Stout Braised Corn Beef Recipe

Servings: 6

Prep Time: 10 - 15 mins

Cook Time: 4 hours

Skill level: Beginner

Description:

The corn beef dish normally is associated with the Irish and eaten during St. Patrick's Day. Given how beer (Guinness and stouts) are also associated with the irish, I thought it was fitting to pair the two in one hearty dish. The stout braised corn beef dish is sure to be a new hearty favorite for the cold winter months or St. Patrick's Day dinner.

Ingredients:

• 2 - 12oz bottles of a Stout or dark beer ( Gunniess, oatmeal and milk stouts)
• 4 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 3 1/2 pound uncooked corn beef brisket
• 1 tablespoon of pickling spice ( this may come with some packaged briskets)
• 1 whole onion
• 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 big spoon full of lard
• 3 large carrots
• 1 pound of read potatoes

Utensils:

• 1 large stew pot
• 1 spoon
• several bowls
• 1 cooking board
• 1 chefs knife
• 1 parring knife or peeler
• tin foil

Before starting to prepare the dish one should gather or get all ingredients and utensils needed to make the dish. Doing so allows the preparation time to go faster and stay organized. Also all preparation work should be done before one starts to cook. This prevents distractions, time loss, and stress that can lead a person to ruin the dish. Timing is everything when cooking meat.

Wash and rinse vegetables before cutting or pealing.

Carrots:

1. Peal carrots.
2. Chop carrots into roughly 3/4 inch chunks.

Onion:

1. Take skin off onion.
2. Cut onion into thirds.

Potatoes:

1. Do not peal potatoes.
2. Cut potatoes into roughly 3/4 inch chunks.

Corn Beef:

1. Remove corn beef and pickling spice from package.
2. Throughly rinse brine off the corn beef and pickling spices package.
3. Pat corn beef dry to remove excess moisture.

Spice:

1. Put light brown sugar in a bowl.
2. Mix pickling spice and garlic power in a separate bowl.

Miscellaneous:

1. Find two bottles of stout and put them on the counter.
2. Take one large spoon full of bacon grease and put it in a bowl.
3. Preheat oven to 300F.

The process of cooking the dish is done in two parts, stove top and oven cooking. These parts must be done in the order of stove top first and oven second. The stove top portion main objective is to make the broth, and cooks the corn beef a little bit to speed up the oven cook time. While the oven portion's purpose is to slow cook the corn beef and vegetables which keeps them juicy and tender.

Stove Top Directions:

1. In a large pot mix together the beer and brown sugar.
2. Once thoroughly mixed, place corn beef brisket in the pot. The beer should be almost cover the brisket.
3. Add and mix in the pickling spice and garlic to the pot.
4. Turn stove on medium and bring to a simmer. To prevent beer boiling over don't cover pot.
5. Once beer starts to simmer turn stove off. Oven should be Preheated by now.

1. Once stove is turn off place vegetables and bacon grease into the pot. Try to nuzzle them around the corn beef and in the beer broth.
2. After vegetables are added to the pot. Cover the pot with tin foil and place inside the oven.
3. Let the corn beef and vegetables cook inside the over for 4-5 hours.
4. After 2 hours remove pot form the oven and flip corn beef. Once corn beef is flipped cover the pot and place it back in the oven. Vegetables can also be move around and mixed up at this time.
5. Check again after 2 additional hours have gone by. If the beef and vegetables are done then remove pot from the oven and let it cool for 10 mins on the stove.

1. Remove corn beef from the pot with a fork and place onto a cutting board. Careful corn beef will still be very hot.
2. Slice the corn beef into strips and place on plate. Corn beef should be cut along the long axis to create short strips or slices.
3. Once sliced you can put 2-3 slices on a plate.
4. Using a spoon, fish out the potatoes, onions and carrots from the pot and place on the same plate as the corn beef. Try to strain out as much broth as possible when doing this. You don't want your dish to be a mote of beer broth.
5. Take 2-3 table spoonfuls of the broth and poor over the corn beef before serving. The broth can also be put in a gravy dish and your guest can ladle the amount of broth they want over the beef.
6. Bring plate to the table and enjoy!

Corn Beef Sandwich:

1. Remove corn beef from the pot and slice corn beef on a cutting board.
2. On a plate, place slices on top of the bread of your choice. I'd use sour dough, french or italian.
3. Ladle out onions and place on top of the corn beef.
4. Place another slice of bread on top of the onions.
5. Ladle out the carrots and potatoes from the pot and place on the same plate as the sandwich.
6. A small bowl filled with beer broth can be added to the plate for a dipping sauce. Similar to a french dip au jus sauce.
7. Bring Plate to the table and enjoy!