There are a few things that I've learned you really must do --- the "secrets" of corned beef ---
otherwise you'll end up with a super salty and somewhat soggy dinner.
And nobody wants that! ;-)
Secret #1 to perfect corned beef:
Rinse it like crazy. Get off as much of the brine as you can before slow cooking.
Plop it into a colander and let cold water run (but not too long because of the drought and you don't want the water police to come knocking). ;-)
In fact, if you have time to do so, you can soak your corned beef in a large bowl or container of cold water overnight in the refrigerator and then dump that water. A good amount of the sodium will be released that way.
Secret #2 to perfect corned beef:
Trim away the thick white layer of fat with a sharp knife.
A lot of times you'll pick out a gorgeous piece of meat in the store, but once you unwrap it you'll find a thick band of fat hiding underneath.
Use a sharp knife or poultry shears to cut it away.
BONUS Secret #3:
Don't Drown Your Meat!
The old-school way of drowning it in lots of water, broth, or beer just doesn't cut it! :-)
Here are my absolute favorite ways to prepare corned beef, along with recipes for Irish Potatoes, Shepherd's Pie, and Roasted Cabbage.
(click the above link for the entire round-up of recipes including ingredients, photos, and reader reviews)
Enjoy your weekend! Happy Slow Cooking!!
steph
