Ultimate Corned Beef Recipes

Steps:

• Place the water into a large 6 to 8 quart stockpot along with salt, sugar, saltpeter, cinnamon stick, mustard seeds, peppercorns, cloves, allspice, juniper berries, bay leaves and ginger. Cook over high heat until the salt and sugar have dissolved. Remove from the heat and add the ice. Stir until the ice has melted. If necessary, place the brine into the refrigerator until it reaches a temperature of 45 degrees F. Once it has cooled, place the brisket in a 2-gallon zip top bag and add the brine. Seal and lay flat inside a container, cover and place in the refrigerator for 10 days. Check daily to make sure the beef is completely submerged and stir the brine.
• After 10 days, remove from the brine and rinse well under cool water. Place the brisket into a pot just large enough to hold the meat, add the onion, carrot and celery and cover with water by 1-inch. Set over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and gently simmer for 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until the meat is fork tender. Remove from the pot and thinly slice across the grain.

Steps:

• In a large stockpot, combine water, kosher salt, brown sugar, 2 tablespoons pickling spices, pink curing salt and garlic. Bring to a simmer, stirring until salt and sugar are dissolved. Remove from heat; cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until chilled., Place 1 large oven roasting bag inside another. Place brisket inside inner bag; pour in cooled brine. Seal bags, pressing out as much air as possible; turn to coat meat. Refrigerate 10 days, turning occasionally to keep meat coated. Remove brisket from brine; rinse thoroughly. Place in a Dutch oven with water to cover. Add carrots, onions, celery and remaining pickling spices. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, adding water if necessary to keep brisket covered, until meat is tender, about 3 hours., Serve warm or cool. Slice brisket thinly and serve in a sandwich or with additional vegetables simmered until tender in cooking liquid. , To make ahead: Refrigerate meat in cooking liquid for several days; reheat in liquid.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300°F.
• Line a roasting pan with a double layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil, enough to wrap the meat tightly.
• Rinse the corned beef and pat it dry. Place it on the foil. Arrange the onion and orange slices over and around the meat. Sprinkle on the pickling spices, lay on the celery stalks, and pour on the water. Wrap very tightly and pinch the edges well to seal.
• Bake the corned beef for 4 hours, or until a few bubbles begin to escape.

Steps:

• GARNI: Prepare the bouquet garni: Place seasonings into middle of cheesecloth and tie with twine. Set aside.
• BEEF: The method of tying up the brisket is optional for presentation, if not rolling, be sure and place brisket fat side up in the pot. TO ROLL, roll up the brisket fat side out into a cylinder shape and tie securely with twine. Place tied beef into a pot. Cover with cold water, add cider vinegar (the vinegar helps tenderize the meat), and bring to a boil. Remove the scum off the surface as it appears. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. If the liquid is salty after 10 minutes, start again with boiling water. Add bouquet garni. Simmer for 2-3 hours skimming any scum as it appears on the surface.
• VEGETABLES: Transfer beef to a large clean pot. Strain the liquid, cool slightly, and remove any oil/grease. Add onions, turnips, potatoes, carrots and cabbage, and apple cider to the pot containing the brisket. Cover with strained liquid and cook at a simmer for 1 hour more, or until very tender (you can pierce beef easily with a skewer).
• SERVE: Remove the meat from the poaching liquid , cut the trussing strings and carve the meat into generous slices. Place them on a warmed platter. Arrange the cooked garnish vegetables around the meat. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley and serve with the beets.

Steps:

• Place the corned beef in a large dutch oven, along with the contents of the spice packet included in the corned beef, brown sugar, bay leaves, onion, and garlic. Fill with enough cold water to cover the beef. Bring to a boil over high heat, lower the flame, cover and simmer for 2 hours or until the beef is tender.
• Use a slotted spoon to remove and discard the onions and garlic (they've done their job and have given all their flavor already).
• Peel the potatoes, I use red potatoes and peel only the center because I like the look of it, but feel free to peel all of it or don't peel at all. Cut the carrots into large chunks. Place the potatoes and carrots into the pot with the brisket. Return to a boil over high heat and then reduce heat and simmer until fork tender, about 30 to 40 minutes. It depends on how big your potatoes are.
• Transfer the potatoes and carrots to a platter and keep warm. Add in the sliced cabbage, I like to keep the core in the cabbage so that the sliced wedges stay in tact, making it easier to move later. Bring back up to a boil over high heat. Lower the flame and simmer for 15 minutes until the cabbage is tender as well.
• Transfer the cabbage to the platter along with the potatoes and carrots and move the brisket to a cutting board. Cover loosely with foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes before thinly slicing against the grain. Arrange the sliced beef along with the vegetables on the platter. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with grainy mustard and horseradish sauce (recipe follows).
• To make the sauce, set a medium saucepan over moderate heat with the butter. Once melted, whisk in the flour and cook for about 30 seconds or so. Slowly whisk in 1 cup of the liquid that the beef cooked inches Cook, stirring often, until thickened, about 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in the sugar, vinegar, horseradish, salt and pepper.

Steps:

• Rinse corned beef thoroughly in cold water. Throw away any spices or spice packet included with the meat. Trim excess fat but do leave some fat. Dry meat thoroughly.
• Spray bottom and sides of large dutch oven or pot with cooking spray. Brown corned beef on all sides over high heat until nicely golden brown.
• Remove from heat and pour Guinness over the meat. Add water until brisket is just covered. Add the onion, garlic, bay leaves, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, pepper to the pot. Return to stove and bring to boil.
• Reduce heat, cover pot and simmer for 2 1/2 hours.
• Add carrots, potatoes and celery. Return to simmer and cook, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Add the cabbage and cook, uncovered, for another 15 minutes. Remove the bay leaves.
• Remove the vegetables with a slotted spoon and place at one end of large serving casserole. Place in 200 degree (warm) oven.
• Remove the corned beef to a slicing surface and let sit for ten minutes. After ten minutes, slice it against the grain and place at opposite end of vegetables. Place back in warm oven.
• Add 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce to cooking liquid and boil vigorously until reduced by half.
• Serve beef and vegetables with reduced cooking liquid and also Mustard Sauce for Corned Beef & Cabbage (Recipe #86657).
• Delicious!