| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| soapmommy60543 |
Posted - Mar 15 2013 : 11:21:55 AM
I have my brisket in my garage brining. It will be ready on Sunday for St. Pat's Day.
I'm using Alton Brown's "make your own" corned beef recipe, which I tried last year, and it was amazing.
This year, though, my thought was this - do it in the crockpot! If you have to cook something low and slow for hours, the slow cooker/crock pot is the best way to go.
So I've been hunting high and low, all over the internet to put this whole thing together. Almost every recipe, including the one from Martha Stewart, says to use the pickling spices that come in the packet that you'd get if you bought your corned beef at the store. Alton's original recipe doesn't.
I'm thinking I don't really need it - this piece of cow has been happily soaking in all kinds of herbs and spices for over a week. I know it comes out really tasty.
Do you agree with me that it should just be carrots, onions, celery, brisket, water, or should I consider mixing up a smaller batch of the spices and throwing those in, too? Should I use beef stock/broth instead of the water, for some additional flavor? That would certainly be the easiest way.
Girls, my head is spinning, and because I tried this a year ago, no amount of coffee on this planet can help me. I'd love to hear from you!
Wife of terrific hubby and mom to 2 teenagers, 2 bunnies, 2 geriatric goldfish, and the best dog in the world!
Check out my blog: http://www.suburbanprairiehomemaker.com
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| 14 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| soapmommy60543 |
Posted - Mar 18 2013 : 7:20:24 PM
So I fell asleep on Saturday night before the wee hours when I needed to put the corned beef in the crock. I know - go ahead and laugh, I know I did.
So I ended up doing it on the stove per Mr. Alton's directions, and it is like butter. It just falls apart.
I think I will only do one thing different next year - I will pull it from the brine on about day 7 or 8 like Jonni does. It got a little too salty for my tastes, and I like things really salty!
Thanks for all your help!
Wife of terrific hubby and mom to 2 teenagers, 2 bunnies, 2 geriatric goldfish, and the best dog in the world!
Check out my blog: http://www.suburbanprairiehomemaker.com
and follow me on Facebook (Suburban Prairie Homemaker), Twitter (@sphomemaker), and Pinterest (Suburban Prairie Homemaker)
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| ceejay48 |
Posted - Mar 17 2013 : 6:15:31 PM
I saw the recipe on Raising Jane that Carol provided to link to. I decided that I WAS going to try that which I did. We have our own beef which was the main item . . just pull it out of the freezer!
I had intended to roast the beef and cabbage as in the recipe, but at about 5:00 AM this morning I decided to put it all in the crockpot and cook it that way. I used all the ingredients as described, except for the beet juice. As I understood the recipe post the juice didn't work for color and we really don't care if the meat had that red color anyway. So I just skipped that part.
But, everything was per the recipe except I put the cabbage wedges, the beer and the beef ((I did use the sugar/mustard rub on it) in the crockpot . . . it was WONDERFUL!!!! My hubby said, "Ahhhhh . . . excellent! No going back now!". He sliced carrots into long slices and sauteed them with slightly peppery seasoning in the wok to go along side. We're spoiled!!!!
CJ
..from the barefoot farmgirl in SW Colorado...sister chick #665.
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| Ninibini |
Posted - Mar 17 2013 : 2:22:47 PM
Happy Saint Patrick's Day, girls!!! :)
My whole house smells WONDERFUL! I can't wait for dinner to begin! FEAST!!!
Jonni - I would be THRILLED and HONORED to have any recipes you would like to share! No rush - whenever you get a chance! I'll be so excited! Thank you! I did call the butcher, and they actually have brisket year-round! I about fell over! I never saw it on the board! SO, that having been said, today will be our final pre-bagged brisket, and then I'll be buying from the butcher! SO excited! We're going to pick up a couple of hams and legs of lamb for Easter, so while they're I'll pick up another brisket! (You can never have too much brisket!) By the way - I was wrong: Grandma's recipe does NOT use the little packet that comes with the meat. What was I thinking?! Anyhow - I meant to tell you how wonderful your dinner looks! It must've been absolutely delicious! :)
Carol - Thank you so much for sharing that link with us! (I have got to get over there more often!) Looks like a wonderful recipe! And a very informative article, too! :)
Diane - Thank you for those links, too! YUMMMMMM!!!
Farmgirls always know best, and have the most generous hearts in the world. How "lucky" we are to have each other!!!
Hugs -
Nini
Farmgirl Sister #1974
God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!
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| crafter |
Posted - Mar 17 2013 : 08:06:48 AM
Ok- my corned beef is in the crock- I work this afternoon and Nat and I will enjoy our special meal tonight. Lots and lots of very helpful hints here. I can't wait!! Thanks for all the info!!
Lori
God has promised strength for the day, rest for the labor, light for the way, grace for the trials, help from above, unfailing sympathy and undying love.
We are here to love each other, serve each other and uplift each other. |
| Fiddlehead Farm |
Posted - Mar 16 2013 : 5:06:44 PM
I did my corned beef brisket a little different this year and boy was it good! I found a recipe on All-Recipes for baking it instead of the slow cooker or dutch oven. I followed the recipe exactly and it was the best I have ever made! The difference is baking it slowly after browning and brushing with Kitchen Bouquet. I put it on a rack in a pan and added some onions and water to the bottom and then sealed it up tight with aluminum foil. Baked at 275 for 5 1/2 hours. It was really moist and flavorful. I steamed some carrots and made colcannon (mashed potatoes with cabbage and leaks) So good!
Here's the recipes...
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Braised-Corned-Beef-Brisket/Detail.aspx
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Colcannon/Detail.aspx
http://studiodiphotosite.shutterfly.com/
farmgirl sister #922
I am trying to be the person my dogs think I am.
I get up every morning determined to both change the world and have one hell of a good time. Sometimes this makes planning my day difficult.
- E. B. White |
| soapmommy60543 |
Posted - Mar 16 2013 : 05:37:48 AM
Jonni, as always you give such great advice!
Nini - the advantage, particularly for us, is that we leave out the sodium nitrate that's a preservative, and we can also omit the beer, which is not gluten free. And although they make gluten free beers, we like ours without better.
Carol - I love how you used the beet juice for color! What a great idea!
Wife of terrific hubby and mom to 2 teenagers, 2 bunnies, 2 geriatric goldfish, and the best dog in the world!
Check out my blog: http://www.suburbanprairiehomemaker.com
and follow me on Facebook (Suburban Prairie Homemaker), Twitter (@sphomemaker), and Pinterest (Suburban Prairie Homemaker)
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| Carol |
Posted - Mar 15 2013 : 11:08:02 PM
Here's our corned beef recipe:
http://www.raisingjane.org/journal/33545
"Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, red wine in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and screaming 'WOO HOO, what a ride!'"
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| FebruaryViolet |
Posted - Mar 15 2013 : 10:40:22 PM
I'd be honored to share with you, Nini. It really has become such an "event" for our family and it is such a great feeling to share these heritage recipes with them. I think everyone else was scared to try, but not me...I'm always game for amazing food!!! If you can call for your brisket, I'll have the recipes to you bright and early Monday. We only have an Ipad at home and, well, I'm rather slow on this little keyboard. would you be interested in a potato recipe and bread?
i'm so grateful to have these recipes..my Gran most often cooked from years of memory, but this she wrote down! Our family has been in Cincinnati since 1867 from County Cavan, a little townland called Seefin. i don't know if this came over with Peter John Joseph, but I'm going to think that Margaret Rose Galligan Lynch put her all into it and made it her own.
"Hey, I've got nothing to do today but smile..."
The Only Living Boy in New York, Paul Simon |
| Ninibini |
Posted - Mar 15 2013 : 1:55:52 PM
Jonni - You know what?! I'm going to call the butcher in the morning and see if they sell brisket. They usually sell "specialty" meats like lamb and ham only at special times of year. It never in a million years occured to me to call about the brisket! I am so in on that, if they do! Even if we have to wait for brining to try it, my guys are going to go nuts over your recipe, I just know it! If it's too late for this year, I'll definitely make a note on the calendar for next. Thank you SO much - I am really excited to try your way! Do you happen to have any special family recipes for different Irish foods you prepare? My Grandma never wrote out her recipes, or said what they were, to be honest, and, unfortunately, she took them with her to Heaven. I do have a Darina Allen cookbook that I rely on; but even still, there's nothing like an old family recipe! :) If you wouldn't mind sharing them - I will treasure them forever, I promise! That'd be wonderful! Lucky, blessed you for being born with such a wonderfully deep Irish heritage!!! Hugs - Nini
Farmgirl Sister #1974
God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!
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| FebruaryViolet |
Posted - Mar 15 2013 : 12:27:05 PM
I also serve mine with a Guiness mustard (tbls. guiness, coarse ground mustard and a little brown sugar).
"Hey, I've got nothing to do today but smile..."
The Only Living Boy in New York, Paul Simon |
| FebruaryViolet |
Posted - Mar 15 2013 : 12:24:24 PM
Nini, the difference between the store bought corned beef with packet and a home brined corned beef...is well, legion. Most of the packet contains a chemical called "instacure" which speeds up the corning/curing process to a few hours, instead of how our Great Grandmother's used to do it. It also tastes...chemical-ee. And you'll know this if you try the way I do mine sometime.
I start with an 8 lb. fresh cut, hand trimmed beef brisket from my butcher. I call about...5 days ahead of when I make my brine. I put my brine and brisket all together in the pot of my crockpot so I can simply have something large enough to hold the meat and the brine in the fridge. The lid is great, too for this because you don't have to fool with foil. You simply want to always make sure the meat is submerged beneath the brine, so I weight mined down with a platter. When done brining, I really rinse the heck out of mine because the kosher salt permeates the meat fibers and cures it. Which is what it's supposed to do. I rinse with very cold water and let it sit in a tub of cold water, changing it out for about 10-20 minutes.
Thanks, Nini--I make this meal each and every year for my VERY Irish family, always to rave reviews. The hardes part is the brine and that's easy! The Guiness really provides a richness to the stock. Water is fine, but there is a real complexity of flavors you have with the stout and the spices that I don't feel could be replicated without.
"Hey, I've got nothing to do today but smile..."
The Only Living Boy in New York, Paul Simon |
| Ninibini |
Posted - Mar 15 2013 : 11:42:18 AM
I have never brined my corned beef - didn't even know you could/should do it! What is the benefit? I'm eager to know! I have done ours in the crock pot before, using the exact same recipe my Grandma used, which calls for just enough water to cover with some vinegar added. We do use the little packet, but we add additional spices - what comes immediately to mind are cloves, allspice and bay leaf, but I think there are more. If you'd like me to post her recipe, I'd be happy to. I also know people who make their own spice mix, similar to Jonni's.
Jonni - BOY does your dinner look yummy!!! I've never used Guiness when making our corned beef dinner, either - hmmm... Might have to give that a try sometime!!! Thank you for sharing!!!
Hugs -
Nini
Farmgirl Sister #1974
God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!
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| FebruaryViolet |
Posted - Mar 15 2013 : 11:32:34 AM
I brine mine for eight days in a solution of Harp Lager, pickling spices, brown sugar, kosher salt and water. Brine in the fridge for 8 days, stir after four, back into the brine for 4 more. I usually make an 8 lb. brisket, and cook mine on low for 10 hours in a crockpot with a 12 oz. bottle of Guinness and a cheese cloth pack made with a dried Chile D'arbol, whole allspice berries and coriander seeds. Enough water to cover. About an hour before serving, I take stock from the crockpot, which is now incredibly rich, put it in a pot and add cabbage, onion and carrots, along with some water.
Voila. Soda bread and scallion Champ, and dinner is served.
"Hey, I've got nothing to do today but smile..."
The Only Living Boy in New York, Paul Simon |
| FebruaryViolet |
Posted - Mar 15 2013 : 11:29:13 AM
Ann, my post is a few below about my corned beef dinner made on Monday.
http://www.maryjanesfarm.org/snitz/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=62633
"Hey, I've got nothing to do today but smile..."
The Only Living Boy in New York, Paul Simon |
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