Corned Beef (and cabbage?)

[SuzySushi]

Cook the whole thing. Corned beef shrinks considerably when cooked.

And a tip from me: Trim off excess fat and rinse the corned beef to remove some of the salt. Bring the corned beef to a boil in water to cover, then dump the water & the scum. Return the corned beef to the pan and add 2 12-ounce bottles of beer (I like ale, but you can even use Guinness) and the seasoning packet. Bring to a boil, then simmer, covered, 1-1/2 hours. Add cut-up onions, potatoes, and carrots. Simmer about 1-1/2 hours longer. It will be the best corned beef you've ever tasted!

[bloviatrix]

Corned Beef freezes very well once boiled and sliced. Once you cook it up, wrap it in single serving packets.

[jhlurie]

Do you have a vacuum sealer to reseal it? If you could that opens up some better options than simply freezing it.

Personally, I've cooked big ones in halves. Of course 4 pounds doesn't seem nearly as big after the sucker has shrunk a bit.

[wesza]

The way that packaged "Corn Beef" is generally packed you can expect a maximum net weight after cooking of about 50% of your gross meat weight.

If your piece is a flat cut you may get enough for about 4 servings or 6 standard sandwiches. It its another cut you may actually get less after trimming the fat.

If you have problems slicing the meat save your trimmings and dice them up for using to make "Corned Beef Hash" as often it falls apart.

Enjoy.

Irwin

[auntdot]

There are now only the two of us, and I have learned that small families have two dichotomous approaches to dinner.

One is to buy only enough to eat in one meal and try for no leftovers.

The other is to buy as if you had to feed far more people, cook all or most of it up, and forage for days on the dish.

We fall into the latter camp.

Generally we only buy corned beef for St. Patty's day, but we buy two.

There is corned beef and cabbage, corned beef sandwiches, and, of course, the hash.

For two, a single corned beef would serve as a meal and then I would let it sit in the fridge for several days and make something else with it.

Corned beef hash topped with fried eggs for breakfast sounds great, particularly on a cold winter day.

We are small eaters, but a single corned beef just does not go very far.

Just my opinion.

[fifi]

Now that RecipeGullet is back in operation, here is my Crab Boil Corned Beef recipe. I did finally end up adding a bit of beer to the pot. Again this year, I had trouble finding the point cut. I have done a couple of flats and thoroughly enjoyed having that around for sandwiches and hash. I think that braising in a covered pot, low and slow, is the salvation for the flats. Good grief, I love the fat off the top. I have been known to scrape some off onto a biscuit.

Edited March 17, 2018 by Smithy
Repaired broken link (log)

[mark922]

I know that simmering is far more common, but I think that steaming will preserve more collagen in the meat and result in crisper cabbage. Thoughts from the masses?

[slkinsey]

I think it works best if you steam. Boiling the corned beef almost always results in dry meat. It does take a bit longer to cook the meat that way, however.

Since this is a work day I don't really have time to cook my corned beef by traditional stovetop methods, and have had to resort to alternative techniques. So I'm cooking the corned beef sous vide for around 9 hours (which can happen while I'm out of the house) and will finish it this evening by steaming it for an hour or so above the potatoes, carrots and cabbage.

[mark922]

I think it works best if you steam.  Boiling the corned beef almost always results in dry meat.  It does take a bit longer to cook the meat that way, however.

Since this is a work day I don't really have time to cook my corned beef by traditional stovetop methods, and have had to resort to alternative techniques.  So I'm cooking the corned beef sous vide for around 9 hours (which can happen while I'm out of the house) and will finish it this evening by steaming it for an hour or so above the potatoes, carrots and cabbage.

←

Thanks. I agree with your assessment of the meat as being too dry. I was thinking I should steam a 2.5 lb. peice of brisket flat for about 2 hours. Does that sound like enough time to you? Too much?

[slkinsey]

Sounds about right to me.

[ronnie_suburban]

Would you pre-simmer/boil it or do something else to mitigate the salt/cure?

=R=

[mark922]

Would you pre-simmer/boil it or do something else to mitigate the salt/cure?

=R=

←

I use Cook's, which is a bit less salty than other brands, such as Vienna. I just rinsed it off before it went into the pot. I am also steaming fairly aggressively, so I would imagine as the fat renders and the collagen gelatinizes, some of the salt will leech out.

I'll report back in a few hours and let you know how it worked out, Ron.

[SuzySushi]

I've never tried steamed corned beef.

I rinse it off, place it in a pot with water to cover, bring to a boil, dump the water & scum, place in a clean pot with beer (2 12-ounce bottles brown ale), and simmer.

[mark922]

Well, the experiment wasn't a crashing failure, but I don't think I'd repeat it. The steamer didn't really produce enough heat to get a lot of gelatinization. Thus, it didn't really produce a more tender or succulent corned beef. Also, the cabbage and potatos definitely sufferefrom a lack of contact with the spices and the brineyness created by simmering.

It was a decent meal, but it most definitely wasn't my best effort.

[Abra]

I'm doing mine in the oven. It's been at 275 for almost 5 hours now, and in a few minutes I'll glaze it with orange marmalade and whiskey, and serve with some sauteed carrots and cabbage, and soda bread. This is my first time baking it, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

[Girl-from-mars]

I actually do my corn beef in the microwave turns out perfect takes about 45 mins all up depending on your microwave and how big your beef is etc

I only ever rinse my beef under water before placing it in the casserole dish

this is for a 1.5kilo piece of corned beef

3 Litre casserole dish,

put in the Corned Beef,

50mls White Vinegar,

1 small onion peeled and chopped,

2 small bay leaves,

about 12 black peppercorns ( i tend to just chuck)

40grams brown sugar

and 450mls water

Cook on High for 10 mins

Turn the meat over cook for another 5 mins

reduce microwave to Medium Low and cook for 15mins

turn meat cook for another 15 mins

Done =)

[MarkinHouston]

This year I followed Fifi's recipe which involves rinsing the corned beef well, covering with crab boil and then baking at 225º F. for 7 hours. I substituted a jar of mixed pickling spices, added crushed red pepper and more allspice and cloves. The results were great. It was accompanied by "The World's Best Braised Green Cabbage" from Molly Steven's All About Braising. Excellent recipe!

[BarbaraY]

I do mine in the pressure cooker. Soak in cold water for 1 hour, more if you really dislike salt.

Put in the cooker with a handful of peeled garlic and a bay leaf, a handful of dill seed is good, too, or pickling spice.

Bring to full pressure and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Let pressure drop naturally.

I removed the meat when the pressure dropped and added red potatoes, carrots, turnip and cabbage and let it simmer till vegetables were done. Had the meat not been tender enough I would have left it in with the vegetables.

Corn beef needs to sit in it's own juice for a while after cooking to prevent dryness.

[mark922]

I do mine in the pressure cooker. Soak in cold water for 1 hour, more if you really dislike salt.

Put in the cooker with a handful of peeled garlic and a bay leaf, a handful of dill seed is good, too, or pickling spice.

Bring to full pressure and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Let pressure drop naturally.

I removed the meat when the pressure dropped and added red potatoes, carrots, turnip and cabbage and let it simmer till vegetables were done. Had the meat not been tender enough I would have left it in with the vegetables.

Corn beef needs to sit in it's own juice for a while after cooking to prevent dryness.

←

I was thinking last night, as I analyzed the results of my steaming experiment, that a pressure cooker might be just the thing. Unfortunately, I don't have one.

[ronnie_suburban]

I do mine in the pressure cooker. Soak in cold water for 1 hour, more if you really dislike salt.

Put in the cooker with a handful of peeled garlic and a bay leaf, a handful of dill seed is good, too, or pickling spice.

Bring to full pressure and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Let pressure drop naturally.

I removed the meat when the pressure dropped and added red potatoes, carrots, turnip and cabbage and let it simmer till vegetables were done. Had the meat not been tender enough I would have left it in with the vegetables.

Corn beef needs to sit in it's own juice for a while after cooking to prevent dryness.

←

I was thinking last night, as I analyzed the results of my steaming experiment, that a pressure cooker might be just the thing. Unfortunately, I don't have one.

←

Well, I have one but it's much smaller than the 8# corned beef I have waiting in the fridge.

My butcher, who corns these briskets himself, recommended cooking it at a hard boil for about 2.5 hours and adding any vegetables with about 30-45 minutes to go. Based on what I've read here, that doesn't sound like the best way to go. Maybe I'll cut an appropriately-sized piece off and cook it in the pressure cooker.

=R=

[budrichard]

I usually corn my own brisket, drain off the liquid and spices and simmer in water for at least 6 hours. The potatoes and cabbage are thrown in for about 30 minutes. It is the best I or anyone that has eaten it has ever tasted.

This year we had a Vienna corned brisket from the company store. (BTW you can get huge 1/3# dogs at the store) and I steamed it for 6 hours and made Reuben sandwiches without the thousand Island dressing. I used Cahills Porter for the cheese, fresh Frank's kraut, and brown horseradish mustard. The eaters said it was the best Rueben.

Note the Vienna sells at least two types of corned beef product. One is corned and not cooked, the other is corned and fully cooked. Be careful which one you purchase. Serving the corned product without cooking is very embarrasing! -Dick

Edited March 19, 2006 by budrichard (log)

[bigbear]

I have an old Presto pressure cooker that serves me well, especially since I replaced the gaskets. The old directions that came with it also serve me well for making corned beef.

(Using the Corned Beef recipe) Cook a 3# piece of corned brisket, with 2 cups of water, under pressure for 1 hour. Remove from heat a let pressure drop of its own accord.

(Switch to New England Boiled Dinner recipe) For the vegetables, open cooker and add your cabbage wedges, onions, carrots, etc. Cook under pressure for 6 minutes. Cool cooker under running water to relieve pressure.

[ronnie_suburban]

I ended up soaking the whole brisket in cold water for a couple of hours. After that, I placed it atop a bed of whole carrots and thickly-sliced onions -- along with about 6 oz of Bass Ale -- and braised it for 4 hours. In the last hour, I added some small potatoes and cabbage wedges. It really was great; the best I've ever had but that's probably because I bought it at Zier's.

=R=

[mark922]

I usually corn my own brisket, drain off the liquid and spices and simmer in water for at least 6 hours. The potatoes and cabbage are thrown in for about 30 minutes. It is the best I or anyone that has eaten it has ever tasted.

This year we had a Vienna corned brisket from the company store. (BTW you can get huge 1/3# dogs at the store) and I steamed it for 6 hours and made Reuben sandwiches without the thousand Island dressing. I used Cahills Porter for the cheese, fresh Frank's kraut, and brown horseradish mustard. The eaters said it was the best Rueben.

Note the Vienna sells at least two types of corned beef product. One is corned and not cooked, the other is corned and fully cooked. Be careful which one you purchase. Serving the corned product without cooking is very embarrasing! -Dick

←

Vienna also sells both brisket and round in corned beef form. They do the same with pastrami. I still fail to see how anybody could stomach the dry, tough, relatively flavorless round when there is brisket to be had.

[Toliver]

I put my corned beef (whatever brand Albertson's had on sale) in a slow cooker with the pickling spices that came with it, covered it with lots of water and left it on all day while I was at work. It turned out to be fork tender and not at all dry.

After skimming the water, I used some of it (plus some fatty shreds I cut off the corned beef) to steam my quartered and cored cabbage. Topped that with some balsamic vinegar and it was great.

Used the rest of the beef water to boil red potatoes & "baby" carrots...what could be easier?

It helps that the pot of the slow cooker I have can be used on the stove.

I used the tip found in this Japanese video to help the cut boiled potatoes keep their shape and it worked like a charm.