The Mohican Board! [Bumppo's Redux!] - Corned Beef or Sandals? A plea to the Irish for help.

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Corned Beef or Sandals? A plea to the Irish for help.

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susquesus
Mad Hermit of the North Woods

USA

Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
September 03 2003

Status: offline

Posted - February 29 2004 : 8:45:03 PM

I love Corned Beef Hash. From a can, at a restaraunt(probably also from a can)- whatever. At any rate I thought- what the heck- and walked up to the deli and got a # of thick sliced Corned Beef. Having never purchased this before I thought I'd try to make it part of a grilled sandwich. Looked good, smelled great- needed a chainsaw to slice it. This stuff is like shoe leather, delicious brined shoe leather, but leather nonetheless. So my question- what does one do with thick sliced corned beef? I thought maybe leave it in a crockpot with some cabbage and other veggies for a day or so on low heat, any suggestions? Recipes?
Incidentally, a girl from Ireland stopped into my work today. Apologizing profusely for the stereotypical question I asked her what to do with Corned Beef. To my dismay she was a vegetarian. She did say however that in Ireland they get their Corned Beef out of a tin. She promised to "...ask the lads and come back" if she had anything worthwhile to report.

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Kurt
Mohicanite

USA

Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
September 27 2003

Status: offline

Posted - March 01 2004 : 07:22:48 AM

Thick sliced? Hmmn, we always boil a corned beef the first day and then slices are possible afterwards. My guess is to simmer just covered with water in dutch oven or crockpot for 2-3 hours (slices are less than 1/4 inch? thicker longer), let cool, and proceed as you intended. Maybe some celery to cut the salt. I would have expected "pre-boiled" at deli. Never had unboiled. The idea of unboiled corned beef is as strange as unboiled salt cod. I expect unboiled needs paper-thin slices (and not many of them). "Give me a hint of beef with that salt, willya?".

Yr. obt. svt.
Kurt

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Seamus
Guardian of Heaven's Gate

USA

Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
May 19 2002

Status: offline

Posted - March 01 2004 : 07:47:01 AM

Here ya go, Susquesus--from USDA:

FOCUS ON: Corned Beef
For USDA's Meat and Poultry Hotline, the approach of spring usually means that St. Patrick's Day dinner preparations across the country will spark many questions about the safe handling, storage and preparation of corned beef and all the trimmings. But food safety involves more than the "luck of the Irish."

Why Eat Corned Beef on St. Patrick's Day?
Originally "Corned Beef and Cabbage" was a traditional dish served for Easter Sunday dinner in rural Ireland. The beef, which was salted or brined during the winter to preserve it, could then be eaten after the long, meatless Lenten fast.

Since the advent of refrigeration, the trend in Ireland is to eat fresh meats. Today this peasant dish is more popular in the United States than in Ireland. Irish-Americans and lots of other people eat it on St. Patrick's Day, Ireland's principal feast day, as a nostalgic reminder of their Irish heritage.

Corning is a form of curing; it has nothing to do with corn. The name comes from Anglo-Saxon times before refrigeration. In those days, the meat was dry-cured in coarse "corns" of salt. Pellets of salt, some the size of kernels of corn, were rubbed into the beef to keep it from spoiling and to preserve it.

Today brining -- the use of salt water -- has replaced the dry salt cure, but the name "corned beef" is still used, rather than "brined" or "pickled" beef. Commonly used spices that give corned beef its distinctive flavor are peppercorns and bay leaf. Of course, these spices may vary regionally.

Package Dating and Storage Times
Uncooked corned beef in a pouch with pickling juices which has a "sell-by" date or no date may be stored 5 to 7 days in the refrigerator, unopened. Products with a "use-by" date can be stored unopened in the refrigerator until that date.

Drained and well wrapped, an uncooked corned beef brisket may be frozen for one month for best quality. The flavor and texture will diminish with prolonged freezing but the product is still safe. After cooking, corned beef may be refrigerated for about 3 to 4 days and frozen for about 2 to 3 months.

Preparation
Corned beef is made from one of several less-tender cuts of beef like the brisket, rump or round. Therefore, it requires long, moist cooking. Keep food safety in mind when preparing the corned beef. It can be cooked on top of the stove or in the oven, microwave or slow cooker (see information below).

"Fork-tender" is a good indication of doneness, but use a meat thermometer to be sure. Cook until the internal temperature has reached at least 160 degrees F.

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. This fixes pigment in the meat and affects the color.

Allow the brisket to stand for about ten minutes after removing from the heat. This will make it easier to slice, and it is best sliced diagonally across the grain of the meat.

Cooking Times
The USDA does not recommend one particular cooking method as best. Following are methods from various sources. The cooking times are based on corned beef that is not frozen at the time of cooking. Whichever method you choose, be sure the beef reaches an internal temperature of at least 160 degrees F to ensure it is safely cooked.

OVEN: Set the oven for 350 degrees F or no lower than 325 degrees F. Place brisket fat-side up. Barely cover the meat with water -- about one inch -- and keep the container covered throughout the cooking time. Allow about one hour per pound.
STOVE TOP: 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 one hour per pound. Vegetables may be added during the last 20 to 30 minutes of cooking. Cook to desired tenderness.
SLOW COOKER: If using root vegetables, put them in the bottom of slow cooker. Cut brisket into pieces of like size to ensure thoro

Life's journey is not to
arrive at the grave safely
in a well preserved body,
but rather to skid in sideways,
totally worn out, shouting
'...holy sh*t ...what a ride!'

~~Mavis Leyrer, Seattle

Seamus

~~Aim small, hit the b*****d right between the eyes!~~

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Seamus
Guardian of Heaven's Gate

USA

Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
May 19 2002

Status: offline

Posted - March 01 2004 : 07:49:29 AM

....and here is the URL:

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OA/pubs/cornbeef.htm

~~Aim small, hit the b*****d right between the eyes!~~

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susquesus
Mad Hermit of the North Woods

USA

Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
September 03 2003

Status: offline

Posted - March 01 2004 : 1:20:07 PM

Thanks for all the info Seamus. I'm glad to know the history, I was trying to figure out what the purpose was for the curing. Anyone combined Corned Beef with Sauer Kraut?

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Seamus
Guardian of Heaven's Gate

USA

Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
May 19 2002

Status: offline

Posted - March 01 2004 : 1:41:29 PM

ANYTHING is good with sauerkraut!!!! Go for it, Man....and sleep with the windows open!

~~Aim small, hit the b*****d right between the eyes!~~

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Wilderness Woman
Watcher of the Wood