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CORNED BEEF (Silverside) – Old Fashioned, but still good!!
Corned beef (or Silverside) is one of our favourite family meals and I always buy a big piece so there is plenty leftover for cold meat for sandwiches the following day.
I've been cooking my Mum's corned beef recipe for well over 35 years, and up until recently haven't adjusted it, until a good friend told me about adding an orange, which I do now as well. And while I love my Mum's recipe, and it will continue to be my favoured dish (recipe below), I've tried another couple of recipes below for a different twist.
The following hints will also help you make a lovely, moist corned beef that isn't too salty.
If you've got the time, you can also make up a lovely sauce to go with it.
All in all corned beef is ideal to take camping. It usually comes vacuum-sealed, so you can store it in your fridge for an extended time, and is easy to cook on the stovetop or over the fire.
Hints for cooking Corned Beef:
If I have the time, use the first method of cooking detailed here. If not, then rinsing or soaking the corned beef will certainly help.
Method 1:Put corned beef into a large pot of cold water. Bring to the boil, then remove meat and pour off all water – this removes a lot of the impurities and excess saltiness. Refill the pot with cold water, bring back to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer gently for about 1 hour per kilo.
Method 2:Rinse the corned meat before cooking. In most supermarkets corned meat is sold in vacuum-sealed bags that contain some of the brining liquid. It’s best to rinse the corned meat in cold running water before cooking to remove any surface brine, which can give an overly salty taste.
Method 3:Soak corned meat in a bowl of cold water for a little while, overnight in the fridge if possible, to draw out excess salt. Place the corned meat in a large bowl and cover with water. Refrigerate the meat until you are ready to cook it.
•1/2 tspn bi-carb-soda helps soften the fibres and preserves the colour of the meat.
•Skim frequently to remove impurities and scum from the top of the liquid.
•Do not let the meat boil or it will become dry and stringy. Adjust the heat throughout the cooking time so it remains at a gently simmering point.
•To test if the meat is tender - A fork should easily penetrate to the centre of the meat when it’s ready to serve. As a guide corned meat takes about 25 to 30 minutes per 500g.
•When finished cooking, take off the heat and allow the meat to sit in the stock for about 20 mins – this makes it easier to slice.
Corned Beef
Ingredients:
1 x 2kg piece corned beef - prepared as above
2 onions - peeled and quartered
1 leek - cut into small chunks (optional)
2 celery stalks - cut into small chunks
1 carrot - cut into small chunks
4 bay leaves
1 tblspn whole black peppercorns
1 small whole head of garlic - can be cut in half crossways (skin and all) 10 or so whole cloves
3 sprigs thyme
1/4 tspn ground nutmeg
1 tblspn brown sugar
1 tspn mustard powder
½ cup white vinegar
Method:
Put the prepared corned beef into a large pan with enough cold water to cover the meat.
Add the remaining ingredients to the pan and bring to the boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer gently until the meat is cooked (approx 2 hours).
When the meat is cooked, turn the heat off but leave the corned beef in the pot for another 20 minutes. This makes it easier to slice.
Serve with a white sauce or some mustard sauce, mashed potatoes, cabbage and peas!!
White Mustard Sauce
1 good tblspn butter
1 1/2 tblspns plain flour
1 cup milk
1 tspn dried mustard powder
1 tblspn white vinegar
1 tspn sugar
salt, pepper
Melt butter in a small saucepan.
Add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon.
Cook slowly over medium heat, stirring continuously to cook out the rawness of the flour. Do not brown.
Bring the milk to the boil in a separate pan and pour it all at once into the flour mix and whisk vigorously - this method works really well and you'll have a smooth sauce with no lumps.
Stir until the sauce comes to the boil, then reduce the heat and stir for a minute or so until it thickens.
Add the mustard, vinegar and sugar and stir until combined. Season to taste.
Sweet & Sour Mustard Sauce for Corned Beef
2 tspns mustard powder
1 tblspn cornflour
1 1/2 tblspns sugar
1/2 cup vinegar
Place the ingredients into a small saucepan and mix well to make a smooth mix.
Add 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid from the boiled corned beef pot. Bring to the boil, stirring to make a smooth sauce, then simmer for a minute to thicken.
Viv's Mum’s Corned Beef
1 x 2kg piece corned beef - prepared as above
1 dstspn mustard powder
1 tblspn brown sugar
2 tblspns brown vinegar
1 medium onion - peeled and studded with at least 8 whole cloves
Put the prepared corned beef into a large pan with enough cold water to cover the meat.
Add the remaining ingredients to the pan and bring to the boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer gently until the meat is cooked (approx 2 hours).
Serve with a white sauce or some mustard sauce, mashed potatoes, cabbage and peas!!
Viv's variation: you can add some whole black pepper corns, 2 bay leaves, 1 x orange quartered, or 1 orange studded with whole cloves, juice of 1 orange, 1/2 tspn allspice, use a mix of brown vinegar and balsamic vinegar.
Corned Beef Cumberland
A different way of serving up corned beef - something a little bit more extravagant.
1 x 2kg piece corned beef or silverside - prepared as above
1 tblspn white vinegar
2 tblspns brown sugar
1/2 tspn allspice
1 orange sliced whole cloves
Topping:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tspn dry mustard powder
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
Put the prepared corned beef into a large pan with enough cold water to cover the meat.
Add the vinegar, brown sugar, allspice and sliced orange to the pan and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer gently until the meat is cooked (approx 2 hours).
Remove the beef from the dish and place in a baking dish.
Score the fat on the top of the cooked corned beef into diamond shapes and stud with whole cloves.
Blend the brown sugar, mustard and add the orange juice and mix to blend.
Spoon evenly over the top of the corned beef and add 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid (taken from the pot the corned beef was cooked in).
Cook in a moderate oven 180°C (350°F) for 30 mins, basting often with the liquid from the dish.
Served with Cumberland Sauce.
Cumberland Sauce
2 tblspns finely shredded orange rind
1 tblspn finely shredded lemon rind
1/2 cup redcurrant jelly
1/2 cup orange juice
2 tblspns port
1 tspn dry mustard
1 tblspn cornflour or arrowroot
2 tblspns lemon juice
Place the orange and lemon rind into a small saucepan and cover with cold water.
Add the jelly, orange juice, port and mustard and stir over moderate heat until jelly melts.
Blend the cornflour with the lemon juice and then stir into the pan.
Stir constantly until the sauce thickens and them boil gently for 2 mins until the sauce thickens.
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 | Viv's guide to Camping & Cooking Essentials http://www.guidebooks.com.au/Viv Moon camping and food essentials.pdf |
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