With This Recipe, Homemade Corned Beef Is Worth It (2024)

FAQs

Is homemade corned beef worth it? ›

Sure, you can buy pre-brined corned beef in the store, but it just doesn't compare to making your own. Not only can you control the quality of the ingredients you use, but the flavor is just SO much better! Once you try it homemade, you'll see how much store-bought pales in comparison.

One of the keys to simmering corned beef correctly is the amount of water in the pot. When there's not ample liquid to cover the meat, your dreams of tender corned beef may be replaced by a tough, chewy result. Instead: Start by filling a large pot with enough water so the corned beef is completely submerged.

To add some flavor to your boiled corned beef, add some vegetables, such as carrots, onions and potatoes, to the pot. These vegetables not only add flavor but also make for a well-rounded meal. You can add some herbs and spices, such as a bay leaf, garlic and peppercorns, to the water for extra flavor.

Keep in mind that salt encourages rancidity and texture changes but it is still safe to eat. Try to use within a month or two. After cooking, store corned beef for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. You can also freeze cooked beef 2 to 3 months.

Boar's Head Corned Beef Top Round

If you don't have the energy to brine, roast, and slice a brisket, Boar's Head corned beef is exemplary. It's the best corned beef at the grocery store, especially if you're making sandwiches.

Flat Cut: The Best Bet for Corned Beef and Cabbage

This brisket section is characterized by a more uniform thickness and less fat, allowing for a more predictable cooking process and easier slicing.

Many recipes don't include a step for rinsing the meat, but it's worth doing it anyway. Depending on the pickling solution used for the meat, you may be in for a saltier meal than you bargained for if you cook the meat without rinsing it. And don't worry: Rinsing won't make the beef taste bland!

The USDA recommends simmering corned beef on the stovetop for 1 hour per pound of meat. If you're cooking yours in the oven, plan for 3 to 3 1/2 hours for a 2 1/2- to 3-pound cut.

Essentially, you'd soak the brisket for one hour in a large pot with cool water, then dump the water and repeat one more time to decrease the sodium before cooking. Note: Be sure to place the beef in the pot back into the refrigerator while doing so to maintain proper food safety procedures in place.

Most of the recipes I've seen for corned beef and cabbage don't include beer. However, since beer can be a powerful meat tenderizer and add more flavor, I don't know why you wouldn't use it.

Why does my corned beef always come out tough? ›

Because corned beef comes from brisket, a tough cut of meat. You need its connective tissue to break down so you can have tender results. Some like to braise their corned beef in an all-water liquid, with various spices and salt; others add beer to the mix to further tenderize the meat.

For a two to three-pound corned beef brisket, cook for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. For a three to five-pound corned beef brisket, cook for 3 to 3 1/2 hours. STOVE: Place brisket fat-side up in a large pot and cover it with water. Bring the water to a boil; then reduce the heat and simmer, allowing about 1 hour per pound.

It's a tough cut of meat that benefits from a lengthy cook time. For stovetop cooking, plan on at least three hours for a three-pound corned beef, or eight to 10 hours for a three- to four-pound cut that's prepared on low in the slow cooker.

Too much breakdown

And while brisket can take a much higher temperature than a steak can, it too can be overcooked. If all the collagen turns to gelatin, that's good, but if all the gelatin cooks out of the corned beef, you'll just have a crumbly, dried out piece of salted beef.

Determining how long to brine meat

For strong brine, start with 2 days per pound. If curing time is too short, you will see uneven color, especially at the center of the meat or under heavy layers of fat. If curing time is too long by a few days, you should not notice any difference.

Corned beef is most often made from beef brisket (a relatively inexpensive, tough cut of beef) that's been cured in a salt brine with a mix of spices, like bay leaf, peppercorns, mustard seed, juniper berries, coriander seed, and whole cloves.

Corned beef is processed red meat made by brining brisket in a salt and spice solution to flavor and tenderize it. While it provides protein and nutrients like iron and vitamin B12, corned beef is relatively high in fat and sodium. It's also a source of certain compounds that may increase your risk of cancer.

The brining (and sometimes cooking) involves labor, packaging and special equipment expenses (on top of raw material costs), so all things being equal, it will cost more than beef brisket (the cut of beef corned beef is usually made from). ... That's less than half of the price of beef brisket. It's not really.

High heat is not a friend to brisket. When cooked at a boil for too long, corned beef is likely to turn out tough and chewy, rather than soft and tender. Do this instead: Regardless of the cooking method, corned beef is best cooked over low heat.