Cleveland is a corned beef town and no holiday brings more attention to this fact than St Patrick's Day. Every March 17, Clevelanders consume copious amounts of this traditional deli favorite. While many buy corned beef already cooked and sliced, a lot of people like to prepare one at home. Here are some helpful hints for those of you that would like to cook a corned beef.
What is a Corned Beef?
Technically a corned beef can be any cut of meat that's been brined
in a solution of salt and various spices—akin to a pickle—and then
prepared by baking or boiling. But, the best cut of beef to use is
brisket. Brisket has a lot of fat and tastes great. Also, brisket turns
out well regardless of how you prepare it—as long as you cook it for a
proper amount of time.
A brined but uncooked corned beef is known as a raw corned beef. This distinction is important as a lot of people mistakenly ask for a brisket when they mean corned beef brisket. Brisket is delicious but tastes completely different if it's not brined.
Also, customers sometimes ask for a corned beef without indicating whether they intend for it to be raw or cooked. If you plan to cook it yourself, always ask for one that's raw.
How to Purchase One to Cook
The obvious answer is that you call Mister Brisket and we sell you the
right cut of meat. But for those to whom we are not conveniently located
(although we deliver), here's some general advice. Try to buy a whole
raw corned beef brisket. Grocery stores often stock partial ones.
Partials usually weigh less than four pounds and often contain a lot of
the fatter point section. It will taste good but is too chewy. Plus, you
get too much waste. Avoid any place that sells corned beef top round or
some other lean cut that's not brisket. It won't taste right and you
don't want it. Any reputable supermarket of butcher shop should be able
to get one for you. Convenience stores and gas stations with signs
reading "Cleveland's Finest Corned Beef" should not be considered good
sources.
A whole brisket is comprised of two sections—the point and flat. When cooked together, the fat from the point section bastes the leaner flat section. The result is the velvety/fatty/salty flavor that makes almost the entire corned beef a delicacy for fans of this meat. Whole raw corned beefs with the full point and flat intact can vary in size. Some are less than six pounds; others may weigh as much as fifteen. Generally speaking, it's a good idea to buy one that is at least eight pounds.
What Size?
The size of the corned beef you purchase depends upon how many people
you're serving. Generally speaking, you'll lose half the original weight
of the corned beef in the cooking and trimming process. That means a ten
pound raw corned beef will usually yield about five pounds of meat. A
good formula to follow is one-third pound per adult. So, that ten pound
raw corned beef should feed up to fifteen people. Obviously, you have to
take into account whether or not you want leftovers, the appetites of
your crowd, and the span of time over which you'll be using it. If
you're drinking and eating all day then a larger corned beef probably
makes more sense.
How to Cook a Corned Beef
At our store, we have a large convection oven. Each corned beef is
placed inside a cooking bag that we seal with a heat resistant twist
tie. Next, we punch several holes in the top of the bag and place it on
an oven tray. The corned beefs are then placed in the oven fat side up
and cooked for slightly over three hours at 300 degrees. Now, this
method works well for us but may not be suitable for you.
If you don't have a convection oven—or cooking bags—you can still bake your corned beef. First, heat your oven to 325 degrees. Secondly, use a roasting pan with a lid. An eight pound raw corned beef in a home oven should take a little over three hours. Remember, place it fat side up in your roasting pan and keep the cover on. If you have a meat thermometer, then consider your corned beef done when it reaches around 190 degrees. You don't need to add any liquid; your corned beef has plenty of fat. If you're using cabbage and potatoes, place them in the pan on top of the meat.
The more traditional method of preparing a corned beef is to boil it. Place a large stockpot on the stove and put in the corned beef. Add several quarts of water (at least enough to comfortably cover the meat). Bring the water to a rolling boil. Then, turn down the temperature and allow the corned beef to simmer for about three hours.
Slicing Your Corned Beef
There is only one rule for slicing corned beef—cut directly against
(perpendicular) the grain. The grain is easy to spot. Just look at the
lean side of the meat and you'll see it all run in a similar direction.
It can become tricky when you're slicing both the point and flat section
together. When that occurs, stick with the direction that the flat
section is going. There is a lot of fat in between the two sections.
Remove as best you can.
One other comment—thinner is better when slicing corned beef for sandwiches while thicker pieces are more appropriate for heaping plates of corned beef and cabbage.
If this seems like a lot of work, keep in mind that Mister Brisket offers free slicing on all corned beefs that are purchased from our store. You can cook it in advance (see next paragraph), bring it to our store, and we'll de-fat and slice it for you.
An Option—Cook it Ahead of Time
One smart thing to do is to cook your corned beef several days before
you plan to serve it. This makes the trimming and slicing much easier.
The process is basic. First, cook as you normally would. Then, allow the
meat to cool for several hours at room temperature. When it's done wrap
it in foil. Next, place it in your fridge. When you're ready to serve,
trim off the excess fat and slice your corned beef. Now, just re-heat.
Re-Heating Cold Corned Beef
The easiest thing to do is to place your slices of corned beef in a
cooking bag and seal it. Do not punch holes. Next, put the cooking bag
in a pot of boiling water and let sit for about five to ten
minutes—depending upon how much corned beef you're re-heating. This will
heat your corned beef in an ideal fashion. Another method is to place
the corned beef in a steamer or double boiler. Also, you have the option
of placing your sliced corned beef in your roasting pan. Pour on a
little water. Heat the meat for around 45 minutes at 275 degrees. The
meat is ready when it's hot.
We Can Help
If all this seems like too much work, just call Mister Brisket at
216-932-8620. We'll have plenty of perfectly cooked and sliced corned
beef on hand.
Good luck.
 |
Mister Brisket® The Highest Quality Meat, Poultry & Seafood Delivered Right To Your Door! 2156 South Taylor Road • Cleveland Heights, Ohio 44118 (216) 932-8620 • Fax (216) 321-6556 • Toll Free • 1-877-BRISKET (274-7538) E-Mail Your Order to Mister Brisket: misterbrisket@earthlink.net |
 |
|
| Home
• |