Unveiling the Delicious Mystery.

Scroll down for printable corned beef recipes!

photo by Omaha Steaks

Corned beef is what? I get this question a lot.

I have to confess, I never knew what it was either.

Basically, Corned Beef is made by salt-curing beef in a brine of spices and seasonings. It’s usually made with beef brisket, a tough cut of meat that's made tender by the long, curing process. The brine used to cook the brisket down into corned beef is kinda like pickling liquid. In fact, some people refer to corned beef as pickled beef.

Once cured, brined, and cooked, corned beef is super tender and easily sliceable. (Just be sure you cut it against the grain, like this). This is what makes it great in sandwiches (a more Jewish preparation) and cut up in long slices next to cabbage a lot of the time (an Irish tradition).

The term “corned” refers to the coarse, granular salts used to cure the beef. At one time, they used large rock salt that was about the size of a kernel of corn. So there you have it, when someone asks, “Corned beef is what?” you are now armed with all the details;)

Pastrami vs Corned beef

Pastrami vs Corned Beef: different countries of origin: Pastrami has two possible ancestries: It’s either Romanian (where its predecessor, pastrama, was made with pork or mutton) or Turkish (where it’d be a descendent of pastirma, made with beef). Corned beef hails from Ireland, which is why it’s eaten on St. Patrick’s Day.

Pastrami vs Corned Beef : different cuts of meat: Today’s corned beef and pastrami are both made from beef, but different parts of the animal. Corned beef is made from brisket, which comes from the lower chest of the cow; pastrami is either made from a cut called the deckle, a lean, wide, firm shoulder cut, or the navel, a smaller and juicier section right below the ribs. These days, you may also see pastrami made from brisket.

Pastrami vs Corned Beef: use different spices: After brining, pastrami gets coated in a mixture of black pepper, coriander, mustard seeds, fennel seeds, and sometimes fresh garlic; that spice coating is what gives it its blackened appearance. Corned beef is… spice free. No spice mix to speak of. So there you have it!

Three ways to cook corned beef

There are several ways to cook corned beef. You can use a crock pot for corned beef, the stove, or a cooktop. I prefer a crock pot for corned beef, but every option is delicious. See more on this below: But first, how to buy corned beef. An easy way is to cook corned beef brisket slow cooker!

Photo by Omaha Steak

Three ways to buy corned beef

1) Cure and season your own brisket: Buy a brisket and make a salt and seasoning brine. Let it cure for 7-10 days. Here is a fabulous recipe if you want to cure it yourself.

2)  Buy a ready-to-cook, pre-cured and seasoned brisket right in your grocery store meat department. See the image above, but there are several different brands. Just be sure to rinse the brine off before you cook it, or it will be salty. If you buy it like this, you have three options for cooking it.

3)  Head to the deli. Buy cured and cooked corned beef in the deli. Ask them to slice the thickness and the amount you want. This is best used for sandwiches. Speaking of sandwiches, check out my sliders recipe. These are my go-to every St. Pats! I usually cook my corned beef as outlined in option number 2, but sliced beef would work as well. 

How to Cook Corned Beef:

• Crock Pot for Corned Beef: If you're short on time or prefer a hands-off approach to cooking, why not break out your trusty crock pot? Simply place your corned beef brisket in the crock pot, along with some chopped onions, carrots, and potatoes for extra flavor. Then, pour in enough water or broth to cover the meat and set the crock pot to low. Let it cook away for several hours until the beef is melt-in-your-mouth tender and infused with all those delicious flavors. Serve it with some mustard and crusty bread for a meal that will impress. Here is the only recipe you will need: Recipe below:

• Braise/oven method: Remove the brisket from the package, rinse if you like, and pat dry. Place it in a baking dish with a small amount of water or dar beer, like Guinness. Brush the top with some Dijon or grainy-style mustard if you like. Sprinkle the top with the spice packet if one is provided. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees, about 2½ to 3 hours or until super tender. Remove foil and bake 10 minutes more.

• Stovetop: Rinse the brisket, place in a stockpot (or any large pot) and add water to cover. You can also add some beer just for fun and added flavor. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 2½ to 3 hours or until meat is fork-tender.

My Go-To

For St Patrick’s Day, my go-to dish is my Corned Beef Sliders. Like mini Reuben but even better! The homemade dressing is just fantastic and easy!

Leftovers

And here is a link to a few great recipes for your leftover corned beef!

PRINTABLE recipe below