Corned Beef is something that is really hard to screw up because of how slowly it’s generally cooked, but it’s even harder to make a bad Corned Beef using Sous Vide methods. Corned Beef was basically made for Sous Vide, as the fatty meat is always best done using slow-cooking methods. It’s a meat that is very popularly used in British and Irish cooking, and has become increasingly popular in American dining over the past few decades.
The only thing we would say that you want, outside of the sous vide equipment, is a good cast iron skillet. Finishing something that’s been cooked Sous Vide is one of the most important parts, because it’s your way of authorizing the outer texture that you want – something Sous Vide isn’t really good at doing. After using the Sous Vide method to cook the Corned Beef, just a few minutes finishing on a hot cast iron skillet will really give the outside a nice maillard, and give the beef a little character.
Ingredients
3 lbs corned beef brisket
Pickling spice packet
1 cup beef stock
Large pot
4 tbsp each of black pepper, granulated garlic, onion powder
2 tbs each brown sugar, cayenne pepper
1/2 cup sea salt
Water
Instructions
Preparation
In a large pot, combine half a cup salt, 4 tbsp black pepper, 4 tbsp granulated garlic, 4 tbsp onion powder, 2 tbsp brown sugar, and 2 tbsp cayenne pepper. Cover the spice with water, up to about half the depth of the pot.
Place beef into wet brine, and refrigerate for 4-6 hours
Set sous vide machine to about 180 degrees fahrenheit
Remove meat from brine and rub pickling spice packet on the fattier side of the corned beef
Put the corned beef and beef broth in a freezer bag, and remove the air using a vacuum sealer or the displacement method.
Place bag in the bath for 10 hours
Finishing
To finish the corned beef, heat up skillet on medium high and sear all sides. 1-2 minutes on each side should be plenty
Serve with cabbage and potatoes, and brown gravy on the side or au jus
