I made the best corned beef ever tonight, done very simply in the crock pot. I'm a convert!

L

lisainla

Well-known member
I've had the worst luck over the past many years in a row with corned beef. Tried different brands, corning my own, different cooking methods, different cuts, etc.

I almost skipped it this year - with my work schedule and St. Patrick's Day falling mid-week, along with my many previous failed attempts, but I decided to give it one more go. My DH loves the traditional meal, so I got the crock pot out this morning, put the beef in on a bed of roughly chopped onion and carrots, poured 4 cups of water over it, turned it on low and it cooked from 7:45-5:30. I turned it off, and it sat until 7:00 in the pot, which maintained the temp very well.

I sliced it and right away I could tell it was going to be good. smileys/smile.gif I steamed cabbage wedges, carrots and potatoes, adding the spice packet from the corned beef to the steaming water. I served it all with Irish Soda Bread from the recipe Gay's posted above. Yum and yay!

I made green pancakes for my kids, since neither of them will eat CB & C. More for DH and I!

 
Will corned beef go on sale today (post-St. Paddy's Day)?

See what you've done to me, L.

And if I read correctly, the beef isn't in the spices? The ones I see at the store look vacuum-sealed around spices.

 
Yes - the beef was one of those commercially vacuum sealed packages,

so in the corning brine, but they also include a separate packet of dry spices in the package.

I rinsed the meat before I put it in the crock pot with the water, then saved the packet of dry spices and added that to my steaming water.

I usually don't eat a lot of the beef when I make it, since my favorite part are the veggies, but I ended up going back for more afterward, (and then ate more when I was putting leftovers away.)!

 
Glad you had success your last go-round. It always feels so good to finally "nail it"!

 
I made my best corned beef too. It is a new product for our small local

market which is cured without chemicals. Celery juice and sea salt is used among some other natural things. The meat cutter there was asked to bring the product in because not only was it excellent but is made in Lake Shasta City about 20 minutes from here. It was the moistest corned beef ever, and was cooked in the oven with beef broth (I used consume) onion, carrots, allspice, peppercorns and coriander, The recipe was posted here.
I oven roasted my carrots whole, in honey and maple syrup, sauteed cabbage wedges in butter and a little evoo, until nice and carmalized and cooked the potatoes in the beef liquid the last 40 minutes. It was stellar!
Left overs tonight!

 
Thank you!

I do love my crockpot but never used it for corned beef. I personally don't care for corned beef but husband has been asking for it so I did it your way and he raved about it all evening... he loved it. Thank you!

 
According to Publix I saved $12.24 on my corned beef today. $4.69/lb

But the cabbage went from $.29/lb to $.79/lb. All this talk about corned beef got me hungry for it but 5 hours is not a weekday meal. It's in the oven now using Curious1 and charlie's posting.

The packet of spice is sitting on the counter. Not sure what to do with it.

 
I made a good one last night using Charlie's recipe, similar to using a slowcooker, I think, as it

is cooked in broth and water in the oven. My home-brined brisket was really good. Half of it is still in the fridge as the entire 8 lb flat was too large for my 9 qt oval Dutch oven. I cooked some rutabaga and parsnip in a separate pan with some strained broth, nice addition.

 
According to their ad of the 17th, Publix brand was $6.99 a lb. Brisket is almost as expensive as

loin steaks here. I guess the demand for it has exceeded the supply.

 
I don't have one but wondered if it would be good for corned beef. Curious as to why you didn't

think so. I'm always wondering if I should buy a pressure cooker and/or slow cooker.

 
I LOVE LOVE my PC. I think I had the same "question" about whether doing something

in a PC would be the "same" as doing it by that wonderful slow braise. I have made beef stew in 35 minutes that was easily equal to my 3 hour variety. Then there are all the beans and bean and split pea soups to be done. Can even do it in summer 'cause it doesn't heat up the kitchen so much. think short ribs done in the pc with a minimal cook and then browned and glazed on the grill, if you want to.

 
I'm looking forward to doing all those things. The beef turned out well in an hour and fifteen...

minutes. No problems with that, but I overcooked the veggies

The beef was salty. That never happens when I simply cook slowly in water. I was wondering if the PC intensified the salt.

The slow braise is hands off and then I have a large pot in which to accommodate and monitor the cooking of the veg.

 
I think some corned beef is saltier when cooked than others. I used to soak mine a little

while before cooking to get some of it out. The last one I cooked was just fine so I really can't explain it well.
I would think the PC would leech out the salt even more.
Maybe cook the beef a while and then open, add veggies and finish in the last 15 minutes or so? Or just do a batch of veggies separate, even roasting the cabbage and carrots? Sounds kind of good. LOL

 
It was one of those no nitrate beasts from a "gourmet" supermarket. That's probably the best.

way to do the veg.

The potatoes were tine though.

 
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