Leftover corned beef?

[cbayer]

First of all, my corned beef didn't come out all that well. It was tough and chewy, not stringy like I wanted.

As a result, I have a big piece of it and need ideas about what to do with it.

Is there anything I can do to make it better? What kinds of dishes do you like best that I could use it in?

[Old and In the Way]

1. I recommend

Sliced, with Swiss Chess on an onion bagel. Hmmmm. That was lunch today.

[cbayer]

3. Do you slice it with the grain or against the grain.

I'm going to have to try and get it very thin, because it's just plain tough.

[Old and In the Way]

4. Against the grain makes better slices

I've had it both ways...can't taste the difference.

[elleng]

2. Sorry it disappointed, cbayer.

Did a fabulous corned beef hash MANY MANY MANY moons ago, easy to do but, as I recall, recipe contained many (common) ingredients and several steps.

GOOD LUCK! Sláinte!

[cbayer]

6. I don't know what I did wrong.

There were two kind of cuts available and I bought the more expensive one.

I boiled it in the spices for 3 hours!!

Oh, well. It was on sale, so I'm not going to get too upset about it.

Will look for some hash recipes.

[mopinko]

12. you aren't supposed to boil it,

you are supposed to simmer it.

never have enough left over to make hash, but my mom used to make it. put the beef and the veggies through a meat grinder. make a patty, brown, heating through, and top it with a poached egg. mmmmm.

[cbayer]

13. I did simmer it (mostly - I have issues with flame control)

I think what your mom did sounds great. If I could just mince it finely enough I think it would be good.

[mopinko]

20. if you have a food processor, you might could do it.

it's my favorite breakfast ever.

[cbayer]

24. No food processor either. I am going to try mincing it with a good knife.

[yellerpup]

22. It helps if after the simmering time you let

your cut of corned beef cool off in the liquid. For hash, bake potatoes (let them cool completely before you use them) chopped in 1" chunks with an equivalent pile of corned beef chopped roughly to same size, 1/4 C. chopped onion. Melt butter (1-2 T) in cast iron skillet and saute onions until soft then add potatoes and meat. Add Worchestershire sauce (1-2 tsp., 1 tsp mustard, 1 tsp. sriracha or other red pepper sauce) to skillet and toss. Toss in 1/4 C. minced scallions and give it a toss. Serve with poached eggs and rye toast. The original recipe called for cheddar cheese to be added and the whole skillet of hash to bake for 12 minutes to melt, but I'm allergic to cheese and leave it out. Finish with a shower of fresh parsley and everyone who tastes it will beg you to make it again (and again, and again).

[cbayer]

25. Aha! I took it out immediately.

I have everything I need to make this version of the hash and will try it for our lunch today.

Thanks, yellerpup!

[yellerpup]

28. Good. I use that trick of cooling meat off in the broth

a lot. Those muscles need a chance to relax after a good, long simmer.

[digonswine]

5. Reubens!!!

Pumpernickel, sour krout, swiss cheese, thousand island, garlic, etc. Yeah!!

[cbayer]

7. No pumpernicke, sourkraut, or swiss cheese!

But I could make some thousand island, use the whole grain bread and sub cheddar.

I will call it Ruebenish.

[digonswine]

10. Close enough!

[blaze]

33. Does that compare to my SO

calling me Ruebenesque?

[maddezmom]

8. if you still have some cabbage and potatoes do a version of bubble and squeak

cut the corn beef as thin as possible...almost til it's shredded and add the other ingredients and fry. Or you could dice it and add it to soup, as I did with some split pea. Or make it into your own version of Deviled Corned Beef.

[cbayer]

9. No cabbage and whatshisname ate ALL the potatoes.

Split pea soup sounds great. I think I have a mixed bean soup thingy around here.

Never heard of Deviled Corned Beef, but I just looked it up and it looks pretty darn good.

If I can't find the soup mix, I will make sandwiches and the deviled CB, I think.

[applegrove]

11. I think you can make a corn beef chowder with leftover cb.

[cbayer]

16. Corn beef chowder? Like a cream or milk base?

I will look up a recipe.

Thanks, applegrove!

[grasswire]

14. you could simmer it again

....perhaps cube it first, and then simmer it in some liquid.

Thoughts:

Letting the meat rest after cooking, before cutting, usually will produce a more tender product.

Cutting across the grain is an absolute essential, IMO, if you want tender meat.

You still have lots of options for using the meat. You could chop it into small cubes and make some hand pies with pastry or biscuit dough. Include some onion, some herbs, some grated carrot or parsnip or beets, some minced celery leaves. Make a mustard sauce or gravy for added pizazz.

Cube and put into a cabbage soup. Add some caraway seed and make some dumplings.

Grind it and invent a corned beef loaf. An egg or two, some rye crumbs or oats, spicy mustard, and maybe hardcooked eggs baked inside (shelled of course). Probably would need some milk added for moisture.

All is not lost!

[cbayer]

15. I followed a recipe that called for simmering it first, then

putting a glaze on it and roasting for about 30 minutes.

It was fully cooled when I put it back in the oven.

Your ideas are good. I think the smaller I get the pieces the better.

I am going to try to slice very thinly for sandwiches tonight, then either make soup or hash tomorrow. No grinder, but I think I can mince it up pretty fine.

I just can't face throwing it out, as I am really frugal with food.

Thanks for the encouragement!

[Blues Heron]

17. another 1/2 hour simmer might do the trick.

I've found corned beef to be very forgiving. Recently had to desalinate one that I had soaked and baked and was still too salty. A nice hot 20 minute bath in boiling water did the trick.

[cbayer]

18. I just tried to slice it and I am not pleased, so I think I will try this with it tomorrow.

Thanks Blues Heron!

[pinto]

19. I've been there, too.

Slice and dice is one option for using leftover - could use it in scrambled eggs, soups, beans, blended in with mashed potatoes (say hey to whatshisname), a rice dish, etc. Though it's some work, the smaller slice 'n dice, the better.

My most common mistake is overcooking from the get go. My Grandma set it in *already* boiling water for only 10 minutes, or until the water came back to a boil. Just enough to render some fat and get some juice into the water and seal the cut some. Then pull the beef, set aside. Add veggies, bring back to a boil add the beef and simmer all, low as possible & covered, till the root veggies are done. Cut the beef, thin across the grain.

I often miss the mark on what's considered such a simple dish. My grandma did it without a second thought. Go figure.

[cbayer]

26. Maybe I did overcook.

I am used to do a pot roast where, at some magical moment, it just start falling apart (in a good way). This never even got close.

But I was able to slice very thin last night and the sandwiches came out damn good.

I think I will make sandwiches for the harbor patrol guys today.

Whatshisname says hi back!

[pinto]

29. Keeping the Harbor Patrol guys healthy and happy is a good thing...

[cbayer]

30. Yep. And they pump my holding tank whenever I ask.

Worth their weight in gold.

[TreasonousBastard]

21. Hmmmm... I have a hunk of corned beef in the fridge and a sparkly new...

electric pressure cooker.

Maybe tomorrow I'll have time to experiment with the two unless someone tells me absolutely, positively not to. I usually use the crockpot, but I haven't used a pressure cooker in years and want to see what it does with all sorts of things. And I just picked up some asparagus on sale...

Other than that musing, I go along with the sandwich suggestions. You could experiment with cooking small pieces of it in different ways and see what happens.

[cbayer]

27. I would be interested in what happens with the pressure cooker.

I have been wanting to get one, because it would conserve propane.

But I have a lifelong fear of them. I think my mother scared the daylights out of me as a child. But I have been told that they are much safer.

Let us know how it goes.

[sinkingfeeling]

23. Hash, of course!

[Bolo Boffin]

31. I'm about to have too much corned beef, so these ideas are great!

My local Kroger was having a 50% off on corned beef after St. Patrick's day. I didn't get one before SPD, but that was too good a deal to pass up.

[cbayer]

32. I ended up using most of it to make sandwiches.

I found that if I sliced it very thin, it came out great.

I made it on a hearty bread with thinly sliced swiss cheese and a dressing of mayo, ketchup and horseradish.

Then I sent my husband out to give them away to some of the hard working people around here.

It worked out great.

[blaze]

34. Then I sent my husband out to give them away

I LOVE that!!!

[cbayer]

35. They were very much appreciated.

I was really, really done with the corned beef.

[blaze]

36. Awww cbayer... and lol

This was my first attempt with CB&B and I guess I just had better luck than you. (And I emphasize luck. I'm a WAY beginner cook.)

Big hugs for sharing... and don't give up! The corned beef might still be on sale and worth a second shot!

[Bolo Boffin]

37. I've finally got white bread working right from scratch

But not the wheat bread recipe I'm trying to perfect.

Maybe what I need to make is a nice loaf of rye...

[freshwest]

38. Only way I ever used it was in my version of red flannel hash.

That consisted of diced potatoes, beets, onions, red and green peppers sauted together in olive oil. Very light on the corned beef because it was salty. Then added some pepper and that was it.

Usually served with some vegetables on the side at dinner, or used to make a well in a covered skillet to poach an egg. Hope that helps you use what you have.

And I also froze small containers of the hash so I could make it last longer.