Feedback on the corned beef that I baked...

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dawnnys

Well-known member
last night. Ughhh. I ended up chopping it up for corned beef hash for breakfasts for a few days. I baked it after marinating it in beer overnight, thinking it would give it a nice flavor or at least make it less tough.

I cooked it slowly (300 degrees F) for about 2 hours (it was about 2 lbs) and then put the apricot jam-mustard-horseradish glaze on it and broiled it for another few minutes. The glaze was the only good thing to it! Very tough - maybe it was the cut, or that particular piece. (It was a point-cut, which I though having more fat, would've been more tender.)

I also braised the cabbage, carrots, and onions using "The World's Best" as posted last week, and they were the best carrots I ever ate. Cabbage was ok, but I didn't really notice any difference from that when I boil it (which would be a lot less work). Will definately try it with carrots and onions again, next time I roast something. Thanks for posting that.

 
Corned beef is a really tough piece of meat. I use my slow cooker

and cook on low for 8 hours. I sometimes take it out of the slow cooker then glaze it under the broiler. I think reducing the temp to 250 and baking longer maybe 3 to 4 hours might work. Did you use any liquid?

 
No liquid - used recipe by Tammy at the old swap, got raves, so it...

must've been the cut I had. She said to wrap it well in foil and bake/roast at 300 (I think).

It was pretty full of beer (!) but no liquid, per se, while it was roasting.

Thanks, 'will return to my old way of crockpot cooking it next year. :eek:)

 
I had a point cut once...never again as it was so tough and fatty...

and I'm talking big globs of fat. But I also think you may not have baked it long enough. 300 degrees is low, and I do pot roasts for at least 3 hours at that temp. Perhaps for baking, the round cut is better if you have those in your area. (They're very good). I prefer to do something like New England boiled dinner because corned beef can be so salty and baking it seems to bring out the salt for me. I love those little seasoning packets that come with the brisket cuts (flat) and which give the corned beef that wonderful and partcular flavor. I barely simmer corned beef in water with the seasonings for at least 3 hours. New potatoes are added and simmered for about 20 minutes. Then I remove the meat and keep it warm, while I add onions, cabbage and carrots to the broth and potatoes. I continue to simmer over a bigger flame until all the vegies are done. I serve in big shallow bowls so everything is swimming in some broth. Sour cream/horseradish/mustard sauce on the side. Delish.

 
I think you need to braise corned beef in liquid, not roast

it dry. It is not only a tough cut, but the corning procedure also dries out the meat.
I haven't made one in years but did last week. Can't wait to do another one now. It was a flat. I mixed a bottle of porter (recipe called for stout) and about a half cup of brown sugar. I added a coarsely sliced onion and some carrot chunks. I didn't use the spice pack that came with it. Brought to a simmer (in a Le Creuset) and put parchment paper on top of the surface to concentrate the condensate. Braised in a 275* oven for 2 1/2 hours. The juices were absolutely WONderful. Sliced it on the diagonal. The slices came out beautifully.
I concentrated the liquid just a little and would have glazed it under the broiler but it was good enough as it was.

 
My Father-in-law uses a pressure cooker and his comes out tender and...

...very flavorful. That's how I do it now too.

Large pressure cooker with water to cover meat by 2 inches. Empty spice packet (or pickling spice) into cooker, along with scant 1/4 cup palm vinegar (asian markets... good stuff). I throw in a handful of peppercorns as well.

Cook for 20 to 25 minutes per pound (wait till weight starts moving before timing starts). Meat should hold it's shape but be very tender.

Then I transfer the meat to a platter and the stock to a large stock pot. I add more liquid (usually) in the form of water or low-salt chicken broth. I add potatoes (peeled and chunked) and napa cabbage leaves and simmer until the potatoes are done. I correct the salt and add more vinegar if needed.

When ready to serve, I add the meat back to the stock pot and allow it to warm. Then I remove some of the soup and cabbage to a rimmed serving platter and place the sliced corned beef over the top. Whip up a quick mustard/horseradish sauce and it's a go!

Michael

 
Mine was great. I used Ann in SF's method.

It was a 4 lb flat one. Put on a rack, poured a beer over it. Put the spice packet and sliced garlic on top. Sealed it really well in aluminum foil and baked it at 300 for 4 hors. It did not shrink, was not stringy at all and was very tender. I even converted non-corned beef eaters.
I also braised the cabbage, carrots, onions and I added sliced potatoes. Pretty darn good..

 
Hi Sarah! I do mine the same way...

And it turns out just like you said. I think it has much more flavor if it's not immersed in the liquid while it cooks.

 
I agree with not much liquid.Mine was half way up the

side of the meat--and the parchment paper to concentrate the liquid.

 
Now I am confused... did you wrap up the piece of meat dry? Or was...

the liquid in with it? I thought Tammy's (which everyone said they really liked) was wrapped in foil and baked, like a baked potato, no liquid.

Mine was a 2-pounder (cut a large one in half and froze the rest) so I followed directions and roasted it at 300 for about 2 hours. THREE hours would've turned it to a doorstop, I think.

I definately didn't undercook it. If anything, I underestimated the weight and make have overcooked it. This is all based on the fact that different weights take longer time to cook, I am assuming.

 
Dawn, the method is sort of....

braising on a rack, or baked steaming. You put the rack in your roaster, place your corned beef, put in the beer (which is below the rack in the roasting pan, not touching the meat), seal the pan with foil. No liquid touches the roast, not even half way up. The liquid below the rack steams the meat. I like this method because it gives very tender corned beef with concentrated flavor. I don't put corned beef in liquid because any time you do that, you're removing flavor to the liquid. After all, how do we make stock? Try it next time, I think you'll be very happy with the results. I too tried the dry roasting method and didn't like the results.

 
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