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Corned Beef Brisket

Beef brisket is a Kansas City classic. In KC style BBQ, brisket is perfect barbecued and sliced, or transformed into burnt ends (aka beef brownies).

My favorite way to serve non-BBQ’d brisket is Irish style, or depending on who you ask, Jewish style, corned beef. However, the cooking instructions on corned beef packages make for a sad, chewy brisket that’s cooked way too hot and fast, and without enough seasoning.

This recipe is basically taking the seasoning from pastrami and the slow-and-low approach from BBQ, but leaving out the smoking part so you can do it in your oven. It’s fall-apart-tender, you can press it with a fork and it’ll just collapse into small strands. It’s pretty similar to the method that Danny Edwards BBQ uses for their brisket, except without the BBQ smoking. You can find their recipe online, or on the wall of their restaurant.

Smoking it for BBQ (or a more traditional pastrami prep) is the superior method, but takes more practice. This one is pretty fool proof.

Corned Beef

Improved cooking instructions for prepackaged "St. Patricks' Day" style corned beef
Print Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
Course Main Course
Cuisine American

Equipment

  • 1 roasting pan
  • 1-2 sheets aluminum foil
  • 1 sheet butcher paper
  • 1 heavy kitchen towel

Ingredients
  

  • 2-4 lb corned beef or beef brisket
  • 1/2 stick unsalted butter
  • 1-2 cups pickle juice
  • 1-2 cups water
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • 1-2 Bay leaves
  • 1/8 tsp coriander seed
  • 1/8 tsp whole peppercorns
  • 1/8 tsp MSG
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 275 degrees.
  • Place brisket or corned beef in center of roasting pan.
  • Add 1-2 cups pickle juice, water, and Bay leaves to pan. You want the mixture to come about halfway up the height of the brisket.
  • Add mustard seed, coriander, peppercorns, MSG, and salt over the brisket.
  • Place butter on top of brisket.
  • Cover pan with foil.
  • Once brisket reaches around 195 degrees, remove foil from pan and continue roasting. Set the foil aside but don't throw it away. (This is a great time to start making roast potatoes & carrots if you're intending to.)
  • Roast until center of brisket is 225 degrees, around 6 hours.
  • Remove from pan, wrap in butcher paper, wrap in foil, and wrap in the kitchen towel.
  • Let rest for 30-45 minutes.
  • Unwrap from towel, foil, and butcher paper.
  • Slice and serve.

Notes

Best served with roasted potatoes and carrots, sauteed cabbage, and with mustard and/or horseradish sauce. 
Alternatively, slice and serve as a Reuben sandwich.