Slow Cooked Corned Beef for Sandwiches
This is an excellent recipe for party sandwiches. I always make 2 (and sometimes 3) briskets because it goes so fast. The meat should cook slowly for a minimum of 4 hours--cooking longer will just make it more tender. It sounds like a LOT of garlic, but no one has ever complained that it tasted too garlicky. Serve with brown mustard on rye or kaiser rolls. Can also add coleslaw to the sandwich for a uniquely delicious sandwich.
This is an excellent recipe for party sandwiches. I always make 2 (and sometimes 3) briskets because it goes so fast. The meat should cook slowly for a minimum of 4 hours--cooking longer will just make it more tender. It sounds like a LOT of garlic, but no one has ever complained that it tasted too garlicky. Serve with brown mustard on rye or kaiser rolls. Can also add coleslaw to the sandwich for a uniquely delicious sandwich.
- Carbohydrate 2.7805246875 g
- Cholesterol 91.854 mg
- Fat 25.396438125 g
- Fiber 0.202021870136261 g
- Protein 25.3268128125 g
- Saturated Fat 8.059254375 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (217g)
- Sodium 2072.344125 mg
- Sugar 2.57850281736374 g
- Trans Fat 4.196675625 g
- Calories 360 calories
Step-by-step
- Place the corned beef briskets into a large pot. Sprinkle in 1/2 of the spice packet, and discard the rest. Pour in the beer, and fill the pot with enough water to cover the brisket by 1 inch. Add the bay leaf, peppercorns and garlic cloves. Cover, and bring to a boil.
- Once the liquid comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 4 to 5 hours, checking hourly, and adding more water if necessary to keep the meat covered.
- Carefully remove the meat from the pot, as it will be extremely tender. Set on a cutting board, and allow it to rest until it firms up a bit, about 10 minutes. Slice or shred to serve. I discard the cooking liquid, but it can be used to cook cabbage and other vegetables if desired.
Simmering corned beef in a covered pot rather than roasting it directly preserves moisture through sustained gentle heat. Preservation methods for beef brisket originated long before refrigeration, relying on coarse rock salt—historically called corn because of the grain size—to cure the muscle fibers and extend storage life. Submerging the salted meat in liquid dissolves excess surface salinity while rendering tough connective tissue into gelatin over a four-to-five-hour window. Whole peppercorns and peeled garlic cloves infuse the cooking broth, transferring aromatic compounds deep into the grain as the protein breaks down. Allowing the cooked meat to rest on a cutting board for ten minutes before slicing permits internal juices to redistribute, preventing the slices from crumbling apart under the knife. Rye bread and sharp brown mustard provide an acidic, earthy counterweight to the rich fat content of the brisket. Leftover chilled beef stores safely in an airtight container for up to four days, and the dense texture of cold-sliced brisket actually makes it easier to cut into uniform thin pieces for second-day cold cuts. Traditional cooks adapting this preparation for lower-sodium requirements can soak the raw brisket in cold water for two hours before cooking, changing the water once to draw out excess curing salt without altering the final texture. Starch-free beer keeps the braising liquid entirely gluten-free when checking labels carefully against dietary needs.
