I screwed up my corned beef

[Starsky]

I followed the corned beef recipe on this site calling for 90-minute de-salination and then a 3-hr. cook, but the meat came out bland and I seem to have over cooked it. I guess I should have checked it at 2.5 hrs. Anyone have any ideas to save it? The meat needs moisture, but I don't think just serving it in juice is going to do it

[texastweeter]

Post a pic. Is it tender or tight? Usually dry and tight means under cooked.

[Starsky]

It's already wrapped up for tomorrow. It was tender but the pieces I pulled to taste weren't very moist. Per the recipe I removed the excess fat cap but there wasn't much visible marbling

[Starsky]

I do have pickling spices. I was thinking about adding them to some vegetable broth with some salt and simmering it for a while then pouring it over the meat when serving. Do you guys think adding some vegetable oil to the broth would help it stick to the meat and give it a better mouth feel?

[texastweeter]

How do you plan to serve it?

[Uncle Bob]

Have you seen the recent thread renewing the idea of grinding cb into burger fixin's.......maybe add a little fat in the grind to help it along.

[texastweeter]

He has already cooked it though.

[texastweeter]

I cured a flat and had 1/2 with cabbage and taters for stpaddys day. This other 1/2 will be pastrami tomorrow. Just went in the pit.

[texastweeter]

Just made my 1,000 island dressing. Going to Best Buy tomorrow to pickup that griddle press gizmo Attjack showd in the SUWYC thread. Dressing is mayo, bbq sauce, chili sauce, fresh parsley, green onion, diced dill pickles, dice olives, and paprika.

[fzxdoc]

texastweeter , I think the smaller model of the Cuisinart Griddler that Attjack has also has optional wafflemaker plates for purchase. I have the larger model of the Cuisinart Griddler which is nice for the size, but alas, no wafflemaker option. I make my pastrami Rubens on it all the time. Easy to clean and great tasting sammies.

Kathryn

[texastweeter]

fzxdoc I gots me one....but its all digital and schtuff. Took me a while to figure out. I prefer knobs to buttons and screens, lol.

[texastweeter]

Getting there. Sitting at 143.8° right now.

[tbob4]

I would go straight to hash with it. Add fresh onions, potatoes, a little more pickling spice or pickle juice and fry in butter. I did this for the same issue this week. I bought a SRF corned beef that I was going to use for pastrami. The wife wanted plain corned beef. We boiled (no eggs thrown please). It was dry, dry, dry. The hash the next day saved it.

You can go straight to Ruben sandwiches, as well.

[texastweeter]

Hash saves soooo many thing. Great idea.

[pkadare]

Are you sure that you were actually simmering the meat and didn't have it on a low boil? In my experience a large number of cooks confuse the two. When simmering you should barely see any bubbles breaking the surface of the liquid. If you see lots of bubbles breaking the surface, that's a low boil and not a simmer. Could also just be a dry, tough brisket to begin with.

[texastweeter]

Crock pots are good for corned beef IMO

[Panhead John]

texastweeter Hey, thanks for the idea. I forgot to cook my St. Paddy’s day corned beef and cabbage. Was gonna boil it tonight as usual….not now, just stuck it in the crockpot. Never done it that way before, eager to see my results.

[rickgregory]

I think this section in a Kenji article on making beef stew might be relevant. https://www.seriouseats.com/all-amer...nt-overcook-it

Basically his core point is this:

When stewing meat, you're playing a racing game between two simultaneous processes. First is the conversion of connective tissues to gelatin. This softens the meat and makes it taste moister. On the other hand, muscle proteins are constantly contracting and squeezing out internal moisture. This hardens the meat and makes it tougher.

Ideally, by the time the connective tissue has softened (and this happens quite quickly and suddenly—your beef stays tough right up to the moment that it isn't), the muscles will still have allowed some natural juices to remain and you end up with soft, tender, juicy meat. Let it cook too long (or simmer too hard) and the muscles will have pressed out so much moisture that even the added lubrication of the broken down connective tissue can't help it.

[fzxdoc]

This should be pasted on the lid of every crock pot and dutch oven.

Kathryn

[Starsky]

Well, I was able to save the corned beef. I used 8 cups of chicken broth, onions, garlic, salt, pepper corns, Bay leaf and some pickling spice that was simmered for 20 minutes. Once it cooled I strained it and poured it over everything in a tinfoil pan and warmed it at 175 degrees for 2 hours. I originally had about 15 lbs. of meat and over 10 lbs. was eaten. From now on I'm cooking it in the oven

[RustyHaines]

Maybe corned beef hash time?