Corned Beef Cooking Times

Slabs of corn beef line the meat shelves of the grocery stores around St. Patrick's Day. Not too many people buy them since you'll see 20 raw briskets on the shelf compared to the hundreds of people who walk through the door. Most of the people are just not sure what to do with it. By definition, corning beef is a process the beef is put through for preservation. Originally, it was done with large corn-size granules of salt, so it was termed "corned." The corned beef today is simply well-marinated beef, usually a tougher cut, that is ready for a long and slow cooking process to break down the fibers.

Remove the brisket from the marinade and rinse it thoroughly. Place it in a large stock pot and add just enough water to cover it and throw in a carrot, an onion and a stalk of celery. Cover the pot and turn the heat on high until it comes to a boil and then reduce the heat to low. Simmer the beef for at least three hours or until the meat is soft and tender when poked with a fork. Drain and slice thinly.

Place a rinsed corned beef brisket into the steaming basket of your pressure cooker. Sprinkle it with a little garlic salt and add 2 cups of water to the bottom of the pot. Secure the lid, shutting it firmly and place the pressure relief valve on top. Turn the heat on medium or until the pressure reading stays around 15 pounds of pressure. Cook the beef for an hour. Cool it down, open the lid and add potatoes, carrots and cabbage and close. Bring the pressure back up for 5 minutes to cook the vegetables and then cool again.

Heat your oven to 300 degrees F. Rinse the corned beef and place in a shallow baking dish. Add enough water to cover the bottom of the pan with about 1/2 inch of water. Cover the pan with foil and place in the oven to bake for about 4 hours. Remove the meat from the pan and drain the juices into a saucepan. Add your carrots, potatoes and cabbage and cook until tender. Slice the meat across the grain and serve it hot with the vegetables and a hearty mustard.

Place your raw corned beef brisket into a cooking bag with the fat side up. Close it with a heat proof twist tie. Poke a few holes in the top to release steam and place on a baking pan. Place in a 300 degree F oven and bake for 3 hours or until tender. If you wish to add vegetables, they can be placed on top of the meat for the last hour of cooking.

Soak a raw corned brisket in cool water for at least 2 hours to draw out the salt before you start grilling. Prepare a dry rub of ground coriander, and cracked pepper and rub into the surface of the meat. Place the brisket on the grill at set the temperature to a low 250 degrees F with the lid closed. Baste it with a vinaigrette every 30 minutes and grill for a total of about 2 hours or until it is tender. It will be a little firmer than boiled corned beef but will have a fantastic flavor.