Corned Beef At Home: Recipes, Tips, etc.

[fifi]

I was going to make corned beef one day to serve with cabbage, St. Paddy's day ya know. I looked at that pathetic little spice packet in there. Hmmm . . . That looks an awful lot like crab boil. So I went to the spice aisle and picked up a box of the whole spice Zatarains. Then I went a little nuts. (And it had absolutely nothing to do with the excellent Merlot and company at the time. ) I used the whole bag to coat about a 4 pound corned beef brisket. It works well to put the meat in a 2 gallon zipper bag and massage it in. Then I put about 1/2 cup dark brown sugar on the top. I put that in the Le Creuset with some beer in the bottom, about an inch or a bit less (not more than half way up the meat). I put it into a 250 degree F oven for about 3 hours, I think. I don't know exactly, I went by texture. I knocked off most of the spices before slicing. OMG! It was so good, that it has become the preferred family way of preparing it. It literally melts in your mouth and is nicely spiced.

We have since fine tuned it a bit. I now add some whole cloves and allspice to the crab boil mix. I also soak the beef in several changes of cold water to reduce the salt. Is it just me or is the corned beef I get now saltier than it used to be? And I like salty food.

I think the tenderness reminds me of the stuff I used to get at the Jewish deli in the neighborhood years ago. But, I have no idea if that particular deli version was typical. I think the sugar helped as well. I seem to remember a bit of a sweet note in the deli version. Not a lot. My version isn't really sweet.

[budrichard]

1. Saltpeter is Potassium Nitrate for the chemists. I obtained my 6oz jar about 20 years ago and it is still going strong. (You use very little in the process). It is a preservative that is a common item in smoked foods but is used in corning to preserve the color of the meat otherwise it becomes a dull gray.

2. The thin sliced product that you get in many deli's is not really corned beef. A good deli will have a round of corned beef on a steamer table and will hand slice the corned beef to order. Why there is a difference, I can't answer because I don't eat the thin sliced product, in fact I run from any deli that serves it.

The best deli's are on Long Island and in New York City, hands down. Until you eat from one of these deli's, you don't have a good benchmark. In New York City, I suggest Russ & Daughters, probaly the best deli anywhere in the world.

3. Stop purchasing the commercial product and prepare your own. I guarantee that it will out perform anything you get in the grocery store in cryovac! -Dick

[sladeums]

Ok, hey...it's that time of year again.

Tomorrow (SOS tomorrow) I plan on cooking corned beef, cabbage and red potatoes in my crockpot.

For those of you who use the crockpot method for cooking corned beef, does anyone have a (extremely detailed) method?

My strategy thus far is to soak it overnight to remove excess salt, discard the prepackaged spices that came with it (should I not toss them? - - sorry, but I'm not going out again to buy crab boil or pickling spices) and toss it in the crockpot with some bay, peppercorns, allspice, cloves and maybe some garlic.

The main thing I'm not sure of is the amount of time and at what temp to cook it, the amount of liquid that is necessary (I have a large oval 6+-quart cooker) and how to cook the potatoes and cabbage...pitch everything together and let it go all day? toss the veg into the crock for the last couple hours? cook the veg separately after the corned beef is pulled?

Damn, I guess I have a lot of questions.

Any guidance in the crockpot cooking of this feast would be appreciated...

[chefdg]

I'm a stickler for the rules and the rules state that braising an item requires that you brown it first, then cook slowely, covered tightly, in a liquid median. Stove top or oven method wil produce the same results given the temp. of the water is the same.

Edited March 10, 2005 by chefdg (log)

[jm chen]

I bought a big slab of corned beef (in the vacuum pack with the little included packet o' flavor) a couple days ago. I think it's around four pounds, and the directions call for boiling 50 minutes per pound.

My eating partner and I love us some beef, but... not all at once.

Should I cook it all up and freeze half? Or cut it in half first, cooking half and freezing half raw? Or cut it in quarters and do some combination?

Regardless, looks like lots of Reubens in the near future. Or, if we're splurgy, David Rosengarten's Reuben Rolls, with homemade Russian... mmm.

[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=