Corned Bison & Cabbage

As Saint Patrick's Day decorations start to adorn your neighbor's yards and homes, celebrate Saint Patrick's Day yourself with a corned bison brisket and cabbage dinner!

Just like beef, bison is extremely versatile and can be used in a variety of recipes in different and creative ways. This week, we're going to examine what "corning" meat is, how to do it, and ultimately, how you can make corned bison at home using JJ Bison's brisket.

What does "corned" mean and where did it come from?

Typically, when you hear people talking about "corned meat" they mean the meat has been cured to better preserve the meat to draw out moisture within the meat in an attempt to prevent bacteria growth. As food and wine magazine states, the word "corn" originated from the German word "kurnam" meaning "small seed", and so, salted meat started being called "corned" due to the large "kernels" of rock salt to preserve the meat.

Bacterial prevention was extremely important and in the 17th century, a law was passed that prohibited the Irish from exporting cattle to England. Due to this law, the Irish had an influx of cattle and needed to preserve the meat so they could send the meat to Europe without the probability of sending rancid cuts to consumers. When Irish immigrants moved to the United States, they settled in New York where Jewish butchers like Alton Brown used his famous recipe to corn the beef and sell it to consumers.

How do you "corn" bison?

Corned bison is just as easy as corned beef and just as tasty! Before starting with the recipe below, you'll need to corn your bison brisket. To do this, you'll need the following ingredients:

1/4 cup salt
18 cups water
1 cup salt
1/2 cup sugar
2 crumbled bay leaves
1 teaspoon peppercorns
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
2 garlic cloves
3-5lbs bison brisket

Once you have all the above ingredients, it's time to corn your bison!

Directions to corn bison:

In a large saucepan, heat the 1 cup salt and 1/2 cup sugar until disolved
Rub the entire brisket with the 1/4 cup of salt
Place the rubbed brisket in the large bowl or pot (like a slow cooker pot) and pour the heated water in step 1 over the brisket.
Add the bay leaves, peppercorns, mustard seeds, and garlic to the mix, and make sure the brisket is completely submerged in the mixture.
Refrigerate this for at least 60 hours (~3 days), or up to 10 days
Once the ~60 hours are up, remove the brisket from the bowl and rinse well under cool water thoroughly.

And there! You've just corned your first bison brisket!

Ingredients for the Roast:

1 Corned Bison brisket
5 cups water
1 head of cabbage cut into wedges
12oz Yukon Gold potatoes cut in half
12oz carrots cut in about 1" pieces
2 tablespoons of melted butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 garlic clove
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon allspice berries

Directions:

Heat the oven to 350°F
In a large dutch oven, place the corned brisket and the 5 cups of water. [Alternatively, you can also use a slow cooker on high for about 8 hours.]
Pour the spices (butter, salt, pepper, garlic, bay leaf, mustard, and allspice berries) over the bison brisket
Cover for 3 hours (or about 6 hours in a slow cooker)
If using a dutch oven, add the potatoes and cabbage in when there is 1 hour left. If using a slow cooker, add in the potatoes and cabbage when there are 2 hours left in the cooking time.
When the brisket is easily sliceable and the time is up, serve and enjoy!

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!