How to Get the Salt Out of Corned Beef

Corned beef is a salt-cured brisket that has been brined in a saltwater solution This process infuses the meat with salt and gives it its signature pink color and robust, salty flavor However, sometimes corned beef can end up being overly salty, especially if it was brined for too long. If your cooked corned beef turns out unpalatably salty, don’t despair – there are several methods you can try to remove or reduce the excess salt.

Why Corned Beef Gets Salty

Corned beef gets its saltiness from the dry rub or wet brine it is cured in. A typical brine contains salt, spices like coriander, bay leaves and black peppercorns sugar and nitrates. The salt draws moisture out of the meat, firms up the texture, and adds seasoning. At the same time, the nitrates keep the meat pink.

Meat is brined anywhere from 5-21 days depending on its size. Longer brining times result in more deeply cured, saltier meat. After brining, corned beef is simmered in water for hours until fork tender. Unfortunately, this cooking liquid does not significantly reduce the salt content.

How Salty is Too Salty?

A properly corned and cooked brisket should have a pronounced saltiness, but not be overwhelmingly salty. If your corned beef tastes unpleasantly salty to the point you can’t really taste anything else, it’s time to try and remove some of that salt.

Signs that your corned beef is too salty include

• A strong, very salty taste that overpowers other flavors
• The texture is extremely dense and dry
• It makes you thirsty immediately after eating it
• It leaves a strong salty aftertaste in your mouth

Tips to Reduce Salt in Cooked Corned Beef

If your cooked corned beef brisket turned out unpalatably salty, here are some tricks to try and tame the saltiness:

Soak it in Water

Soaking the cooked corned beef in fresh water helps draw out some of the excess salt through osmosis.

• Cut the brisket into slices or cubes to increase the surface area exposed to the water.
• Place the pieces in a large bowl and cover completely with cold water.
• Refrigerate for 6-12 hours, changing the water 2-3 times.
• After soaking, taste a piece to check if the saltiness has reduced sufficiently. If not, continue soaking in fresh water until improved.

The longer you soak, the more salt will leach out. Just be aware the meat may get waterlogged if soaked too long.

Parboil and Rinse

Parboiling helps dissolve salt out of the meat, which can then be poured away with the cooking liquid.

• Cut the brisket into 2-3 inch chunks.
• Place in a pot and cover with water.
• Bring to a boil then immediately drain in a colander.
• Rinse the brisket under running water to wash away more salt.
• Repeat the process 2-3 times until the brisket tastes less salty.

Cook with Potatoes

Potatoes are a great way to absorb excess salt from corned beef. Simply cooking the brisket with halved or quartered potatoes helps draw salt into the spuds instead of the meat.

• Place parboiled corned beef in a pot with peeled, chopped potatoes and cover with water.
• Simmer until potatoes are fork tender. The potatoes will become salty but make the beef more palatable.

Use Acidic Ingredients

Ingredients like tomatoes, vinegar, lemon juice, and wine can help mask saltiness through their tangy acidity.

• Braise corned beef in tomato sauce or diced tomatoes.
• Deglaze the pan with wine or vinegar after cooking.
• Squeeze fresh lemon over slices of cooked corned beef.
• Serve with vinegary sauerkraut or pickles on the side.

Balance with Sweetness

Counteracting salt with sweetness helps balance out the flavors. Caramelized onions, honey, brown sugar, apples, and sweet root vegetables like parsnips or carrots are all good options.

Dilute with Fat & Cream

Adding rich, fatty ingredients like butter, olive oil, or heavy cream helps smooth out and dilute excess saltiness. Make a creamy sauce from the corned beef drippings to drizzle over slices. Or toss with butter-sautéed cabbage instead of serving with more salty broth.

Use Lots of Spices & Accompaniments

Piling on layers of flavor from spices, herbs, sauces, and sides will prevent the salt from dominating. Some good options:

• Coat with bold spice rubs before cooking
• Smother with horseradish cream sauce
• Serve on rye with spicy mustard
• Pile on fresh herbs like parsley, dill, or chives
• Pair with strongly flavored sides like sauerkraut, mustardy potato salad, or pickled beets

Salt Your Side Dishes Less

Go easy on seasoning the side dishes so they provide a reprieve from the salty meat rather than contributing more salt. Hold off on salting starchy sides like potatoes or pasta until you taste them with the corned beef.

Trim Excess Fat

Since salt is water soluble, it tends to concentrate in the juicy fat layers. Trimming off and discarding some of the fat cap before serving may help reduce saltiness.

Cut it With Other Meats

If all else fails, you can dice up the overly salty corned beef and use it in moderation in dishes like hash, stew, or shepherd’s pie with other less salty meats like ground beef or bacon. The salt will get diluted.

Preventing Excessively Salty Corned Beef

It’s easier to avoid overly salty corned beef than it is to try and desalinate it after the fact. Here are some tips for preventing over-salted corned beef:

• Use a basic brine of 1 cup salt per 1 gallon of water. Too much salt in the brine = salty meat.

• Weigh down brisket in brine to keep it fully submerged.

• Brine for 5-10 days max for most briskets.

• Rinse brisket after brining and before cooking to remove surface salt.

• Simmer rather than boil, to avoid toughening.

• Skim fat/foam during simmering to remove some salt.

• Check for doneness early and remove when fork tender. Overcooking concentrates saltiness.

• Chill broth after cooking to easily remove solidified fat before serving.

• Taste broth before serving to see if excessively salty, and dilute with water if needed.

• Slice brisket across the grain for most tender, least salty texture.

• Serve with potatoes, cabbage, carrots and other low-salt sides to balance.

What to Do With Ruined Corned Beef

Sometimes despite your best efforts, you may end up with an irredeemably salty slab of corned beef. Before you relegate it to the trash, here are some ideas to try and salvage the lost cause:

• Dice it small and use up bits to flavor soups, stews, rice/grains.

• Grind/shred into hash with lots of potatoes and onion.