Sous Vide Corned Beef is an entirely unique way to cook this special salt cured brisket of beef. The goal of this recipe, is to create the juiciest, most tender Corned Beef you have eaten. Mission accomplished.
Sous Vide cooking is easy unlike the pronunciation of its name (Sue Veed). It is French for ‘under vacuum’. Food is placed in a vacuum sealed bag, then cooked submerged in water. A Sous Vide cooker is used to bring the water up to the required temperature. An immersion circulator is another name for a Sous Vide cooker.
The result is juicier, more tender food. As it is a longer style of cooking, consequently, it offers a lot of flexibility. The water temperature is constant, so food can be held until the last of your guests arrives without any risk of overcooking. Corned Beef cooked Sous Vide is unmatched in taste and texture, so as you can imagine, this is a preferred method of cooking steaks, meats and fish.
Ingredients
The ingredients for Sous Vide Corned Beef could not be easier. Buy fresh corned beef. It is sold in a vacuum sealed plastic pouch, usually with a packet of pickling spices in most supermarkets.
Instructions
Trim as much or as little surface fat off the Corned Beef, then sprinkle on the pickling spices.
Rub in the spices gently to the remaining fat layer, so that they will adhere well to the fat.
Choose a food saver bag that fits the size of the Corned Beef, one that allows space around all sides. Place a weight in the bag. Remove the air using a food saver.
Place the vacuum sealed bag into a container with warm or hot water. Ensure the bag is submerged in the water.
Place the Sous Vide cooker into the water, then set the temperature for 180 degrees F. for 10 hours.
When the cooking time of the Corned Beef has been reached, remove the vacuum sealed bag from the water. Allow the Corned Beef to cool off for 10 minutes. Open the bag and place the meat onto a board ready to slice.
Flexibility with Ingredients
Replace Corned Beef with regular beef brisket, or even pork shoulder.
Use your own blend of pickling spices if you would prefer not to use the packet. Pickling spices usually include crushed bay leaf, mustard seeds, coriander seeds, peppercorns, and anise seeds. Other spices to include are red pepper flakes, allspice, cloves and cardamom.
An optional ingredient to include is beef stock and / or beer, stout or porter. This addition of liquid is not needed, but it will mix with the meat juices and provide a delicious medium for carrots and baby potatoes to cook in, if they are part of the meal.
Flexibility with Equipment
Replace the vacuum seal bag and corresponding food saver machine with a large freezer bag, big enough to hold the Corned Beef. Suck out as much air as you can using a straw. This creates a vacuum sealed bag without the equipment.
I used a container specifically designed for Sous Vide cooking. It has a hinged lid and a hole that perfectly fit my Sous Vide cooker. Any container large enough to hold the Corned Beef and enough water to submerge will work. It could be a clean (new) bucket or a pot.
No need to fret if you don’t have a Sous Vide Cooker. Simply use a binder clip and an accurate thermometer. You’ll need a pot to be the water bath for the Corned Beef. Clip the binder clip onto the top of the pot. Allow the metal loops to be in their upright position. Position the thermometer through these loops, so that the thermometer is being held away from the pot walls and the tip is well submerged in the water. Heat up the water until it reaches 180 degrees F., then lower the temperature. The goal is keep the water at the 180 degree mark for 10 hours. Adjust the heat accordingly.
Uses for Sous Vide Corned Beef
The primary use for Sous Vide Corned Beef in this part of the world, is for St. Patrick’s day meal. It would seem that March 17th would not be the same without the traditional serving of Corned Beef and Cabbage.
Slice Corned Beef thinly for Reuben sandwiches or as a deli meat for any kind of sandwich. The colder the Corned Beef is, the easier it will be to thinly slice.
Corn Beef Hash is a popular breakfast and brunch dish that uses leftover chunks of Corned Beef, for instance Corn Beef Hash.
Storage
Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Freeze leftovers for up to 2-3 months in a freezer bag or airtight container. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator.
Equipment
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A Tip From Me
Feel free to make Sous Vide Corned Beef a day ahead. Once cooking is complete, remove the vacuum sealed bag from the water bath. The goal is to cool it as quickly as possible as it enters the Twilight Danger Zone. The Danger Zone is a temperature range between 40 – 140 degrees F. when bacteria in food can double in less than 20 minutes. Remove the hot water in the container or pot used to cook the Corned Beef and replace it with iced water. Please the Corned Beef, still in the vacuum sealed bag, in the iced water.
After about 30 minutes the Corned Beef will have cooled down enough to remove it from the iced water bath and into the refrigerator.
Reheat the Corned Beef using the Sous Vide Method by placing the vacuum sealed bag into a 160 degrees F. water bath for 2 -3 hours until the meat has reached an internal temperature of 145 degrees F when tested with a digital thermometer.
Got Questions?
I’ve got answers – hopefully!
- Can I Sous Vide my Corned Beef at 135 degrees F.? Yes, but it will take much longer. On the whole it could take as long as 24 – 36 hours.
- How do I know if my Corned Beef is tender enough? If you follow this recipe matching the temperature and timing, then your Corned Beef will be tender. However if you decide to lower the temperature and have the Corned Beef cook for a longer period of time, then I recommend removing the vacuum sealed bag of Corned Beef from the water bath. Allow the meat to rest (that means leave it alone) for about 5 minutes. Open the bag and cut or pull off a piece of the meat. Look and taste for tenderness. If it feels a little underdone or rubbery, reseal the bag using the food saver and return the bag to the water for further cooking.
Food Safety
The Danger Zone was mentioned in the ‘A Tip From Me’ section. More information about it can be found here.
The USDA have an entire page dedicated to the safe handling and service of Corned Beef.
Sous Vide Corned Beef
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 lb corned beef save the pickling spice packet that comes with it.
Instructions
- Trim as much or as little surface fat off the Corned Beef. Sprinkle on the pickling spices.
- Rub in the spices gently to the remaining fat layer, so that they will adhere well to the fat.
- Choose a food saver bag that fits the size of the Corned Beef, one that allows space around all sides. Place a weight in the bag. Remove the air using a food saver.
- Place the vacuum sealed bag into a container with warm or hot water. Make sure the bag is submerged in the water.
- Place the Sous Vide cooker into the water. Set the temperature for 180 degrees F. for 10 hours.
- When the cooking time of the Corned Beef has been reached, remove the vacuum sealed bag from the water. Allow the Corned Beef to cool off for 10 minutes. Open the bag and place the meat onto a board ready to slice.
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