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Woe is me.... can't make a tender corned beef to save my life!!!
- Thread starter cheezz
- Start date
debbie_in_ga
Well-known member
I cook mine to perfection in a crockpot everytime, cheezz. Try it if you can!
What I get from my supplier are "flat cut". I put three or four 8-10 #'ers in a big roasting pan
with water to just cover and bake about four hours @325F. They are just right. I like to simmer on top in a big pot, but usually don't have top space.
Once I did have two that would not get tender, finally put them in the steamer(big pressure cooker) got tender, but no flavor.
Was this the only time this happened?
with water to just cover and bake about four hours @325F. They are just right. I like to simmer on top in a big pot, but usually don't have top space.
Once I did have two that would not get tender, finally put them in the steamer(big pressure cooker) got tender, but no flavor.
Was this the only time this happened?
Make your own corned beef
Cheezz, this recipe is from Bruce Aidells and Denis Kelly's Complete Meat Cookbook. I've made it several times and really like it. I have a 5 lb brisket flat from Sam's corning now, I started Sunday night.
I make one slight change, using 2/3 cup sugar to 8 cups water instead of 1 cup. I also use Penzeys corning spice, their pickling spice also yields good results.
This amount of brine is not quite enough for my container, I put the beef in and measure how much water it takes to cover it, then remove the beef wash the container and use fresh water for the brine. this time it took 1 and 1/2 times the amount. I use 1 and 1/2 times all the ingredients.
I really enjoy this process, have a fridge in my garage and a large, 18 qt plastic container from a restaurant supply store, so it's no big deal. However, Cook's Illustrated has a simpler recipe that takes only 5-7 days and uses a dry brine. I'm posting it next.
Make your own corned beef
It's not difficult to make your own corned beef, and the results are delicious. We suggest that you use brisket, but you can also use bottom round.
8 cups water, or more if necessary to cover the meat
1 1/4 cups kosher salt
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons pickling spices
1 6-8-pound whole beef brisket OR piece of bottom round, trimmed of excess fat
To cook the beef:
1 medium onion, spiked with 3 cloves
3 garlic cloves
1 carrot, coarsely chopped
1 celery rib, coarsely chopped
3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon peppercorns
Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan. Add the salt and sugar and stir to dissolve. Stir in the pickling spices. Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until cooled to 45 degrees F.
Pour the brine into a large bowl or crock and submerge the meat in it, making sure it stays under the surface by using a heavy plate as a weight. Refrigerate for 8 to 12 days. Stir the brine each day and turn the beef occasionally.
To cook the corned beef, remove the meat from the brine and put it in a large pot. Cover with water and add the vegetables, bay leaves, and peppercorns. Simmer over low heat until tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours, or more if necessry. Thinly slice across the grain and serve hot or cold.
Cheezz, this recipe is from Bruce Aidells and Denis Kelly's Complete Meat Cookbook. I've made it several times and really like it. I have a 5 lb brisket flat from Sam's corning now, I started Sunday night.
I make one slight change, using 2/3 cup sugar to 8 cups water instead of 1 cup. I also use Penzeys corning spice, their pickling spice also yields good results.
This amount of brine is not quite enough for my container, I put the beef in and measure how much water it takes to cover it, then remove the beef wash the container and use fresh water for the brine. this time it took 1 and 1/2 times the amount. I use 1 and 1/2 times all the ingredients.
I really enjoy this process, have a fridge in my garage and a large, 18 qt plastic container from a restaurant supply store, so it's no big deal. However, Cook's Illustrated has a simpler recipe that takes only 5-7 days and uses a dry brine. I'm posting it next.
Make your own corned beef
It's not difficult to make your own corned beef, and the results are delicious. We suggest that you use brisket, but you can also use bottom round.
8 cups water, or more if necessary to cover the meat
1 1/4 cups kosher salt
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons pickling spices
1 6-8-pound whole beef brisket OR piece of bottom round, trimmed of excess fat
To cook the beef:
1 medium onion, spiked with 3 cloves
3 garlic cloves
1 carrot, coarsely chopped
1 celery rib, coarsely chopped
3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon peppercorns
Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan. Add the salt and sugar and stir to dissolve. Stir in the pickling spices. Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until cooled to 45 degrees F.
Pour the brine into a large bowl or crock and submerge the meat in it, making sure it stays under the surface by using a heavy plate as a weight. Refrigerate for 8 to 12 days. Stir the brine each day and turn the beef occasionally.
To cook the corned beef, remove the meat from the brine and put it in a large pot. Cover with water and add the vegetables, bay leaves, and peppercorns. Simmer over low heat until tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours, or more if necessry. Thinly slice across the grain and serve hot or cold.
Home-Corned Beef Brisket
From Cook's Illustrated. I've never tried this method, but it has gotten good reviews from people who have.
Home-Corned Beef Brisket
If you prefer a leaner piece of meat, feel free to use the flat cut. In fact, we found more flat cut than point cut briskets in supermarket meat cases, so you probably have to ask the meat department attendant or butcher to bring you a point cut. Leave a bit of fat attached for better texture and flavor.
1/2 cup kosher salt
1 tablespoon black peppercorns, cracked
3/4 tablespoon ground allspice
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1/2 tablespoon paprika
2 bay leaves crumbled
1 fresh beef brisket (4 to 6 pounds), preferably point cut, trimmed of excess fat, rinsed and patted dry
1. Mix salt and seasonings in small bowl.
2. Spear brisket about thirty times per side with meat fork or metal skewer. Rub each side evenly with salt mixture; place in 2-gallon-size zipper-lock bag, forcing out as much air as possible. Place in pan large enough to hold it (a jelly roll pan works well), cover with second, similar-size pan, and weight with two bricks or heavy cans of similar weight. Refrigerate 5 to 7 days, turning once a day.
HOME-CORNED BEEF AND CABBAGE, NEW ENGLAND STYLE
Serves 8 with leftovers
The meat is cooked fully when it is tender, the muscle fibers have loosened visibly, and a skewer slides in with minimal resistance. Serve this dish with horseradish, either plain or mixed with whipped or sour cream, or with grainy mustard.
1 Home-Corned Beef Brisket (see recipe), rinsed and patted dry
7–8 pounds prepared vegetables of your choice (see chart, linked below)
1. Bring brisket to boil with water to cover by 1/2 to 1 inch in large soup kettle or stockpot (at least 8 quarts), skimming any scum that rises to surface. Cover and simmer until skewer inserted in thickest part of brisket slides out with ease, 2 to 3 hours.
2. Heat oven to 200 degrees. Transfer meat to large platter, ladling about 1 cup cooking liquid over it to keep it moist. Cover with foil and set in oven.
3. Add vegetables from category 1 to kettle and bring to boil; cover and simmer until vegetables begin to soften, about 10 minutes. Add vegetables from category 2 and bring to boil; cover and simmer until all vegetables are tender, 10 to 15 minutes longer.
4. Meanwhile, remove meat from oven and cut across the grain into 1/4-inch slices.
5. Transfer vegetables to meat platter, moisten with additional broth, and serve.
Category 1
Once the meat has been removed from the pot, add the desired selection and quantity of vegetables from this category. Return the liquid to a boil and simmer for ten minutes before adding vegetables from category 2.
Carrots: Peeled and halved crosswise; thin end halved lengthwise, thick end quartered lengthwise.
Rutabagas (small): Peeled and halved crosswise; each half cut into six chunks.
White turnips (medium): Peeled and quartered.
New potatoes (small): Scrubbed and left whole.
Boiling onions: Peeled and left whole.
Category 2
At the ten-minute mark, add selected vegetables from this category, return cooking liquid to boil, then continue to simmer until all vegetables are just tender, ten to fifteen minutes longer.
Green cabbage, uncored: Blemished leaves removed (small head) cut into six to eight wedges.
Parsnips: Peeled and halved crosswise; thin end halved lengthwise, thick end quartered lengthwise.
Brussels sprouts: Blemished leaves removed and left whole.
From Cook's Illustrated. I've never tried this method, but it has gotten good reviews from people who have.
Home-Corned Beef Brisket
If you prefer a leaner piece of meat, feel free to use the flat cut. In fact, we found more flat cut than point cut briskets in supermarket meat cases, so you probably have to ask the meat department attendant or butcher to bring you a point cut. Leave a bit of fat attached for better texture and flavor.
1/2 cup kosher salt
1 tablespoon black peppercorns, cracked
3/4 tablespoon ground allspice
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1/2 tablespoon paprika
2 bay leaves crumbled
1 fresh beef brisket (4 to 6 pounds), preferably point cut, trimmed of excess fat, rinsed and patted dry
1. Mix salt and seasonings in small bowl.
2. Spear brisket about thirty times per side with meat fork or metal skewer. Rub each side evenly with salt mixture; place in 2-gallon-size zipper-lock bag, forcing out as much air as possible. Place in pan large enough to hold it (a jelly roll pan works well), cover with second, similar-size pan, and weight with two bricks or heavy cans of similar weight. Refrigerate 5 to 7 days, turning once a day.
HOME-CORNED BEEF AND CABBAGE, NEW ENGLAND STYLE
Serves 8 with leftovers
The meat is cooked fully when it is tender, the muscle fibers have loosened visibly, and a skewer slides in with minimal resistance. Serve this dish with horseradish, either plain or mixed with whipped or sour cream, or with grainy mustard.
1 Home-Corned Beef Brisket (see recipe), rinsed and patted dry
7–8 pounds prepared vegetables of your choice (see chart, linked below)
1. Bring brisket to boil with water to cover by 1/2 to 1 inch in large soup kettle or stockpot (at least 8 quarts), skimming any scum that rises to surface. Cover and simmer until skewer inserted in thickest part of brisket slides out with ease, 2 to 3 hours.
2. Heat oven to 200 degrees. Transfer meat to large platter, ladling about 1 cup cooking liquid over it to keep it moist. Cover with foil and set in oven.
3. Add vegetables from category 1 to kettle and bring to boil; cover and simmer until vegetables begin to soften, about 10 minutes. Add vegetables from category 2 and bring to boil; cover and simmer until all vegetables are tender, 10 to 15 minutes longer.
4. Meanwhile, remove meat from oven and cut across the grain into 1/4-inch slices.
5. Transfer vegetables to meat platter, moisten with additional broth, and serve.
Category 1
Once the meat has been removed from the pot, add the desired selection and quantity of vegetables from this category. Return the liquid to a boil and simmer for ten minutes before adding vegetables from category 2.
Carrots: Peeled and halved crosswise; thin end halved lengthwise, thick end quartered lengthwise.
Rutabagas (small): Peeled and halved crosswise; each half cut into six chunks.
White turnips (medium): Peeled and quartered.
New potatoes (small): Scrubbed and left whole.
Boiling onions: Peeled and left whole.
Category 2
At the ten-minute mark, add selected vegetables from this category, return cooking liquid to boil, then continue to simmer until all vegetables are just tender, ten to fifteen minutes longer.
Green cabbage, uncored: Blemished leaves removed (small head) cut into six to eight wedges.
Parsnips: Peeled and halved crosswise; thin end halved lengthwise, thick end quartered lengthwise.
Brussels sprouts: Blemished leaves removed and left whole.
For vegetables, I usually cook the corned beef until done and keep warm in a little of the cooking
liquid. The remaining liquid, I divide, skimming or straining if necessary and cook carrots, potatoes and cabbage in separate pans until each is done. I usually add small yellow onions to the meat about an hour before it's done.
liquid. The remaining liquid, I divide, skimming or straining if necessary and cook carrots, potatoes and cabbage in separate pans until each is done. I usually add small yellow onions to the meat about an hour before it's done.
I've used that recipe and it was wonderful, though it required a long soaking period after the long
salting period. I used a brisket. It wasn't bright red like commercial corned beef since there are no nitrates.
Her boiled dinner, in the same source, is a really wonderful method, doing the cabbage and potatoes separately so they don't cloud up the stock.
salting period. I used a brisket. It wasn't bright red like commercial corned beef since there are no nitrates.
Her boiled dinner, in the same source, is a really wonderful method, doing the cabbage and potatoes separately so they don't cloud up the stock.