Corned Beef At Home: Recipes, Tips, etc.

[rotuts]

Im happy with the points @ 24 H 143 F  for thin slicing.    Id say 145 F and 24 h + for just right fork tenderness, i.e. traditional hot CB and cabbage.

 

thin slicing for sandwiches seems to work better w a little less cooking.

[btbyrd]

I've only done store-bought SV CB a couple of times, but both times I added a bit of water to the bag so that it could desalinate while it cooks. The reason that commercial CB is so salty isn't that it's necessary from a preservation standpoint... it's not dry-cured, and it's not like you can store it without refrigeration. Rather, it's because they assume you'll be boiling it for hours on end. When I make my own CB, the initial salt level is much lower and it can go straight into the bag without any soaking or added water.

 

Keeping my fingers crossed for Kenji or Chefsteps (or some other competent spirit) to run a bunch of tests on how to get the most out of supermarket corned beef. Kenji does cover this topic in this older post on corned beef, but the lowest temp he tested was 160F, with 10 hours @ 180F being his preferred time/temp combo. It'd be interesting to see a side-by-side texture comparison that included 48 hours at 140F or 72 hours at 130F. 

[rotuts]

I thought of putting an ice cube or two in the bag and then sealing and trying that.

 

but I just wanted to get the project done.   I have two CB's in the refrig, and i might try that.

 

no way Im going to the store for days due to ice.   on the car and the driveway.

 

the CB shrinks too much > 145 Id say.   48 at 140 might be interesting.

 

Point is going to cook differently than flat , having much more intramuscular connective tissue.  which is tasty when turned into

 

gelatin

[scubadoo97]

4 hours ago, btbyrd said:

I've only done store-bought SV CB a couple of times, but both times I added a bit of water to the bag so that it could desalinate while it cooks. The reason that commercial CB is so salty isn't that it's necessary from a preservation standpoint... it's not dry-cured, and it's not like you can store it without refrigeration. Rather, it's because they assume you'll be boiling it for hours on end. When I make my own CB, the initial salt level is much lower and it can go straight into the bag without any soaking or added water.

 

Keeping my fingers crossed for Kenji or Chefsteps (or some other competent spirit) to run a bunch of tests on how to get the most out of supermarket corned beef. Kenji does cover this topic in this older post on corned beef, but the lowest temp he tested was 160F, with 10 hours @ 180F being his preferred time/temp combo. It'd be interesting to see a side-by-side texture comparison that included 48 hours at 140F or 72 hours at 130F. 

 

For store bought CB, I look at the sodium count on the label.  Brands do vary a lot.   I desalinate overnight in copious amounts of water and up to 24hrs or more and there still no lack of salt in the finished product.  I usually end up smoking them but cooked SV there will not be much further leaching of salt if at all in the cooking method 

[kayb]

Well, I have pulled my bottom round out of the SV after 42 hours at 145. I was not going to leave it that long, but I forgot and went on to bed last night. It's in the fridge, waiting for Friday; I have to leave early tomorrow for a two-day stint with a client, will be back in time to boil some potatoes, carrots and cabbage in the jus from the bag.

 

[Shelby]

I can't find my corned venison roast.  Apparently either I dreamed that we had one frozen or the Yeti got it.

[ElsieD]

I have a question about Napa cabbage.   I have one in this fridge with just a bit of his head cut off which I used in something else.  My usual cabbage for my corned beef dinner is Savoy.  I would like to use the Napa up.  If I use it in place of the Savoy what should the cooking time be relative to the potatoes and carrots?  Thanks!

[btbyrd]

On 3/15/2017 at 6:59 AM, btbyrd said:

Keeping my fingers crossed for Kenji or Chefsteps (or some other competent spirit) to run a bunch of tests on how to get the most out of supermarket corned beef.

 

RE: ChefSteps, I just noticed that the Joule app has a visual doneness for corned brisket, but their temps are still in the high range. Their preferred time/temp combo remains 60C for 48hrs, but they also include 70C for 24hrs and 16hours as well as 80C for 8.

 

I've got two in the bath right now going at 60C for 48 hours.

[gfweb]

St Pat's day breakfast. Corned beef hash (sort of) glazed with ketchup and sriracha.

 

[johnnyd]

On 3/16/2017 at 1:46 PM, ElsieD said:

I have a question about Napa cabbage.   I have one in this fridge with just a bit of his head cut off which I used in something else.  My usual cabbage for my corned beef dinner is Savoy.  I would like to use the Napa up.  If I use it in place of the Savoy what should the cooking time be relative to the potatoes and carrots?  Thanks!

 

It doesn't hold up as traditional types do, but it doesn't fall apart.  We did that one year and loved it so much we did it 4yrs in a row. Lovely flavor.  Don't worry about the time - do it as you would normally

[Tri2Cook]

Kept my fingers crossed that the replacement heating element for my oven that died earlier in the week would arrive before the weekend. It didn't. So the corned beef that wasn't going in the sous vide tank that I hoped to toss in a low oven with cabbage, potatoes and carrots is indeed going to have to be done stove top or slow cooker. At this point, I'd consider just doing it all sous vide but I won't be able to get it in the tank in time to do a 48 hr cook before Sunday dinner... and I was really hoping for it to be Saturday dinner. The lean stuff will be going in a 55C tank tonight for 12 hrs or so and I'll pilfer the juices from the bags for cooking the other stuff if I end up doing it stove top.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

I don't do cooked cabbage but this afternoon the store had cabbage for 17 cents a pound ($0.37 per kilogram).  Could not leave it in the bin.  I envision lots of coleslaw.

 

[rotuts]

wow !  17 c ?   pricey 

 

got mine for 12 c.

 

only two.

 

 

[kayb]

Pronouncing this year's edition of corned beef a success. Bottom round roast, brined in a 5 percent brine for 10 days, cooked SV 145F for 42 hours (it was going to be 36, but I forgot it), then chilled for a couple of days. Tonight, put potatoes and carrots in the IP, set a steamer basket on top, put the roast on one side and some cabbage wedges on the other, dumped the jus over the whole thing, steamed 18 minutes, qr. Veggies were a little soft, but still good. Corned beef was just excellent.

 

[Tri2Cook]

 to both of you. I got mine today for $1.69/lb... which is still $1.26/lb converted to U.S. 



Edit: Should have quoted Jo and rotuts regarding their cabbage purchases. That's what I was replying to.

Edited March 18, 2017 by Tri2Cook (log)

[Tri2Cook]

4 minutes ago, kayb said:

Pronouncing this year's edition of corned beef a success. Bottom round roast, brined in a 5 percent brine for 10 days, cooked SV 145F for 42 hours (it was going to be 36, but I forgot it), then chilled for a couple of days. Tonight, put potatoes and carrots in the IP, set a steamer basket on top, put the roast on one side and some cabbage wedges on the other, dumped the jus over the whole thing, steamed 18 minutes, qr. Veggies were a little soft, but still good. Corned beef was just excellent.

 

Looks good! I don't mind softer veggies in stuff like this. I always cook my potatoes and carrots in the roasting pan when I have a roast in the oven. They get softer than some would approve of but they taste so good when they've spent all that time in that meaty environment that I consider it more than worth any textural trade-off.

[johnnyd]

Wow, that's pink!  Served with cabbage heart, rutabaga, carrot and balsamic red onion pickle.  CB soaked for a 1/2hr in water and rinsed, then simmered in DL Geary's Wee Heavy and Eli's ginger beer for 4hrs. Horseradish sauce and mustards.  Wicked, wicked good! 

Edited March 18, 2017 by johnnyd
ingredients (log)

[Shelby]

I decided to use my Instant Pot to make our corned beef.  I wanted to test the slow cooker method.  Turned out very nice.  I added some cider vinegar and a bit of hot sauce as recommended by @HungryChris.  

 

[Tri2Cook]

Finally quit waffling and decided to go the sous vide route for everything. I tossed it all in the tank last night at 56C. Pulled the top sirloin after 12 hrs. The tougher stuff will stay in until tomorrow evening. Took a small taste of the stuff I pulled out this morning, I'm happy. Tasty, tender and juicy. Should make some nice sandwiches. I got less than 3/4 cup of liquid total from those 2 bags. I'll use it and whatever I get from the stuff still cooking to cook the veggies tomorrow night.

[Lisa Shock]

@ElsieD I believe I have the answer to the grey in the middle issue. I make two whole briskets yesterday. I cut each in half, approximately where the lean part ends and the fatty multidirectional meat begins. I simmered each separately, as I was working on delivering meals for several groups. For the most part I did ok; I had a probe thermometer stuck in two ends of each slab.

 

One piece in particular, I was able to keep at 158°-160° really consistently for about 5 hours. This piece was grey on the very outside (they were all grey outside) but really pink inside. That said, it could have used another 5 hours or so cooking; it was kinda chewy. (I sliced it paper thin with a ceramic knife, and apologized profusely.)

 

By the time I got to tending to my last hunk of brisket, I was pretty tired. This batch of beef and vegetables was to be delivered the day after, cold, for reheating. It was the fatty end hunk of the brisket. I had trouble keeping my temp stable. (I don't have a SV unit at home, because this is the one time per year I cook meat. Also, The slab in question was too large for my slow cooker.) I kept fiddling with the stove every 15 minutes or so. I made myself some food, sat down, and promptly fell asleep by accident. When I woke up, 5.5 hours in to the cook, and about an hour after I fell asleep, The internal temp was 189°. This meat was firmer, but much of the collagen had broken down. It was super-juicy, but a little bit like cutting wood. And, it had a grey patch in the center, about 2" in diameter.

 

My recollection of the last time I made corned beef, two years ago, was that I was doing ok, until a 'helper' wandered in and looked at my setup and decided something was wrong because the pot wasn't at a rolling boil -and turned up the temp. By the time I caught it, maybe 20 minutes later, the temp had risen a bit.

 

I think the answer is that grey in the center is well-done beef.

[gfweb]

@Lisa Shock The grey in the center is most likely beef that didn't get cured. The nitrate makes it pink, so if it is grey it never saw nitrate. Just not cured long enough for the thickness, I'd bet.

[dcarch]

I posted my corned beef on the Dinner thread.

 

dcarch

Edited March 19, 2017 by dcarch (log)

[Tri2Cook]

30 minutes ago, gfweb said:

@Lisa Shock The grey in the center is most likely beef that didn't get cured. The nitrate makes it pink, so if it is grey it never saw nitrate. Just not cured long enough for the thickness, I'd bet.

Yep, I've cooked corned beef at 132F sous vide, 225F in the oven and with the traditional ol' boil the crap out of it in pot of water method and have yet to encounter grey meat. I don't have enough experience with this to know what happens if you use too little nitrate, could that be a culprit? I remember reading somewhere that 40 parts per million was the lower limit if the pink color is the goal but I couldn't attest to the accuracy of that.

[kayb]

My 5 % Ruhlman brine, for 10 days (vs. the 5 days he recommends) left me with a small grey spot in the middle of one end of the bottom round I brined. Not certain if that was due to to the failure of the brine to penetrate or to the fact there was a vein of fat running through it.

 

In any event, it was quite excellent.

 

Ran by Aldi today. They had eye of round roast at a semi-reasonable price. I very nearly bought another one to corn, as we have pretty well decimated the bottom round I corned the first time. Perhaps @rotuts had the right idea when it comes to corned beef -- nothing succeeds like excess.

 

 

 

[Lisa Shock]

1 hour ago, Tri2Cook said:

Yep, I've cooked corned beef at 132F sous vide, 225F in the oven and with the traditional ol' boil the crap out of it in pot of water method and have yet to encounter grey meat. I don't have enough experience with this to know what happens if you use too little nitrate, could that be a culprit? I remember reading somewhere that 40 parts per million was the lower limit if the pink color is the goal but I couldn't attest to the accuracy of that.

 

There's a chance that it's a combination of lower nitrates and thick meat. This hunk of meat was the thickest one I cooked, and the most fatty. That said, it was in brine starting on March 5, which should have been plenty of time -unless there's some sort of physics issue affecting it. I did the math to use as little saltpeter as possible, same with salt. I was trying to make a dish that perhaps would be perhaps more historically accurate by being frugal. Plus, I wanted to emphasize the spice flavors. I am also cooking for senior citizens who are mostly on low sodium diets.