St. Patrick's Day may be two weeks away, BUT if you're hoping to brine some beef for your holiday meal you'll want to start today!

The following member-submitted recipe comes from the household of Vonne Tarnavsky. A well-traveled McKenzie County resident, Vonne started gathering and trying recipes to bring some of the meals she’d experienced home. Her recommendation for the best corned beef is to find the highest quality beef brisket and trim to size. The higher the quality and marbling of the beef, the better the finished product will be.

Corned Beef Brine

Submitted by Vonne Tarnavsky
"Once you make this, you will never buy a commercial corned beef again!" - Vonne 

Recipe instructions

Mix the following in two gallons of water:

6 oz. brown sugar; 1 1/2 lbs. rock salt

1 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper; 3 bay leaves

1/2 tsp ground cloves; 1 tsp whole allspice

1 tsp whole mustard seeds; 1 tsp whole dill seeds

1 tsp ground cinnamon; 1 tsp whole coriander seeds

1 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp ground cardamom

3 minced garlic cloves/ 1/2 minced purple onion

Note: you may add 1 oz of sodium nitrate to your fine t reddened the meat, but it’s not pertinent to the flavor. (get it from your butcher)

Place meat in the brine and weigh it down with a heavy plate to keep it immersed. Store in the fridge for two weeks. Remove the meat, place in the oven dish with one inch of brine and roast at 300 degrees for one hour, add one cup of water and some peeled carrots and potatoes, roast another 1 1/2 hours and add a quartered small cabbage for a final 45 minutes of roasting. Serve with a choice of mustard and horseradish.

Note: I have been known to use beer (Guinness) as part of my braising liquid for that extra flavor. Use what you think would add to the profile that you would like. I also cook until the meat is tender - give or take on the time but cook the vegetables last so you don’t overcook them. Choose your corned beef flat cut or the point, based on what you like and what you eventually want to do with your corned beef. I have doubled this recipe and stored it successfully in my grandmother’s crock in a very cold room.

Start a couple weeks before St. Patrick’s Day if that is when you wish to serve this!

Submit your recipes today!

While corned beef is an Irish classic, many of our members with German and Scandinavian roots have long embraced brining traditions for preserving meats. Do you have a favorite brine or traditional dish you'd like featured? Share it with us for the cooperative's 80th anniversary recipe book!

Recipe submissions will be accepted until the deadline of April 14. For more information and to submit a recipe click here.