Slow-Cured Corned Beef

1. 1Add the water to a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the salt, sugar, garlic, and all of the spices. Add the carrot, onion, and optional bacon skins.
2. 2Bring the water to a boil. Give it a stir with a long-handled spoon to make sure the salt and sugar have dissolved. Turn off the heat and add the thyme and bay leaves.
3. 3Let the brine cool to room temperature, allowing the aromatics to steep, about 2 hours. Add the pink curing salt and stir to dissolve.
4. 4Transfer the brine to whatever refrigerator container you plan to store the beef in: a high-sided hotel pan, low plastic container, or even a large oven dish made of some nonreactive material like glass or earthenware. Refrigerate the brine overnight, or until it’s completely cold.
5. 5Add the beef to the chilled brine, making sure it’s completely submerged. To make sure it stays submerged, lay a clean, folded kitchen towel directly onto the beef, than lay a clean plate or platter on top of the towel. Cover tightly with a lid or plastic film and refrigerate for 12 days. Check the container once a day to make sure the meat is still submerged.

To poach the corned beef:

1. 1After the 12 days are up, lift the beef out of the brining liquid and transfer it to a pot large enough to hold the meat without too much crowding, but not so large that it gets lost. An oval Dutch oven is perfect; a large stainless steel pasta pot with a heavy bottom will work just fine. Discard the brining liquid, including the aromatics.
2. 2Add enough cold water to the pot to cover the meat by 1 to 2 inches and set over medium heat. Add the garlic cloves, coriander, allspice, mustard, cloves, cinnamon, carrot, onion, thyme, and bay leaves.
3. 3Once the liquid comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low and keep monitoring it: You want the surface of the liquid to tremble very gently in a few places—if you see big, vigorous bubbles, reduce the heat even further. Simmer the corned beef, uncovered, until the internal temperature registers 160°F on a meat thermometer, about 3 to 4 hours. (For brisket, cook until the internal temperature registers between 180°F and 185°F.)
4. 4Remove the pot from the heat, leaving the corned beef in its broth to cool down gently to a warm temperature, about 1 hour. Remove from the liquid and slice. Strain the broth, and either serve it on the side in warmed bowls like consommé, or serve the corned beef slices in warmed shallow bowls and ladle some of the broth over the meat. You can poach a head of green cabbage, cored and cut into 6 wedges, in the strained broth until it’s tender, about 10 to 15 minutes.