I just bought a corned beef brisket and am wondering what the best way to prepare it is, I've never cooked one before and am planning on having it this weekend. I also have a small head of cabbage, potatoes, turnip and onions. I've seen slow cooker recipes but am weary of that only because some slow cooker meals I've done in the past end up flavorless. Is it better to slow cook it in the oven like a roast?
We have it once a year - it's a fatty salty meat.
We use it for Reuban sandwiches - so there's plenty of flavor.
I use the crock pot.
I cover the brisket with water and cook it for half the time and then replace the water - to help remove the uber saltiness and a lot of the grease - and I add the pickling spices to the 2nd batch of water.
When I cook a corned beef, I just take it out of the package, put it in enough water to cover and then add the seasonings if any come with it. I usually add a spoon of chicken broth powder as well. If I use a crockpot, I add just a cup or so of water. You can add the veggies at the time of cooking or wait a bit, depending on how you are cooking it. I usually use a big pot with a cover and cook for about 3 hours on low until it is tender. I add the veggies about 30 minutes before the meat is done.
I cook it the way my mom taught me - in a pot of water that comes up half way on the hunk of meat. I use ALOT of pickling spices (same thing that comes in that TINY spice packet they include). I use 3-4 times the amount of what's in that packet - I like some flavor. I would defininetly add soem garlic and oinions to the water while it's cooking and twaords the end of the cooking time add the potatoes and eventually the cabbage.
A warning the meat shrinks ALOT. It will be half the size when it's done. Brisket has the most fat and will shrink the most - there are other cuts - and basically the more it cost, per pound, the more tender it will be and the less it will shrink. But if the brisket appears to be just enough - then get another one.
I would think that cooking it in a slow cooker wouldn't be much diffferent - so I'm sure an online recipe would be fine.
Just this weekend I heard a few different recipes that are worth a try:
- in the oven in a covered roasting pan or cassarole - 1/2 - 1 inch of water in the bottom including potato, onion, (add cabbage eventually)
- same thing as above but heavily slather with home made honey-mustard and wrap foil tightly across the top
- any of the prior methods - but replace water with Guinness.
Good luck and have fun!
Don't cook it like a roast!!! We tried that one year and it tasted like a hot block of salt. It was awful. Corned beef is cured with salt so you need to cook it in some kind of liquid to tone that down. Are you on Pinterest? You can find a ton of recipes on there. If no, try Googling "Corned Beef Recipes". I'm sure you'll find more than you need. Good luck!
Weve always used the slow cooker throw it in in the mornkng with alittle beef broth and the seasoning it came with cook on high all day with he cabbage and onion add the potato and turnips the last two hours very flavourful
I have not tried the crock pot method. Usually I put it in a pot on the stove and cook. I add two garlic cloves (crushed) to the spices for a New York City deli flavor. When the meat is cooked I would use the left over water to cook the cabbage and potatoes and serve as a meal with the meat.
Enjoy your adventure into cooking the corned beef.
the other S.
The package generally has directions ... It's usually bring to boil, simmer for 50 minutes per pound. (http://allrecipes.com/recipe/corned-beef-and-cabbage-i/). We cook all the veggies separately, as we like the individual flavors together, not everything tasting like the corned beef.
Usually the corned beef brisket has a seasoning pack attached. All you do is add some water, the packet and let it cook the required amount of time.
Also, for slow cooker recipes, check Rachel Ray's website. She has some great tips to avoid your roasts from coming out flavorless, like browning your meat first in a pan and using those natural juices for flavor, caramelizing onions, etc.
