Why did I end up with mushy corned beef?
I cooked my first ever corned beef brisket. I think it was a point cut by the shape of it. I won the darn thing and the package did not specify.
Anyway, I brought to a boil then reduced to a simmer for three hours. The taste is good but the texture is mushy. It seems a little fatty. Did I overcook it?
Best Answer
Take everything I say with a grain of salt (pun intended) as I am writing from Texas where we do nobler things with brisket. A true corned-beef-expert would be of Irish or Jewish descent, and from New York.
The meat should have relatively tough individual fibers that separate easily because of the long, wet cooking. It is pretty difficult to overcook brisket as it is so tough. Like Chuck Norris but tastier. Three hours would definitely not be enough time.
It can be fatty and that will be pretty much up to how much of the fat was trimmed off when it was butchered. An untrimmed brisket has a solid layer of fat that can be as much as a half inch thick. Obviously trimmed briskets cost more. The fat can be nice for smoking but the corned beef I have seen is not as fatty.
Fatty and mushy are not the same thing, of course. If the meat is actually mushy then I suspect that it was packed with a meat tenderizer as well as the corning salt and seasonings. If this is the case then there isn't much you could have done differently. Just don't buy that brand next time. Better yet, next time, corn it yourself.
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Quick Answer about "Why did I end up with mushy corned beef?"
Brisket is not a fan of high temperature. When cooked on high for too long, corned beef is likely to turn out tough and chewy rather than soft and tender. Instead: Regardless of the cooking method, corned beef is best cooked over low heat.Can corned beef be overcooked?
Yes, it's possible to overcook corned beef. When this happens, the meat will be tough and dry. Keeping the temperature low and checking the internal temp of the meat should help you to avoid this fate. If all else fails, you can reheat the slices in a bit of liquid to help moisten them.Is my corned beef overcooked or undercooked?
If the meat is tender, the fork should easily slide in and out of the meat. You can even use the fork to pull apart the meat fibers. And if the fibers fall apart easily, that means the meat is tender. However, if you don't see the same results, you've failed to cook corned beef properly.How do you fix overcooked corned beef?
The oven should be preheated to 355 degrees Fahrenheit. Wrap the corned beef in aluminum wrap to keep it from drying out. bake for 30 minutes. It should be reheated for five minutes.Should corned beef be falling apart?
How Long to Cook Corned Beef in the Crock Pot. Cook in the slow cooker on high for closer to 6 hours. Most recipes recommend you cook the brisket for 4 to 4 1/2 hours on high in the slow cooker. In doing so you'll have nicely cut portions that while tender, simply don't fall apart when stuck with a fork.Why do we eat corned beef on St. Patrick's Day?
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Answer 2
A number of consumer-available corned beefs are chemically tenderized with papayin and other similar compounds.
If you still have it, check the packaging to see a list of ingredients. Check for papayin and other enzymes listed as meat tenderizers.
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