Corned Beef is the main ingredient in making meatloaf, a type of meat brined and then finished with a special curing agent. Its process is through sodium nitrite, which adds a deep pink color to the finished product. Once the meat is curing, it’s usually boiled in water or beef broth.
You can slow-cook corned beef to bring out more flavors. Or you can use the instant pot to make Corned Beef really tender.
How Many Different Ways Can You Make Corned Beef?
How much corned beef do you need to buy for 40 people?
The best companion to this dish is a vegetable salad or any other vegetable dish.
Corned beef is a traditional dish served on St. Patrick’s Day in America.
How to Cut Corned Beef?
It’s essential to use a sharp knife when cutting meat. Doing so will allow you to get the most tender cuts.
After removing the oven and heating, let the corned beef rest. It will allow the meat juices to seep out of the meat and prevent the formation of a dry brisket. Before carving, it should be placed on a cutting board and kept aside for at least ten to fifteen minutes.
You can place the meat fat-side down and cut the excess fat from the corned beef. This technique works best if you want to see the muscle fibers or grain of the meat. There are two main types of cuts of meat used for making corned beef: the flat and the point. The flat cut is more tender, while the point cut has more fat and marbling.
Cut the meatloaf against the grain to get tender slices using a carving knife. Doing so will allow the meat to absorb the moisture and create a challenging and stringy texture. For most people, the pieces of corned beef are a quarter-inch thick. However, for sandwiches, you can slice the meat into paper-thin strips.
Any crumbly bits of corned beef you can make a corned beef hash, or if you really want to treat the kids then a corned beef pattie or croquette can be made.
How to Slice Corned Beef?
Look for the Fibers
Using a large cutting board, arrange the cooked piece of corned beef. Make an inch-long incision along one end of the meat, and then pull it apart with a fork to see how the grain fibers run through it.
Position the Meat
After cleaning the meat or rinsing it through the water, which is essential to remove excess salt, you must position the meat on the chopping board. Ensure that the board is dry and that no other contaminants have touched it. You don’t want to eat corned beef marinated in many flavors.
Trim Away the Fat
Trim the fat around the edges of your corned beef before serving it. Doing so will remove the fat that’s too saturated and can contribute to heart disease. It’s also easier to remove the fat from the entire meat instead of just one slice.
Slice Against the Grain
It’s easy to see the grain lines running through the meat when you hold it. Try lifting the brisket by its ends if you can’t see the fibers separating.
For tender slices of beef, place the knife perpendicular to the grain, and if it’s stringy, slice it with the grain. If it’s not stringy, slice it with the knife. Turn the blade 90 degrees and cut it again when it’s cooked.
Same cutting method is against the grain when cutting reheated corned beef.
Cutting the Meat Incorrectly
The way you cut your cooked corned beef will significantly affect the flavor of the meat. Instead, avoid using the grain or the muscle fibers in the same direction.
Instead of treating corned beef like a traditional steak, slice it against the grain instead of using it as a slice. Doing so will allow you to chew through the meat quickly. Also, cutting through the muscle fibers will shorten the meat and make it easier to chew.
A long and sharp knife is the best choice for carving out corned beef. It will allow you to get the most out of the meat. However, be careful not to use a dull or flat knife.
How To Cut Thick And Flat Cut Corned Beef
Corned beef is typically available in two cuts: thick-cut and flat-cut. Flat-cut is usually chosen since it is easy to slice. If you happen to have a thick-cut, you may flatten it down by just cutting it in half. This will make it simpler to cut into pieces.
Why Is It Important to Cut Corned Beef the Correct Way?
Remember the cow’s lengthy bundles of muscles for kneeling? They’re not particularly enjoyable to chew. In the brisket, these muscle fibers are lengthy and rubbery, making them difficult to chew without the proper cut. Shortening the muscle fibers makes it delicate and easier to chew.
Corned beef muscle fibers all run in the same direction, which is referred to as “the grain.” To make a soft, easy-to-chew piece of beef, cut against the grain, which means cutting crosswise across the muscle fibers.
When sliced correctly, a piece of corned beef must resemble little dots, which represent the end-to-end perspective of the muscle fibers. By cutting the meat across the grain, you’ve reduced the length of these fibers, making them easier to chew and savor.
Flat or point cut Corned Beef? What’s the difference?
The flat cut is a much more even shape, almost rectangular. The flat cut is also less fatty. However, the pointcut is different with more fat content plus additional connective tissue.