Well that's it...the last corned beef I'll ever make. How can a piece of beef be so tough?!!

C

cheezz

Well-known member
I've boiled, baked, roasted...an hour per pound, hour and a half per pound, hours and hours....so many different brands. Flat cut, point cut..every cut. I've tried every method posted at this site. It always comes out barely chewable. *sigh*

 
I dumped the rest back in a pan with the juices and simmered for another hour+

at least it's chewable now smileys/frown.gif

 
I cooked mine in the crockpot overnight and it was very tender.

I haven't made many, but the crock seems to work well. Give it one more try. I cooled it and made Reuben Wraps for the antique store. Not bad for my first attempt. The fat on it grosses me out though.

 
I have NEVER had a bad corned beef...all tender, cut with a fork and very tasty

Last year I did a point cut, this year a flat cut, which had more fat and was so tasty. I would change brands. Costco has good ones, your locally owned meat market should carry a good brand, too.

 
Dawn, cut the fat off. Different cuts will have a fat cap on top. It slices off very easily

I never leave much fat on, just enough to flavor the juices so the cabbage will taste wonderful. That is what I like about corned beef, they are lean once you cut that fat off.

 
"Simmer" is the key word. A full boil will make it tough. Best to cook below the simmer.

 
And ya gotta cut it across the grain or diagonally across the grain. . .

or you get those chewy strings.

But Simmer is most important here. That is why a crock pot works so good.

 
I had an epic fail with mine as well - even corned it myself. Inedibly salty and tough. smileys/frown.gif

I used a brisket from Costco - I love their briskets, have had fantastic results braising them in the oven.

Not sure why I have such bad luck with the corned beef, but I think cheezz that you and I have shared this misery for the past several St. Paddy's Days.

 
That's why I made the meatloaf, above. Was very good, all the flavor, none

of the strings. I usually always do cut mine cross-grain, but then I end up with tough short strings! Even in the crockpot.

I did cook cabbage, potatoes (half-cooked in the m'wave), onions, and carrots in the crockpot this time, to serve with the meatloaf as sides. Delicious.

 
I've never had a tough brisket since using the following recipe.

I bake mine at 250 to 275 degrees. Thanks Janet and Tammy.

Janet in NC Here is one baked corned beef from Tammy/Arcadia from the old Gails...
Veteran Member
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Joined: Dec 9, 2005

Posted to Thread #5783 at 3:59 pm on Feb 16, 2007

"I always bake mine - yes Bake! You will be amazed at how little it will shrink. You simply wrap it up tightly in foil (discard spice packet)and bake it very slowly at 275-300 degrees for approx 1 hour per pound. To finish it off, if I want to have something really special, I mix Apricot preserves, mustard and horseradish, slather it on after it's baked and throw it under the broiler for a couple of minutes."

She goes on to say that this is the way it is cooked at the Santa Anita Racetrack which is famous for its corned beef sandwiches.

I usually do two at once and have found it to be good. I think the sucess of any corned beef recipe depends very much on the quality of the corned beef to begin with, like anything else.

I serve it with a good recipe of Emerils that combines cabbage, potaoes, and carrots with lots of onion, bacon and some chicken broth. It is covered and baked in the oven. Makes it easy if you have guests for St Patricks Day.

 
Have tried 5 different brands (at least) including Costco. I'm just corned beef challenged smileys/frown.gif

 
Really. I have done everything suggested on this entire board...I'm going back to paella next year

Its so much easier. I'll redeem myself with chicken korma today for dinner....and flan. Poor hubby was so looking forward to the corned beef yesterday.

 
Ours came out fantastic.

Since we had a 20 coming we broke out the 18 quart cooker and layered onions on the bottom, then the meat, then topped with pepper, garlic, bayleaves and finally topped with a layer of red potatoes that were cut in half. Poured 2 Guinness in and turned it on about 6:30 a.m. at 250. By 2:00 it was falling apart.

 
I was thinking the same thing!! : ) I always want to pretend we are Irish; I gave up this year

I have tried numerous times; different cuts, etc.... I think once I was happy with the results. It was a gail's recipe, charlies suggestion on cut, involved a brick and a glaze..... Anyway, that was the best one. I had such bad luck since, that I gave up this year.
Sorry Cheez!! I understand when you get excited about a meal and a theme, and it just does not work they way you want it to....
I am sure it tasted wonderful!

 
I've been doing the same corned beef for years

Did again this year for some chef friends. They loved it. I'm humbled that Moyn tried it and loved it. Center cut is the way to go.

 
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