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brisket + spice packet + aromatics, covered by water, NEVER boiling

the corned brisket rinsed of its brine, into the pot with its spice packet, onion, garlic, and bay, covered by water and held at the laziest simmer the burner allows — the brine already did the seasoning years of tradition ago; heat's only job now is dissolving the brisket's collagen, and a hard boil wrings it to rubber instead: fork-tender is the finish line, about 50 minutes per pound