Like the buried pot of stolen gold in Finian’s Rainbow, briskets of corned beef seem to have mythically multiplied and have magically appeared in grocery stores everywhere. This otherwise barely stocked item is suddenly mounded in almost every end cap in meat departments, and there seems to be a mad dash by everyone to get some of the treasure before it disappears. Alas, St Patrick’s day must be just around the corner.
This phenomenon has always amused me, especially since corned beef is actually not an Irish National dish, and it’s connection to St. Patrick’s day is specifically only part of the Irish-American culture. But I too will go along and pick up a couple of these beauties before they vanish, they freeze exceptionally well, and this is the only time of year a sale sign ever casts its shadow on this cut of meat. I wonder what it means if a Leprechaun sees a shadow on a corned beef? Probably just that it’s almost St. Patrick’s day.
Choosing a cut
Brisket is a cut of meat from the breast or lower chest of beef or veal, and is one of the nine prime cuts. The brisket muscles include the superficial and deep pectorals. Since cattle do not have collar bones, these muscles support about 60% of the body weight of the animal, which develops a significant amount of connective tissue. Because of this, the resulting meat must be cooked correctly to tenderize it. Seldom will you see a whole brisket in a store, rather the cut is normally divided into two parts, points and flats.
Points are usually priced cheaper than flats, they are irregular in shape, and contain a high content of fatty tissue. Something to keep in mind is that a four pound point cut will reduce in weight by about 45% after cooking, making the remaining meat actually more expensive than the flat cut. Points however are known to be a bit more tender than the flat cut due to the high percentage of marbling and fat.
Flats are leaner than their counterpart but are more evenly shaped. During cooking a four pound flat cut will only reduce by about 15% leaving you with much more product. Properly cooked, flats are tender, delicious,and perfect for slicing. It is for these reasons I prefer the flat cut.
There are several methods used to cook corned beef. One of the most common ways is to boil the meat until tender. I personally do not care for this method. The reason being is that connective tissues are only broken down by two things, time and temperature, therefore boiling the meat long enough for it to become tender in my opinion results in a piece of meat with the flavor basically boiled out of it.
I prefer a low and slow approach to my brisket, cooking it either in a tightly covered dish like a Dutch oven, or in a crock pot. The method I will share will work for either however I like to use the crock pot instead of having the oven on for hours and hours.
Begin by allowing the brisket to come up to room temperature, this allows the connective tissues to relax and prepares them for cooking. Rinse the cut of meat under cool water and pat dry. Corned beef usually comes with a small packet of pickling seasonings, you can use this or not depending on your personal likes, just watch that you don’t drop it down the drain while rinsing the meat. I go back and forth on using it or not.
Rough cut a couple of onions and toss them in the bottom of the crock pot or Dutch oven. The onions will hold the brisket out of the liquid as it cooks. I added some cabbage only because of the holiday, but normally do not feel the need. I fill the crock pot about a quarter of the way with the onions.
Place the corned beef “fat cap” up on top of the onion. Sprinkle with the pickling seasonings (if desired) and some black pepper. Since corned beef is cured with salt, there is no reason to add any.
Place the lid on the crock pot and set on high for about 1 hour to kick start the project. I add no additional liquid, as the brisket cooks, the combination of fat and the water content of the onion and cabbage will provide more than enough liquid. After about one hour, reduce the heat of the crock pot to low and cook for four to five more hours. depending on the size of your brisket. I threw in some carrots for the last several hours. The brisket is done when you can easily flake off some meat with a fork.
If you are preparing the brisket in the oven, begin at 425°F for the first hour, then reduce the heat to 275°F for the remaining three to four hours (about an hour per pound). Internal temperature should reach 185°F. I find testing with a fork for tenderness is the best way to determine if your brisket is done.
Cooks note: When slicing corned beef, be sure to cut across the grain of the meat. This is one of the most important parts to serving tender corned beef!
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