Corned Beef, Sous Vide

[TdeV]

Sorry if this issue has been posted before—in spite of help, I don't manage searching past posts well.

I have a shrink-wrapped package of corned beef which came with spices included by the manufacturer.

Would you remove this plastic and replace with new vacuum-sealed plastic (without spices) to sous vide the corned beef?

Thanks in advance.

[Syzygies]

I tried sous vide corned beef once, and we weren't entirely happy with it. This is a bit mixing up centuries as technique goes, and might have worked out better conventionally. I was making New England Boiled Dinner, and conventional technique on the Irish side of my family was to bring to a slow simmer when the letter arrived announcing our visit.

It was good, just not amazing, and conventional methods would have left more room for feedback. To be fair about this would require multiple trials and a control; my source was Cafe Rouge in Berkeley, CA, which as a rule sells phenomenal products. This however may have been brined a bit tight.

One might repackage to

* first reduce the salt by soaking, if one fears the brine was too salty

* remove the herbs, if one believes as often claimed that herbs are more intense sous vide

* change to a heat-tolerant bag, if the original bag has unknown heat properties

So this question is somewhat religious/political. Anyone new to sous vide should make certain to purchase bags rated for sous vide. I've noticed that the most vocal opponents to this idea generally have a stash of 1000 bags they bought before thinking about heat safety.

Of the three reasons, I worry most about the third. Our understanding of health risks is a moving target; I have cookbooks that call for the use of asbestos pads.

[TdeV]

OK, I get the heat-tolerant issue. Will replace the bag. Thanks for response.

[Charcuterer]

I cooked a prepackaged corned beef sous vide several months ago the results were very good. I took the brisket out of the original packaging rinsed it well and sealed it in a vacuum bag then cooked it at 135F (57C) for 60 hours and cooled it. I then froze it for about 3 months (to be honest I had forgotten about it). When I was ready to serve (well, remembered it was in the freezer) I thawed it and put it in water bath for an hour to heat it up.

I don't think the 3 month freeze was integral to the results but I do think that taking it out of the corning goo that is in the package is.

[gfweb]

I tend to corn my own. Its very easy and you can adjust flavor to your taste. Just dry rub with appropriate spices/pink salt/salt...let sit in fridge for a few days...then soak and rinse to desalt a bit and then SV with more spice rubbed on.

[Kerry Beal]

I repackage with the spice packet unopened in the bag. I sous vide for 16 hours at 80º C.

Perfect!

[dcarch]

Sous vided corned beef shrinks a lot less.

dcarch

[rotuts]

Its that time of year in the USofA. corned beef is on sale and Id like to try ( again ) for some SV corned beef.

this was one of the first things i SV'd in the past, but would like to return to it after having read many notes here on individuals technique's

I of course can't find my notes so thought in honor of the sales and St.Pats those enthusiasts of this cut might chime in here.

1 ) soaking in cold water to remove some amount of salt.

didnt do this in my initial attempts and it was way to salty for me. How long do you leave the meat in cold water? change the water do you?

2) Cut. Im planning on trying the point cut, removing all the extra fat between the two muscles and then the cold soak. Id like to try this cut as it might have more intramuscular fat and flavor. it also im told had more intramuscular connective tissue but Im hoping that SV with take care of that.

3) time and temp for the meat. Im looking for tender hot meat for a traditional meal ( I'll reheat for this after the ususal chill etc ) and also room temp meat for sandwiches. tender yet firm enough to hold together for thin slicing.

Looking at Baldwin: brisket: Well, slow is 160 x 1 - 2 days.

Id like a temp that is just below the expected muscle contractions so would < 150 be ideal?

many thanks for your ideas.

[Charcuterer]

When I did a pre-corned beef I used 135 degrees and went 60 hours. It was very good. Tender and still very juicy but not falling apart.

This year I decided to corn a uncut short rib portion of 4 ribs. I am using Ruhlman's brine from Charcuterie. The first attempt at this was amazing but my wife complained that I had invited guests and we had to share. So this time I am using the same ingredients but leaving out the guests!

Edited March 12, 2013 by Charcuterer (log)

[rotuts]

I agree. those guests sure can be problems.

[gfweb]

I like 140 for two days. I'll use brisket if I plan to serve it as dinner and the less fatty round if I'm making lunch meat. I corn my own using a mix of spices that I find tasty.

[&roid]

My first stab at SV corned beef was WAY better than I'd ever managed with traditional methods.

I did the equilibrium brining method from modernist cuisine, 7 days in brine with no possibility of over salting. Followed by 15 hours at 79.5C. It was perfect, really moist and tender but sliceable. Very happy with it.

[Ozcook]

I cooked some corned beef today -- my first attempt in a pressure cooker. I added 500ml water, onion, peppercorns, cloves, mace, bouquet garni and I forget what else. I added the trivet and put the c.beef on to the internal dish sitting on the trivet so that the beef would steam. Cooked for 1 hr at full pressure and left it to naturally release for an hour. Came out well but I think a bit overcooked. I will try 50 mins next time.

[rotuts]

interesting. never thought of the PC!

[pbear]

This year, I tried something similar to &roid. Only, instead of a brine, I did an equilibrium rub. Winged it, really, based on prior experiments with other meats (this is one of my continuing projects at the moment).

Here, I figured 1-1/2 tsp salt per pound would be about right. So, for a 3 lb brisket (flat), I used 4 tsp table salt (27 g) and 1/2 tsp curing salts (6.25% sodium nitrite). Tossed together, sprinkled half on each side, set up in a ziploc bag and chilled for four days, flipping every 12 hours. (Not sure the flips are necessary, but figure they prevent juices from pooling against one side only.) Wasn't sure that was enough time but didn't feel comfortable leaving any longer without a vacuum (for which I lack the equipment).

Cooked 36 hours at 150ºF, which is my usual preference for brisket. Very happy. Fully tender without falling apart. (The falling apart thing is my least favorite aspect of the traditional dish.) And, perhaps more to the point, it turns out four days was indeed enough, as the color and flavor were uniform throughout. (Sorry, no pictures; don't have a decent camera either.) Oh, and saltier than a normal brisket, but nowhere near as salty as a normal corned brisket. IOW, pretty much exactly the target I was aiming for.

[rotuts]

Sooooooooooo no ideas on the de-salting of commertial CB? I figure very cold water, in the frig, 24 hrs, with 2 - 3 water changes. Cut the CB in 1/2 to the bag size first.

thoughts?

[FeChef]

Personally I prefer 145F for 24 hours for point cut and flat cut i will cook at 145F but leave in anywhere between 24-30 hours. Anything over that and the texture starts to get too mushy for my taste. If you slice it thin, it damn near melts in your mouth anyway.

[rotuts]

you talked me into it: after a de-salting soak, Ill do 24 x 145. Ive experienced mushy and Im not after that!

many thanks!

[FeChef]

you talked me into it: after a de-salting soak, Ill do 24 x 145. Ive experienced mushy and Im not after that!

many thanks!

I usually just rinse off or soak for 5 minutes. I just sous vide a few briskets yesterday and chilled them and sliced them today. Heres is some pictures. Dont mind the date on the pics, I never set the date on the camera i used.

[rotuts]

looks just right to me. Ill soak overnight. I really use very little NaCL these days and have found most commercial preps way too salty for me.

but your stuff looks delicious!

[gfweb]

Soaks take away some of the spice. I tend to re-apply a bit of the spices for the SV cooking.

[rotuts]

what spice did you add? Ive thought of that: I have mustard seeds I thought Id add ...

[FeChef]

When i buy CB it comes with a spice packet that i add to the SV bag after rinsing or soaking. Never seen store bought that had the spices already in the liquid.

rotuts, when i make my own CB brisket or CB tongue i use pickling spice. You can buy it in bulk cheap at restaurant supply stores.

Edited March 14, 2013 by FeChef (log)

[Bjs229]

Sooooooooooo no ideas on the de-salting of commertial CB? I figure very cold water, in the frig, 24 hrs, with 2 - 3 water changes. Cut the CB in 1/2 to the bag size first.

thoughts?[/quote

Good question

Edited March 14, 2013 by Bjs229 (log)

[rotuts]

such fine tips!

Ill try to duplicate Penzy's

http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/p-penzeyspicklingspice.html

Ill go to the Indian Emporium and find what i can to match this. i have the black and yellow mustard seeds.

Ill do a 12 hour overnight Cold Water Cure for the salt. Outside still cold enough.