St. Patty's Day Corned Beef

[wayupnorth]

I have been making this for many years and always goes over very well. Instead of boiling it in a pot, I put it in a large roaster, season and spice to your preference, add all the vegs and use some seltzer water instead of regular water to bring it up about an inch or so. Put into a 275 degree oven for at least 4 hours, basting all the vegs and meat every hour or until the meat falls apart. I think boiling it takes all the flavor out of the meal.

 

[launderess]

Since Owning and Discovering How Well and Fast

CB comes out in a pressure cooker (Magefessa), haven't bothered with any other way. Will put my special mustard and brown sugar coating on top then under the broiler when done just kick things up a notch.

However having seen prices at the supermarkets for CB this week, haven't picked one up yet. Refuse to pay that much money for mostly salt and nitrates. Will see if prices go down by Friday or there's always after Saint Paddy's day.

 

[rp2813]

I picked up my CB today.  There will be six of us around the table for dinner on Saturday.

 

This year I may try steaming it.  I always have displacement issues when I add the cabbage to a big pot with a giant chunk of meat floating around in it.

 

The steaming recipe is from The Los Angeles Times, and calls for using the outer cabbage leaves to line the steamer insert, then placing the meat on top of them.  Cooking time is around three hours.  I'll use a big pasta pot, so lifting the meat out will be a cinch. 

 

I also found a recipe for "Chicago style" CB, which is more along the lines of the OP.  I'm going to do the cabbage as suggested in that one, which calls for 8 oz of Kerrygold Irish Butter melted, mixed with a splash of cider vinegar and drizzled over the cabbage before serving, then topping with crumbled bacon (six slices worth).  Should make the cabbage a lot less boring than it usually is.

 

I've selected a couple of featured cocktails.  I'm going to have my 40's vintage Waring Blendor out on the bar for whipping up batches of grasshoppers (a tradition my mom started with a friend down the street one blurry St. Patrick's day about 50 years ago), and the shaker will be out for mixing up key lime pie martinis, served in glasses rimmed with crushed graham crackers.  Can't wait!

 

[vacbear58]

Kerrygold Irish Butter

You must be cooking one hell of a lot of cabbage to need that amount of butter over it, not so much a drizzle as a bath!

Al

 

[polkanut]

We make our corned beef, cabbage, potatoes, and carrots in the Crock Pot.  It takes more time this way, but it is so delicious.  The veggies are added about 3/4 of the way through the cooking time.  Usual total cooking time is about 6-8 hours on low. 

 

[rp2813]

A friend of mine is a champion for the crock pot method.  I might be swayed to go that route since it will be more of a set-and-forget convenience, until adding the vegetables, and there would be less cookware clean-up afterward.

 

[pulltostart]

Forget about the CB - let's focus on those cocktails a little longer!

Lawrence

 

[rp2813]

Oh, I think my crowd will!  Which makes the crock pot more appealing -- I can indeed forget about the CB with no worries!

 

[wayupnorth]

My ancient avacado K-Mart crock pot just isnt big enough to hold everything. Although I definitely would rather use a crock pot than the oven, the roaster method works for the large quantity I am making for Saturday. And I agree with Laundress on the prices this year, outrageous! I did find 2 decent priced ones at of all places, Walmart. If they do go on sale after Saturday, I will definiely buy extra and freeze them.

 

[perc-o-prince]

I'm cooking up the two that are in the freezer from last time they were on sale (maybe September or October?). About 4# total. Bought one about 4.5# "fresh" and threw it in the freezer Monday at $1.29/lb. I'll grab another 5# or so before the sale is over. Love making a big dinner of it then a big batch of hash to portion out and freeze!

Last few times I've been using the 6+ qt. slow cooker. I do it on hi for about 3-4 hours- keeping in mind it takes a good hour or so before it simmers, dump the salty water for fresh, add seasonings (bay leaves, peppercorns, red pepper flakes, garlic cloves, mustard seeds) and have it go a couple more hours on hi. I can add some carrots and taters to the pot (switch to lo) but the cabbage usually has to be done afterward for lack of room.

Served with brown mustard/horseradish mixture for smearing or dipping.

Next day or so, get out the Nutone grinder!!!

Chuck

 

[revvinkevin]

SMOKED Corned Beef !

 

 

I'd heard about a local guy from coworkers who has been smoking and selling a variety of smoked meat, poultry and fish out of his garage for years apparently.   The beginning of last year he finally opened his own store front, but he's only open Saturday & Sunday.

 

Last year while I was in there buying something else, he mentioned the smoked CB and gave me a sample to taste.   Boy was it good!  WOW!   I bought some and invited a friend over.   She was really surprised just how good it was!

 

I called in my order 3 weeks ago, I'm picking it up Saturday and am having 6 friends over for dinner Saturday to share in the yummy-ness!

 

Kevin 

 

[wayupnorth]

HASH

YUM, leftovers through Ma's old grinder and fried up. Nothing could be tastier. Doubt I will have any as last year there were 16 and this year looks to be more. I have 2 corned beefs, a whole cabbage, pound of carrots, turnip, onions and 10# of potatoes plus a quart of seltzer water. I may have to use 2 roasters...lol. But a good time will be had by all, I'm sure, and none of us have to drive as we all are within walking distance of each other. All of us in the "hood" each take holidays and this is my turn. Thank goodness extras are coming from everyone else.

 

[launderess]

CB Is Ok For The One Day

But as one who does not reguarly eat red meat much less that which is heavy on the salt and full of nitrates, after the first day one does grow weary of the thing.

Indeed often after a heavy CB meal start to get the same feeling one has after consuming a heavy MSG laden food.

 

[redcarpetdrew]

We actually cook ours in the Romertopf clay cooker. I managed to find a really nice one with extra capacity at a thrift store a while back and the CB comes out great each time. We actually get ours from a local butcher who makes his own. It's much less salty than the store bought variety but is much higher quality.


RCD

 

[brisnat81]

If you dry cook the Corned Beef how do you get rid of the saltyness?

I've slow roasted Silverside, but if you cook corned silverside without water, how do you make it edible and not crazily salty?

 

[retro-man]

To Launderess

I would like to try cooking it in the pressure cooker. How long and how much pressure do you use? Do you put the cabbage in with it to cook also? About how much water do you ad?
thanks
Jon

 

[polkanut]

Chuck,

Where in the world did you find corned beef brisket @ $1.29lb?  The cheapest I've seen here was $2.49lb at of all places, Wal-Mart.  Could it be because of Boston being so close, and the large Irish population?

 

[whirlcool]

I love Corned Beef! We haven't made it in a long time. We usually slow cook it in the slow cooker. Then I use our slicer to slice up any remains for sandwiches. I really have to have a good horseradish when I have corned beef.

While I love corned beef, I absolutely cannot stand that canned "Corn Beef Hash". When I was young my mother used to make sandwiches made of it, fried. Yuck! Pasty,
nasty, vile stuff. I swore I'd never have it again. And it must have been 45 years or so since I have had it.

 

[wayupnorth]

I had to go in town today on a few errands and thought I would stop at the local Hannaford Superstore. Lo and behold, corned beef was marked down to $1.29 lb. Bought 6 more and threw them in the freezer. Walmart was $2.29 for the same brand today. I agree with you whirlcool, that canned crap is BAD! I dont dare to order it in a restaurant for breakfast because it is always that canned crap.