Corned Beef

[Dana49]

Does anyone have any secrets to cooking the most tender, mouthwatering corned beef on earth. We always have the traditional corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick's Day (one of my favorite holidays). Normally I do as I'm instructed, but this year I would like to try something different. I'm thinking about boiling it; emptying the water; placing it back in the pot with a little water and a pint of Guinness: cooking until it's tender. Then, I would like to place it in the oven at 350 degrees and bake it for an additional 30-minutes. Your thoughts?

 

[CEDmom]

That sounds yummy. I wish I had my grandmother's recipe because it was really good and I don't especially like corned beef. She'd boil it to get rid of some of the fat/salt and then loosely wrap it in foil with various seasonings and bake it at the low temperature(maybe 325). It's the seasonings that I'm not sure about. I'd guess a bay leaf and peppercorns but there were other things as well.

If I had a direct # to heaven I'd call and ask her .

 

[Allie322]

I think a lot of it has to do with the cut of the corned beef. I always splurge and buy the more expensive cut--I think it is called Flat cut (you can tell by the price!). I boil it for about 2 hours by itself and then I change the water and add a couple of bay leaves and a few onions studded with cloves. I let it go like this on low for about 3 hours or so. Then closer to serving time, I add all the veggies. It always seems to come out great.
A friend of mine adds an envelope of onion soup mix to the second batch of water and swears that it makes for the best boiled dinner. I'm too chicken to try it.

 

[Christine]

I've found the moistest method to be in the crockpot.

I place the corned beef in the crockpot and put some water in it until it is about halfway up the side of the meat (don't quite cover it). Then I put pickling spice all of the top of it. Corned beef will usually come with a little packet of pickling spice but it is not nearly enough. I then cook it all day. When it is done, take some of the cooking liquid out and I then steam some cabbage in a skillet. It is always very tender this way.

 

[DawnCt1]

Tossing out the water after boiling it a while eliminates a lot of the salt. I tried it like that one year and I thought it was a little "flat" and I don't usually add salt to food. I might try it in my crock pot this year. In your area, what is the going price per pound for the flat cut? Costco has it for $2.49

 

[lynxstch]

flat cut is going for $2.49 also..point cut is $.99!..I also like to cook it in the crockpot..always cook potatoes and carrots separately..as well as cabbage..I love cooked cabbage..husband will only eat it raw!..thanks for this thread..with St Patrick's day coming up soon..it's interesting to see the different ways people prepare it..I might even try it like the first poster suggested and do it with some Guinness!

 

[DawnCt1]

That's a good price for point cut but I find that it is so fatty in the middle that it isn't worth the trouble. I have been buying the flat cut for years. DH is swamp yankee (as are the rest of us) with some Irish thrown in somewhere. He HATES corned beef and cabbage but DS's all like it. I always make it. It's tradition. When one of my neighbor's mother was alive she absolutely loved it. Her daughter is "extremely fussy" and would never make it for her mother because she could smell it in the house for a day or two later. I would always make two full dinners and send it down. She looked forward to it every year. One year I was so busy that I almost "skipped it". I am so glad that I didn't. She fractured her hip the following month. Went from the hospital to the nursing home and never came home again.

 

[motherhen17404]

Someone sent this recipe to me and I have tried it a few times and I will never boil Corned Beef again.


CORNED BEEF COOKED IN CABBAGE LEAVES


DON'T BOIL IT - Roast/Steam it in the oven!!!
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Take the outer layers of cabbage leaves and wrap them around the entire piece of meat. Then place it in a roasting pan. Pour a can of beer (and a little water) in the bottom of the pan. Cover the roasting pan tightly with tin foil and bake at 325 degrees for 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until fork tender (depending on the size of the meat). The last half hour put in your onion wedges and carrots and cover the tin foil back over the pan. Steam your cabbage separately. I also make red potatoes separately. When you feel the meat is done, take the pan out of the oven, leave it on top of the stove for a little while. When ready to serve, discard the layers of cabbages leaves and slice the meat with an electric knife...wait until you see how TENDER and DELICIOUS the meat comes out. When serving the meat, pour some of the juice over it. The mixture of beer and the onions gives it a really nice flavor. This method of cooking by steaming the meat in the oven makes it so very tender.

 

[DawnCt1]

Someone sent this recipe to me and I have tried it a few times and I will never boil Corned Beef again.


CORNED BEEF COOKED IN CABBAGE LEAVES


DON'T BOIL IT - Roast/Steam it in the oven!!!
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Take the outer layers of cabbage leaves and wrap them around the entire piece of meat. Then place it in a roasting pan. Pour a can of beer (and a little water) in the bottom of the pan. Cover the roasting pan tightly with tin foil and bake at 325 degrees for 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until fork tender (depending on the size of the meat). The last half hour put in your onion wedges and carrots and cover the tin foil back over the pan. Steam your cabbage separately. I also make red potatoes separately. When you feel the meat is done, take the pan out of the oven, leave it on top of the stove for a little while. When ready to serve, discard the layers of cabbages leaves and slice the meat with an electric knife...wait until you see how TENDER and DELICIOUS the meat comes out. When serving the meat, pour some of the juice over it. The mixture of beer and the onions gives it a really nice flavor. This method of cooking by steaming the meat in the oven makes it so very tender.

I printed this one off!! Thanks

 

[Dana49]

I printed this one off!! Thanks

Me too!

 

[motherhen17404]

You are welcome. I hope you like it!

 

[Poohbear123]

WOW, that sounds great, can I do the same thing in a convection oven? Let me know please.

 

[marlasmom]

I add pickling spices and garlic to the water - pour off the first water after an hour and replace. When meat is done, cover with a mixture of apricot jam and mustard (to your taste), stud with cloves and put under the broiler until the glaze hardens. Delicious for sandwiches.

 

[dcg0317]

Actually round corn beef is the most lean cut there is, point cut is the fattiest, flat cut is in between. Ask your buthcher if they carry "Gray Corn Beef" it is the best and comes in all three cuts, the only differnece is it dosen't contain all those preservative (which makes regular corn beef red) and has a much better taste, and it is gray looking that's why it's called gray corn beef. Most places only carry it durning St. Patricks Day.

 

[DawnCt1]

Someone sent this recipe to me and I have tried it a few times and I will never boil Corned Beef again.


CORNED BEEF COOKED IN CABBAGE LEAVES


DON'T BOIL IT - Roast/Steam it in the oven!!!
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Take the outer layers of cabbage leaves and wrap them around the entire piece of meat. Then place it in a roasting pan. Pour a can of beer (and a little water) in the bottom of the pan. Cover the roasting pan tightly with tin foil and bake at 325 degrees for 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until fork tender (depending on the size of the meat). The last half hour put in your onion wedges and carrots and cover the tin foil back over the pan. Steam your cabbage separately. I also make red potatoes separately. When you feel the meat is done, take the pan out of the oven, leave it on top of the stove for a little while. When ready to serve, discard the layers of cabbages leaves and slice the meat with an electric knife...wait until you see how TENDER and DELICIOUS the meat comes out. When serving the meat, pour some of the juice over it. The mixture of beer and the onions gives it a really nice flavor. This method of cooking by steaming the meat in the oven makes it so very tender.

I am going to do this!! Today! I hope it comes out good! Will it matter if I don't like beer? I have a bottle of Sam Adams.

 

[monkeyboy]

Best Corned Beef I ever had was at a Jewish deli

 

[Dan Murphy]

We got this tip years back from a friend, Marie has cooked ever since, works great.

She will cook it, VERY low heat, long time, maybe most of a day, the day BEFORE the meal. After cooking, while it is still hot, we will put meat on a platter, and place several regular house bricks (wrapped in foil for cleanliness) on top of the meat and place the meat in a cold place (oftentimes this time of the year the attached garage, or fridge, if not cold enough there), and let cool overnight. The weight of the bricks, while meat is cooling, helps to compress the meat tightly and make it less stringy.

The next day, while cold, I slice it, SO much easier to slice while chilled, does not fall apart at all and makes for nice, even slicing. Back on a platter and into the fridge. When dinner time comes, Marie will spoon a bit of the water the cabbage has been cooked in over the meat and warm in the oven. Tastes FABULOUS!!

I just checked in the fridge now, she has a brisket for later this week, just under 10 pounds, garlic and spice it says on it, price was $3.99 a pound, club price (using one of those store buyer club cards) was $1.79. Looking forward to another great meal down the road here.

 

[Trish Bessette]

Yum, these recipes sound great! Can't wait to have my meal!

 

[Lachesis00]

Wow thanks for the steaming recipe.

Where can one find pickling spices? Can they be bought in bulk?

 

[Poohbear123]

I am coming to YOUR house for St. Patty's Day!