It’s almost St. Patrick’s Day and what is more Irish than corned beef brisket? This recipe brings my husband back to his single days of going to a local Irish Pub and ordering corned beef and colcannon. I forgot to buy cabbage, but you could make some Irish Colcannon with this corned beef. I ended up making creamed spinach it’s still green right?!
Are Beef Brisket and Corned Beef the same?
Both are technically beef and start out the same. What makes corned beef different is that it is brine-cured first. The brine cure is what makes corned beef. Between the curing process and cooking process of cooking over a long slow process makes a relatively tough cut of meat into a very tender and flavorful cut of meat. Corned beef got its name from the size of salt crystals that were used when curing the meat. Irelands salt tax was lower than Britain’s and could import higher quality salt, making Irish corned beef the best on the market.
Why Corned Beef for St. Patricks’ Day?
Corned beef is typically eaten for St. Patrick’s Day as it was less expensive for immigrants coming to America. Corned beef originated as a St. Patrick’s Day tradition in America due to being less expensive. They substituted beef for pork and cabbage for potatoes.
Where to buy?
I found this easy-to-prepare corned beef at Trader Joe’s! My favorite place! It is seasonal and can be found at TJ, typically from February through March. If you are lucky enough to live near one, go to your local store and buy this! It is a tad pricy (but so is everything these days) but so worth it!
How to Prepare?
This is the easiest preparation ever! The only thing that is needed is a pan, water, and time. All instructions are on the package and I prepared it as suggested. It was so deliciously tender, fall-apart salty goodness! Take the meat out of the package, put it in a pot cover the meat with water. Bring the water to a boil, lower it to a simmer, and cover the pot. Simmer for 3.5 hours. Take out of the pot, let sit for several minutes, and then cut it. We ate ours as mentioned above with nontraditional sides. I made creamed spinach with blue cheese and smashed cheesy potatoes. More traditional sides would be cabbage and potatoes.
After Cooking
Best Easy Corned Beef Brisket
Ingredients
- 1 TJ uncured corned beef brisket
Instructions
- Cut open a package of TJ uncured corned beef brisket and place it into a large pot. Cover brisket with water until covered.
- Bring water to a boil, lower heat to simmer, and cook for 3.5 hours.
- Remove from pan and let sit for 3-5 minutes. Cut into slices and enjoy!
