People who love meat are extremely fond of corned beef which is nothing but salt-cured beef brisket. For the most part, it’s made with salt but additional spices and sugar are also added.
Similarly, there are different methods of cooking corned beef, such as baked vs. boiled corned beef. So, if you want to enjoy corned beef and it’s not St. Patrick’s Day already, you can try the following methods of cooking corned beef!
Baked vs Boiled Corned Beef
Boiled Corned Beef
When it comes down to making corned beef, boiling has become the most conventional method and it is all about completing three processes at one time. For instance, it will not only cook the meat but will also tenderize the brisket meat cuts and remove the excessive salt. For the most part, salt used during brining will lead to a delicious texture and flavor of beef. However, some of the salt must be removed to ensure the meat doesn’t become excessively salty.
For making boiled corned beef, you need to put meat in the pot and submerge it in water. Then, add pickling spice, one-quarter onion, celery stalks, garlic cloves, and carrot to create perfect corned beef.
When everything is added to the pot, let it boil and reduce the heat after the boiling is complete. Once boiling is complete, reduce the heating temperature and let it simmer. You need to cook (boil) the mixture until the beef is soft and tender (you can pierce it with a fork to be sure).
Generally, it takes around three hours to four hours for making boiled corned beef. Once the corned beef is boiled, remove it from the pot and slice the meat across the grain and serve it. Before the cooking time ends, you can also add cabbage and potatoes thirty minutes before and make sure to cut hard vegetables into wedges. Also, it’s best that you throw away the excess water to ensure the corned beef doesn’t turn out to be too salty.
In addition to the mentioned ingredients, you can also add bay leaves, spice packets, and thyme to bring out the rich flavor. While boiling the meat, make sure that you cover the pot to ensure beef absorbs all the flavors. On top of everything, when corned beef is properly boiled, you can drain out the water and let it cool down for ten minutes before you slice the meat.
Baked Corned Beef
Baked corned beef is a great option for people who want to enjoy crispy beef crust. However, the beef needs to be boiled to ensure curing salt is removed before you start baking the beef. For this purpose, the corned beef will be covered in water in a large pot and let boil. Now, preheat the oven to at least 350-degrees Fahrenheit and drain out the water. It’s best that you boil the beef twice to ensure the maximum amount of salt is drawn out.
For baking the corned beef, put the fatty side upwards in the baking pan and use aluminum foil for cover. Once the oven is preheated, bake the corned beef for over two years and position the pan on the third oven rack. Then, bake until the beef is all crispy and brown (it will take around thirty minutes). Even more, you can add mustard as a topping and add brown sugar for sprinkling to create the brown crust and enhance the flavor.
As far as the seasoning is concerned, you can opt for the seasoning pack made for corned beef and add one packet to enhance the flavor. As for mustard, it’s best to opt for Dijon mustard because it’s great for improving the flavor. Also, you should use heavy-duty foil to make sure it can withstand high temperatures.
Once the corned beef is baked, make sure that you let it rest for ten to fifteen minutes to ensure it cools down. Then, transfer it to the cutting board and cut the slices (make sure to cut against the grain for easier cutting). Lastly, you can serve baked corned beef with mashed potatoes as well as sautéed cabbage. All in all, always et the correct temperature in the oven to ensure beef is properly cooked.