Here’s a recipe destined for your kitchen on St. Patrick’s Day (coming up on March 17) that will help you avoid the red dyes that are present in grocery-store corned beef. Enjoy!

Here’s a note on corned beef from my DIL, Ashley, who came up with this recipe for you.

“In many corned-beef recipes, pink salt or salt peter is listed as an ingredient. This does not mean Himalayan pink salt; it refers to a salt that is a combination of sodium chloride and sodium nitrite. This type of salt is dyed pink as a way to distinguish it from regular salts.

Sodium nitrite is useful as a preservative and helps prevent the growth of botulism-causing bacteria. It is also responsible for a chemical reaction that makes meats retain their pink color even after cooking. All of these things sound beneficial, so what’s the problem with nitrites?

Sodium nitrite has been researched for its carcinogenic effects and has been linked to several different types of cancer and other health issues. The data on all of this is unclear, and the general consensus is that large quantities need to be consumed to be toxic, but isn’t it better to err on the side of caution? And nitrites have proven to be particularly harmful in the intestines of young children. This recipe for corned beef is brined for just 48 hours, and tastes like the real deal.

The only thing that is missing is the traditional hot-pinkish color of the meat. We experimented with adding beet juice to the brine in the hopes that it would dye the meat, but without success. So, the beet juice is a optional ingredient in this recipe. As far as preserving the meat and preventing the growth of nasty botulism-causing bacteria, use fresh organic brisket, brine it right away, and cook it right after brining.

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