How to Cook Corned Beef in a Pressure Cooker
Corned beef is a staple in many homes, and no wonder. It’s a versatile, salty, delicious cured beef product that can be added to meals and sandwiches or canned for future use!
It gets its name from the practice of adding large salt rocks, historically referred to as ‘corns,’ to a piece of boneless beef brisket to preserve it.
Corned beef can be seasoned and flavored in various ways, meaning there are hundreds of different tastes and textures to discover.
Learning how to make corned beef from scratch will allow you to effectively experiment with different recipes, seasonings, or additives to really make the most of the brisket.
The only problem is that corned beef can take a very long time to prepare from scratch. Traditionally, the meat must go through a lengthy curing process before being slow-cooked to yield tender yet flavourful cuts of beef.
Pressure cooking can drastically speed the process up, however. The build-up of high-pressure steam will allow you to quickly cook the corned beef to perfection without taking up such a large amount of time. It will cut down on your energy costs too.
So, how do you use a pressure cooker to make deliciously tender corned beef?
To make a hearty home-cooked corned beef, you’ll need to first acquire the correct ingredients. As a bare minimum, you’ll need a flat-cut corned beef brisket and some beef broth.
Many recipes call for different flavorings, though this is entirely based on preference. Some of the most popular recipes call for garlic (powder or cloves), onions, bay leaves, and peppercorns.
The amount of each ingredient that you require will be based on the size of the beef brisket – for a 3-pound cut of beef, it’s recommended to use:
- 3-4 cups of beef broth
- 1 large onion, sliced
- Either 3 cloves of garlic or a teaspoon of garlic powder
- 2 bay leaves
- About 10 peppercorns
How to Cook Corned Beef in a Pressure Cooker
Step One:
It’s important to ensure that the corned beef is cleaned before you cook it. Then, run it under a steady stream of cold water, ensuring that any excess salt or gel has been washed away.
This will make it much easier to cook, allowing the beef to absorb the broth and the flavoring properly to provide a juicy, tasty serving!
Step Two:
You should now add the broth to the pressure cooker, alongside the onions and garlic. Next, place a rack/trivet in the pot before placing the beef brisket on top of it – you’re now ready to start pressure cooking!
Carefully lock the lid in place. Set the pressure cooker to “high pressure,” allowing your ingredients to cook for about an hour and a half.
This would be an excellent time to begin prepping anything else for your meal, such as salad or potatoes. You could even get a head start on dessert!
Remember, pressure cookers contain steam condensed at very high pressures, so after 90 minutes, you should use the natural pressure release of your cooker to allow the pressure to release slowly.
Then, after approximately 10 minutes, quick-release the remaining pressure to ensure it is safe to open your cooker. When the valve shows there is no remaining pressure, it is time to remove the brisket. Congratulations: you’ve just made your very own corned beef!
Step 3 (Optional):
Before you drain your pressure cooker, consider using the leftover stock for cooking the rest of your meal. For example, many people serve corned beef with potatoes and carrots, so once you’ve removed the cooked brisket, you may wish to add your veggies to the delicious broth.
Remove the rack and drop your desired vegetables into the broth – cook them for 3-5 minutes before quick-releasing the pressure, and your meal is ready to serve!
Taste the broth…if it is not too salty, you can thicken it with a spoonful of corn starch and use this as a delicious gravy. Serve your beef with pickles and mustard for a traditional touch.
Thinly sliced corned beef makes amazing sandwiches, so use the leftovers as an excellent, inexpensive way to prepare your weekly lunches.
To Conclude
We hope this article has helped you to see just how simple it is to prepare corned beef in your pressure cooker and that you’re feeling inspired to make one soon!