Prepare Delicious Corned Beef With Guinness Beer At Home

Corned beef is a St. Patrick's Day staple, but it can be enjoyed year-round. This recipe uses Guinness to infuse the corned beef with Irish flavours and keep the meat moist and tender. The brown sugar helps to balance the bitterness from the beer and adds a rich caramelised coating to the beef.

The recipe is simple and can be made in a slow cooker, instant pot, or oven. First, rinse the corned beef and pat it dry. Then, place it in a slow cooker, instant pot, or baking dish and cover with brown sugar. Pour beer and beef broth around the brisket and cover tightly with foil. Cook until tender, and then rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

During the last hour of cooking, you can add vegetables such as cabbage, potatoes, onions, and carrots to the pot. You may need to add a little more beer with the vegetables.

Rinse and pat dry the brisket

Rinsing the brisket is an important step in preparing TJ's uncured corned beef with Guinness beer. This step helps to remove any excess salt from the corning process, which can affect the overall taste of the dish. After rinsing the brisket, it is essential to pat it dry with paper towels or a clean cloth. This step ensures that the meat is dry before proceeding to the next steps in the recipe. Drying the meat helps to create a better sear when browning the meat and also allows for a more even coating of any spices or seasonings that are applied.

Once the brisket is patted dry, it can be placed in a roasting pan, Dutch oven, or slow cooker, depending on your preferred cooking method. For oven preparation, it is recommended to preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. For slow cooker preparation, simply add the brisket to the slow cooker after patting it dry.

The next step in the recipe is to apply the desired seasonings or spices to the brisket. Some recipes suggest using a spice packet that may come with the corned beef, while others recommend a combination of brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and black pepper. It is essential to evenly coat the brisket with the desired seasonings to ensure a flavorful dish.

After seasoning the brisket, you can proceed with the rest of the recipe, which involves adding the Guinness beer and following the cooking instructions for your chosen cooking method. Remember to refer to the specific recipe you are following for detailed instructions on cooking times and temperatures.

Add Guinness and brown sugar

The Guinness draught beer adds extra flavour while also tenderising the meat. The brown sugar helps to tenderise the meat, balances the bitterness from the beer, and adds a rich caramelised coating to the beef.

Rinse the corned beef and pat dry. Place the brisket in a roasting pan or Dutch oven. Rub brown sugar all over the brisket. Pour the Guinness around and over the brisket to wet the sugar.

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.

Tips

• You can substitute Guinness with another dark beer or stout if desired. However, keep in mind that the flavour profile may differ slightly depending on the beer chosen. Choose a beer with a similar richness and depth to achieve similar results.
• The darker the beer, the more intense the flavour.
• If you don't like Guinness, don't worry. You can't really taste it in the finished meal.
• All of the alcohol burns off as it cooks, so you can feel fine about serving it to minors or people who don't drink.

Braise slowly at a low setting

Braising is a slow cooking process that uses moist heat to break down tough cuts of meat. Braising is a great way to cook corned beef, as it ensures the meat is tender and moist. Here are some detailed instructions on how to braise TJ's uncured corned beef with Guinness beer slowly at a low setting:

Step 1: Preheat the Oven

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. This is a relatively low temperature, which will help to slowly braise the corned beef.

Step 2: Prepare the Corned Beef

Rinse the corned beef brisket thoroughly under cold water to remove any excess salt from the corning process. Pat the meat dry with paper towels. Place the corned beef on a rack in a roasting pan or Dutch oven.

Step 3: Add Seasonings and Beer

Rub brown sugar all over the corned beef brisket. Generously sprinkle the spice packet that comes with the corned beef over the meat. You can also add additional spices such as black pepper or thyme for extra flavor. Pour one bottle of Guinness draught beer (not stout, as it will make the dish bitter) around and gently over the brisket to wet the sugar. You can also add beef broth for extra flavor and moisture.

Step 4: Braise the Corned Beef

Cover the roasting pan or Dutch oven with a lid or aluminum foil. Place the corned beef in the preheated oven and braise at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for about 2.5 to 3 hours, or until the meat is tender. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the brisket should read at least 190 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step 5: Rest and Serve

Once the corned beef is braised to perfection, remove it from the oven and let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing. This will allow the juices to redistribute and ensure the meat is moist and tender. Slice the corned beef across the grain and serve with your choice of sides, such as roasted cabbage, potatoes, and carrots. Enjoy!

Add vegetables during the last hour

The last hour of cooking is when you can add the vegetables to the roasting pan. You can try adding a wedge of cabbage, some new potatoes, onions, carrots, etc. You may need to add a little more beer with the vegetables.

• Cut the vegetables into uniform sizes so that they cook evenly.
• Add the potatoes first, as they will take the longest to cook.
• Add the cabbage and carrots later, as they need less time to cook.
• If you like your vegetables soft, follow the directions and cook them for a couple of minutes. Otherwise, just adding them to the hot cooking liquid will soften them.
• If you are using an Instant Pot, add the potatoes to the cooking liquid first, followed by the cabbage and carrots later.
• If you are cooking the vegetables separately, you can steam or boil them and serve them alongside the corned beef.

Allow to rest before slicing

Allowing the meat to rest before slicing is an important step in the cooking process. This is because the juices inside the meat need time to redistribute and settle after cooking. If you slice into the meat too soon, these juices will spill out onto the cutting board, resulting in dry, less flavorful meat. For best results, transfer the cooked corned beef to a cutting board or platter and loosely tent it with foil. Let it rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing. This will ensure that your corned beef is juicy, tender, and full of flavor.

Frequently asked questions