Corning Meat - Mutton, Pork or Beef

I didn't want the opening picture to be a couple of lumps of meat on a plate, so the tulips received this morning, are a preferable way to open this post.

Corned mutton, just out of the corning solution brine.

Last time I posted about our processing of a couple of sheep and a few people were interested to know how they could corn their own meat.

This mutton was a ewe that had to be culled from the flock because she was infertile. In days gone by, when we had three large dogs, we might have used part of it to feed them. Many older folks remember when they almost lived on mutton, and many of those same folks could not stomach it now, but mutton is a very good meat for slow cooking with herbs, wine and other flavorings.

I'm not sure if it can be found in normal butcher shops or supermarkets, I suspect it is made into small goods or sausages, but perhaps you could ask for it. It should be cheaper than lamb, and if it isn't, you should ask why? We farmers receive very little at the markets for mutton, and this is why it is far more economical to butcher it ourselves on farm, and find delicious ways to use it.

Leg pieces in the brining solution cooling down after the first boiling has finished, and ready to soak in the fridge for approximately one week.

As it's been quite awhile since recipes were measured by kerosene tin, (not in my cooking lifetime! better clear that up right now!!) I adapted it to modern times and have reduced the amount of nitrate preservative to almost nothing.
In our state it is called "Kwik Cure" and can only be purchased from Master Butchers in Adelaide.
As it is used for making bombs..(!!!) it's best not to go into the shop dressed in your hoodie and showing your tats, perhaps?
I inherited a tiny portion of  Kwik Cure from an elderly lady twelve years ago, and still have most of it, so I've never actually been into the shop to buy some. And I'm pretty sure it could be omitted completely for this recipe, as these days we all have fridges and freezers to store the meat before and after cooking, and don't need to rely on preservatives as they did in the early days.
I don't use it at all when brining pig meat for making our bacon.
I think the recipe above is clear enough to understand, but if you have any confusion let me know in the comments.
I've also done pork this way - Pickled Pork- and it was very good.
My big stainless steel stew pot is large enough to take two part legs of mutton, so that was all I did this time. I don't use aluminum stew pots or jam pots any more, now that we know the dangers of ingesting aluminum.
Depending on the space available in my fridges, I will leave it in the brine for between five and seven days.
This morning is the fifth day, and I've put one portion of corned mutton into the freezer (well wrapped in plastic bags), while the other portion sits in the brine, in a smaller pot in the fridge, until I will boil it in the usual way for cooking corned beef on Saturday.
How do you cook corned beef? (Corned Mutton)
I cook it with;
2 bay leaves
4 cloves
2 tablespoons brown sugar/ coconut sugar /honey
1 dessertspoon mustard or powder
1 cup balsamic vinegar
5 peppercorns
Almost cover with water and slowly simmer until tender.
Serve with potatoes and carrots boiled in the same pot for the last half hour or so.
Be sure the carrots are not over cooked, and serve with greens prepared separately to enjoy a rainbow coloured nutritious feast.