Guinness Braised Corned Beef Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the best beer to cook corned beef in? ›

For my recipe, I like to add Guinness beer and brown sugar. The Guinness draught beer adds extra flavor while also tenderizing the meat. Ever since I tried this for the first time, I decided it will be my new way of making corned beef. Not to mention, the prep time is quick, but I recommend cooking it nice and long.

You need its connective tissue to break down so you can have tender results. Some like to braise their corned beef in an all-water liquid, with various spices and salt; others add beer to the mix to further tenderize the meat.

Slow-cooking corned beef is an effective way to achieve tender results with minimal hands-on time. Simply turn on the slow cooker in the morning, then go about your day without worry, leaving the house if need be, while your meat magically tenderizes.

Soaking helps draw out some of the salt from the curing process. Choose your cut of corned beef wisely. A point cut has more fat marbling and produces juicier slices, while a flat cut is leaner and easier to cut into nice slices.

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.

Point Cut: The Secret to a Flavorful Feast

As a cut of corned beef derived from the fattier end of the whole brisket, it's distinguished by its significant fat marbling and denser connective tissue, characteristics that promise a juicier and more flavorful feast.

Using beer to cook corned beef is a popular method because it adds flavor and complexity to the dish. The alcohol and hops in the beer add a rich, slightly bitter flavor that complements the salty and savory taste of the corned beef.

The one that makes my corned beef and cabbage so freaking good. My special ingredient? You guessed it, beer! You can use any beer you like for and the flavor will change somewhat accordingly.

Salts with higher naturally occurring nitrates were found to be more effective at preserving meat, which is how they came to be in widespread use in salami, sausages, pastrami, and corned beef. These food items are treated with the product to keep them safe for later eating.

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.

Why is my corned beef still a little tough? ›

Not cooking the meat long enough.

Brisket, the cut typically used for corned beef, is a naturally tough cut of meat. Cooking this beef is a process that can't be rushed. Even when the meat is cooked through, it needs more time to transform the chewy bite into one that's deliciously tender.

Boiling is the traditional way of preparing corned beef. This approach accomplishes three things simultaneously: It cooks the meat, tenderizes the tough cut of brisket, and draws out the excess salt.

While boiled dinner is all well and good, I much prefer baked corned beef for its more succulent flavor and texture and its hands-off vibe. This recipe: Takes five minutes of hands-on time. Produces excellent, consistent results.

For a three to five-pound corned beef brisket, cook for 3 to 3 1/2 hours. STOVE: Place brisket fat-side up in a large pot and cover it with water. Bring the water to a boil; then reduce the heat and simmer, allowing about 1 hour per pound. Vegetables may be added during the last 20 to 30 minutes of cooking.

The one that makes my corned beef and cabbage so freaking good. My special ingredient? You guessed it, beer! You can use any beer you like for and the flavor will change somewhat accordingly.

Wheat beers are great for chicken and seafood. If you're cooking pork, beef, and lamb, you will need ales, porters, and stouts. Hearty meat goes well with belgian ales. Stews pair well with ale.

However, not all beers are created equal, Light beer does not add a lot of flavor to the meat. Heavy, dark beers add a little too much, often bitter. The best sort of beer to soak your meat in would be an amber or nut brown ale, not too light and tasteless but not too dark and bitter.