Perfect the art of tender, evenly sliced corned beef at home.
The right method will take you from a stringy, chewy mess to tender, melt-in-your-mouth perfection.
Don’t worry, we have some quick tips to get you from A to B.
Photo:Getty Images
What Is Corned Beef, and Why Do We Eat It?
Before refrigeration, saltings main purpose was to preserve the meat.
They realized that the salty, cured meat had similarities withbaconbut was much cheaper and more accessible.
Steve Giralt
Point cuts look like rounded triangles with a pointed end, and flat cuts are more block-shaped.
Many will choose this cut because it’s affordable and works great for sandwiches.
Brisket requires a low-and-slow cook, allowing the collagen to melt into gelatin and the meat to tenderize.
Antonis Achilleos
The timing depends entirely on the size of the corned beef.
For smaller pieces, simmer the meat for about one hour per pound, checking on it periodically.
A 3- to 4-pound piece of corned beef should finish cooking in about 3 to 4 hours.
There are many ways to cook corned beef, but the steps below outline a simple stovetop recipe.
Since corned beef is already cured insalt, dont add extra salt during the cooking process.
It should also still have a somewhat chewy texture.
For the best results, let the meat rest, then slice it against the grain using these steps.
The slow cooker recipe slows things down, and the Instant Pot recipe speeds things up.
Slow-Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage
This hands-off recipe comes together with minimal fuss thanks to theslow cooker.
Simply place your ingredients in the pot.
(You don’t even need to chop the potatoes.)
Around eight hours later, youll have tender, juicy corned beef ready to go.
Here, potatoes, carrots, and cabbage get added to the beef to make it a complete meal.
The meat will be ready to go in a little over an hour.
As a final touch, brighten up the dish with horseradish sour cream and fresh parsley.
