Justin Cook, of Jackson-based rock band Mr. Kid and the Brothers Fox, has a mean bass face on the stage. Off stage, he loves to cook great food.
“I could probably wax philosophical about the interconnectedness of the two,” Cook says. “Or perhaps, I could blabber about sensory similarities between sound and taste. Not necessary. Food is good. Music is good. Enjoy ’em both, I suppose.”
With that in mind, Cook, 29, shares his recipe for corned beef, along with the right music to listen to while you enjoy the fruits, or hunk of meat, of your labor.
Justin’s Corned Beef
The Protein
About 5 pounds of beef brisket, trimmed
The Rub
3/4 cup kosher salt
2 teaspoons of saltpeter (Read up on it if it makes you nervous. Ignore the wives’ tales concerning male libido.)
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns
2 tablespoons yellow mustard seeds
2 tablespoons whole coriander seeds
1 tablespoon whole juniper berries
1 tablespoon allspice berries
7 whole cloves
2 teaspoons ground ginger
7 bay leaves, torn
Rub brisket down, pressing berries and spices and whatnot into the meat so they’re stuck in, nice and tight. Place brisket in vacuum-sealed bag or a zip-top bag with as much air as humanly possible taken out. Place in bottom of the fridge (you know, where it’s nice and cold) for a week. Flip bag daily.
After seven days or so (a few more if you feel like it and the expiration date allows), take the brisket out and rinse it off thoroughly. Place brisket in pot just large enough to hold the meat, and add enough water to cover. Cook it on the stove slow and low, with the water’s temperature hitting about 175-180 degrees. 10 hours of cooking will suffice.
Take out, let cool, slice and serve in sandwich form or by its delicious lonesome. You’ll get bonus points for boiling cabbage, celery and potatoes in the liquid.
Consume while listening to The Pogues’ “Rum Sodomy & the Lash.” Temper your Irish joy with knowledge that the Irish actually don’t eat corned beef. Forget such knowledge, and be blissfully ignorant. Drink Guinness or Irish whiskey.
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The Mississippi Free Press produced this story through the MFP Solutions Lab, supported by the Solutions Journalism Network. This series digs into Mississippi’s systemic issues and sheds light on responses to them in other communities. Beyond just reporting on problems, these stories interrogate their causes and inspect potential solutions.