turning occasionally. (I usually do 6-7 days). Then drain, rinse, and cook as you normally would.

Some recipes call for coriander, juniper berries, marjoram, mustard seeds, cinnamon stick, saltpeter, etc. This is what I came up with, and we like it, so it's what I use. Play around with it - to come up with your favorite too!

Here is a link that might be useful: corned beef recipe

Thank you!!
I LIKE the fact it doesn't use saltpeter. What's the point?!?!? (I know what the point is, but I don't really want pink meat, unless it's a very, naturally rare steak).

It may be a couple of weeks before I get around to this, but it's on my list. For sure in time for St. Patty's Day!
It would be very nice with my homemade saurkraut and home grown yukon gold potatoes.

Deanna

This is great info to have! I hadn't thought about corned beef in years and now you all have me plotting out the use of that big brisket in the freezer. Thanks.

Dave