Jan's Lager-Brined Smoked Corned Beef

Name: Jan's Lager-Brined Smoked Corned Beef
Prep time: 50 min
Cook time: 5 h 5 min
Total time: 5 h 55 min
Yield: 12 servings
Cuisine: American, Irish
Ingredients: 2 cups Apple Juice; 1 tsp Black Pepper; 0.5 cup Dark Brown Sugar; 2 tbsp Garlic; 36 oz Lager Beer; 0.25 cup Pickling Spice; 5 tbsp Salt; 2 whole Yellow Onion

Dinner 🍽️Lunch 🥪 American Irish Low-Carb Low-Sodium

Jan's Lager-Brined Smoked Corned Beef delivers a rich, beefy bite infused with malty beer, warm pickling spices, and a kiss of clean wood smoke. The brisket finishes tender and juicy from a gentle braise, offering balanced sweetness and spice in every slice. Serve for a cozy weekend dinner or a special gathering where classic comfort shines.

Prep50 mins
Cook5 hrs 5 mins
Serves12
DifficultyHard

1

Put water, 3 bottles beer, 2 onions, kosher salt, 1/2 cup brown sugar, curing salt, 1/4 cup pickling spice, and 2 tablespoons garlic in a very large pot and stir until the salts dissolve. Add the beef and stir gently. Weigh the beef down with a large bowl or heavy plate to keep it submerged. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate, stirring once a day, for 4 days.
2

Soak the wood chips in apple juice for 2 hours.
3

Remove the beef from the pot, discard the brine, and rinse well under cold water. Let the beef come to room temperature.
4

Preheat an outdoor grill to 150 to 175 degrees F (65 to 80 degrees C). Set the soaked wood chips in a shallow aluminum pan on the heat source.
5

Set the meat directly on the grate and smoke for 2 hours.
6

In a large saucepan, combine 1 beer, 1 onion, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 2 tablespoons pickling spice, 2 tablespoons chopped garlic, and black pepper; bring to a boil. Take off the heat and pour into a large roasting pan. Place the beef in the braising liquid in the roasting pan and cover tightly with aluminum foil.
7

Raise the grill temperature to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C). Put the roasting pan on the grill and close the lid.
8

Roast the beef until tender, 3 to 4 hours. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should register at least 145 degrees F (60 degrees C).
9

Take the beef out of the roasting pan, discard the braising liquid, and let the beef cool until easy to handle.
10

Slice the beef very thinly across the grain.