Removing Salt from Corned Beef – Is it Possible?

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Corned beef makes a delicious meal whether it is served hot or cold. People tend to use it as holiday food, for example, on Saint Patrick’s Day, but it’s great for any time of the year.

It is easy to cook, and the leftovers can be sliced for sandwiches made with beef, mustard, and pickles.

However, one of the issues with corned beef is its saltiness. Many people today are cutting down on their sodium intake and wonder if it is possible to remove some of the salt.

Yes, it is! We’re here to tell you how you can still enjoy a few slices of this delicious meat without worrying about your salt intake.

Why is Corned Beef So Salty?

Before we get down to whether or not it is possible to get rid of the salt in corned beef, it’s interesting to discuss why there’s so much salt inside this particular type of beef in the first place.

Obviously, the meat isn’t so salty naturally. The true reason for this is that corned beef is prepared in a salt mixture to help preserve it and give it its distinctive flavor and texture.

Corned beef is traditionally made with beef brisket, spices, and brine. These ingredients are mixed, and the meat is left to cure in the solution for at least five days.

For those of you who love the flavor of corned beef but cannot have too much salt, we’ve provided a flavorsome low sodium version at the end of this article for you to try.

Otherwise, use our tips to reduce some of the salt from ordinary corned beef you purchase at the store.

Removing Salt from Corned Beef – Is it Possible?

While you cannot remove all of the salt from corned beef, it is possible to remove some.

1. Get rid of as much salt as you can on the outside. Remove the meat from its packaging and wash it thoroughly under a cold running tap.

2. Put the piece of beef into a pot or basin and cover it with cold milk or water. Put it into the fridge and leave it to soak for several hours. Now, discard the soaking liquid and rinse the meat once more. You are now ready to cook the meat.

3. The cooking process, if done right, will remove even more of the salt. Simply use a big pot and cover your piece of meat with cold water. Add your favorite pickling spices such as peppercorns, bay leaves, and cloves.

Bring it to a boil and skim off any grey scum that gathers on top. Put the lid on and simmer for a few hours. The meat is done when you can insert a fork, twist it and easily pull off a piece.

This cut is usually made with brisket, which is one of the toughest cuts on the animal, so this long, slow cooking is essential to tenderize it.

Some people use the cooking water for cooking the vegetables like potatoes, carrots, and cabbage that are going to be served with the meat.

This batch of broth shouldn’t be too salty for that but taste before putting the vegetables in. If it’s still too briny, toss out half and add some fresh water.

Reducing The Salty Taste Even More

While you won’t be able to extract any more salt from the meat at this point, there are ways to serve it to make it more palatable.

Serve the meat with spicy, slightly tart mustard to balance the flavors beautifully. Pickles, relishes, and sauerkraut are other options.

If you’re serving the beef hot, you could make a creamy sauce to go with it, such as a mustard sauce. This will tone down the saltiness well.

Serving the sliced meat cold tricks your taste buds, too, because foods taste saltier when served hot than cold.

We hope our tips have helped you to get your corned beef tasting less salty. For those of you on a low sodium diet who long for the flavor of corned beef, give our recipe below a try. Let us know if you like it!

Uncured, Low Salt “Corned” Beef

Ingredients

• 1 piece of boneless beef brisket – about 3 pounds
• 1 x 12-ounce bottle of dark beer
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup treacle sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick
• ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
• ½ teaspoon black peppercorns
• ½ teaspoon white peppercorns
• 2 bay leaves
• 5 whole cloves
• 5 dried juniper berries
• ½ teaspoon dill seeds
• ½ teaspoon ground allspice
• ½ teaspoon ground cardamon
• About an inch of peeled, sliced, fresh ginger root

Instructions

1. Use a big pot.
2. Put the brisket in and pour in the beer.
3. Add just enough cold water to cover the meat and add the sugar and salt plus the ground spices.
4. Get a small square of cheesecloth and put all the whole spices inside. Tie it into a parcel and drop it into the pot.
5. Bring the pot to a boil over high heat. Turn the heat low, put the lid on, and simmer until the meat is very tender. This could take up to three hours.
6. Remove the meat from the cooking liquid and serve hot or cold with mustard or horseradish sauce.
7. Remember to slice the meat across the grain when carving.