Brining for St. Patrick's Day

There's only one thing to do when St. Patrick's day is coming up - haul out the brisket and start brining!!



I've never done this before, but with a 9 pound homegrown beef brisket lounging in the freezer, it seemed logical to transform it into corned beef. I'm following Ruhlman's recipe from Charcuterie. Hard to go wrong with that book.


brisket of "Big Mac" the steer

I toasted pickling spices, picked fresh bay leaves from the neighbor's tree, and boiled up some brine. The mixture smells fantastic - I cannot wait for March 17!