Baked Corned Beef Recipe | Life's Ambrosia (2024)

FAQs

Baked Corned Beef Recipe | Life's Ambrosia? ›

OVEN: Set the oven for 350 °F (or no lower than 325 °F). Place brisket fat-side up. Barely cover the meat with water—about 1 inch—and keep the container covered throughout the cooking time. Allow about one hour per pound.

OVEN: Set the oven for 350 °F (or no lower than 325 °F). Place brisket fat-side up. Barely cover the meat with water—about 1 inch—and keep the container covered throughout the cooking time. Allow about one hour per pound.

So why not try making a baked corned beef instead of a boiled one? Cooking the corned beef in a tightly sealed roasting pan with water ensures the moisture gets trapped inside the brisket, resulting in one of the best corned beefs we've ever tried.

Simmering corned beef on the stovetop is a tried-and-true method that results in very tender beef. One of the keys to simmering corned beef correctly is the amount of water in the pot. When there's not ample liquid to cover the meat, your dreams of tender corned beef may be replaced by a tough, chewy result.

In our book, roasting is our preferred method to cooking a corned beef brisket. Roasting results in a super moist and tender brisket with an irresistible crust. We packed in the flavor with a unique and simple homemade spice blend—trust us, you won't find flavor like this in a little pre-made baggie.

Corned beef is safe once the internal temperature has reached at least 145 °F, with a three minute rest time, but cooking it longer will make it fork-tender. Corned beef may still be pink in color after cooking. This does not mean it is not done. Nitrite is used in the curing process.

And while brisket can take a much higher temperature than a steak can, it too can be overcooked. If all the collagen turns to gelatin, that's good, but if all the gelatin cooks out of the corned beef, you'll just have a crumbly, dried out piece of salted beef.

Then cover the Dutch oven with a lid and transfer the corned beef to a 300 degrees F oven. Braise the corned beef until it's very tender when you pierce it with a paring knife, just under four hours for a three-pound piece of brisket.

Sprinkle seasoning packet over beef, then pour in water until potatoes are almost covered. Cover with a lid or heavy aluminum foil. Roast in the preheated oven until corned beef is so tender it can be flaked apart with a fork, about 5 to 6 hours.

Not rinsing the meat before cooking.

Do this instead: Whether you bought a ready-to-cook corned beef or you cured your own, rinse the meat several times under cool water to remove any excess salt. But don't think this means you're rinsing away all the flavor; by this point, the meat is fully infused with it.

What makes corned beef taste good? ›

Corned beef is typically made from beef brisket – a relatively inexpensive cut of beef – cured in salt brine, with some pickling spices: bay leaf, peppercorns, mustard seed, juniper berries, coriander seeds, and whole cloves. Corned beef gets its characteristic sweet and tart taste from the brine.

Place the brined corned beef in a large pot or Dutch oven along with the liquid and spices that accompanied it in the package. Pour in enough water to cover the beef, then bring the water to a boil on the stovetop. Reduce the heat to a simmer, and cover the pot.

Always Rinse Corned Beef Before Cooking It

Regardless of whether you cure the meat yourself or buy a ready-to-cook corned beef, chances are there's excess salt lingering on the surface and tucked into folds on the outer part of the meat.

Don't worry that you will be rinsing away flavor. Rinsing the corned beef means it will be less salty. Also, keep the seasoning packet if one came with it. The packet is a pickling spice blend made up mostly of peppercorns, bay leaves, and mustard seeds.

Remove Corned Beef from package and place in crock pot and completely cover with water. Cover and cook for approximately 11 hours on low or 5 hours on high, or until firmly fork tender. Please note that crock pot cooking times may vary greatly depending upon brand and style.

When you're done cooking the corned beef, make sure you slice against the grain of the meat. This will produce a more tender result; if you slice with the grain, you'll find a more tough and stringy texture when you chew.

Preheat oven to 275ºF. Sprinkle spice packet over corned beef and loosely wrap in tin foil. Place on baking sheet and bake on a lower level for 6 hours. Open foil and turn oven to broil and allow fat to cook off, approximately 3-5 minutes on the top rack, approximately 10 minutes on a lower rack.

It is important to check the meat with a meat thermometer to ensure it has reached at least 160°F for food safety; for optimal tenderness, cook to an internal temperature of 190°F.