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Crock Pot Corned Beef With Beer

Crockpot Corned Beef Brisket

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The easiest slow cooker corned beef brisket that you'll ever see! Set it and forget, then enjoy for the rest of the week for you and your family!

Drunken Corned Beef Brisket

Like so many mixed-heritage families, I have bright shiny green Irish roots. My maternal grandfather, Tom Sheahan, boasts that his drunken slow cooker corned beef brisket is the best in the world. Naturally, I begged him and his lovely bride, Judi, for the recipe so that I could bring it to you – the best corned beef you will ever eat! Maybe because it is slow cooked in a bath or Irish beer (or cider, how I cook it), or maybe because it's blessed with a little Irish luck from the fiery proud Irish Sheahan's. Whatever the reason, it is tasty! And perfect for a St. Patrick's Day celebration.

Why is it called corned beef?

Corned beef typically starts off as a cured brisket that is then seasoned and cooked with any number of spices and methods. No, corned beef does not actually involve corn. "Corned" refers to the curing of the beef with "corns" of salt.

Corned Beef Brisket Crock Pot Ingredients

Here's what you'll need to make this corned beef:

  • Beer – for the cooking liquid, you're going to use 6 bottles of hard cider (for gluten free) or a lager beer, like Harp's. If you prefer alcohol free, feel free to substitute with 72 ounces of beef broth.
  • Corned Beef Brisket – for the star of the show, you'll need 3-5 pounds of packaged corned beef brisket. Ask your butcher or deli if they have "corned beef" briskets. They are typically packed like a normal brisket, but are cured and come with a packet of seasoning.
  • Shallots – 2 quartered shallots provide a really delicate and sweet flavor.
  • Cooking Onions – yellow onions have a sweet flavor and are a great choice for cooking onions to balance out the bitter from the beer. You'll need 3 onions, quartered, for this recipe.
  • Bay Leaves – 2 bay leaves give a subtle peppery flavor and add another layer of flavor to the dish.
  • Carrots – 3 peeled and quartered carrots add brightness.
  • Cabbage – a ¼ head of cabbage, cut into 3 pieces, is the perfect accompaniment to the corned beef.
  • Black Peppercorns – 5 is the magic number of peppercorns to give the freshest pepper flavor.
  • Black Pepper – 1 teaspoon of black pepper rounds out the flavors.

Supplies Needed to Make this Corned Beef Brisket

  • Crock Pot

How to Cook Corned Beef Brisket in Slow Cooker

Here's how you'll make slow cooker corned beef brisket:

  1. Rub the brisket – place the brisket in your crockpot, or other slow cooker, and rub with the contents of the seasoning packet.
  2. Add beer – pour 2 beers into the crockpot over the beef.
  3. Add remaining ingredients – add your carrots, onions, shallots, cabbage, peppercorn, bay leaves, and ground pepper.
  4. Add remaining beer – pour in more beer until the contents of the crockpot are covered.
  5. Cook – cook on low for 8 hours.
  6. Drain – pull out and drain brisket over the pot, then place in a dish on the counter and let cool for 10-15 minutes. Save about 1.5 cups of the broth and the contents of the slow cooker if you want to enjoy them as a side to your dish.
  7. Cover and chill – cover the brisket with plastic wrap (or seal in a dish), then place in the freezer for 1 – 1 ½ hours. This step is optional, but recommended and will help you slice the brisket later.
  8. Slice – slice the brisket against the grain (cross-grain), as thinly as possible.
  9. Serve and enjoy!

Should brisket be submerged in the slow cooker?

Yes! This recipe calls for the brisket to be submerged in the beer in the slow cooker. This will ensure that the top of the brisket does not dry out during cooking!

How many hours per pound of you cook corned beef?

General rule of thumb is one hour per pound when cooking in the oven. Since this recipe cooks low and slow in the crockpot, you'll want to cook for 8 hours for the most tender and moist meat.

Does corned beef get more tender the longer it is cooked?

Yes! The corned beef will get more tender as it cooks, but be careful! You can actually overcook your meat in the crock pot, and it could dry out. The meat is ready when it is fork-tender.

Crock Pot Corned Beef Brisket FAQs

How do you keep drunken corned beef brisket moist?

Ensuring that there is enough liquid in the crock pot will help keep the brisket moist.

Why is my slow cooked brisket tough?

Make sure you cook your brisket for the recommended amount of time. It should be moist and fork-tender when it is done. If your brisket is tough, it may need to cook longer!

What do you serve with crock pot corned beef brisket?

Corned beef brisket is delicious served alongside the cabbage and carrots it cooked with in the crock pot. It also pairs along well with mashed potatoes, sauerkraut, and a simple green salad, in addition to a cold, Irish beer.

Storing and Reheating Corned Beef Brisket

Store your corned beef brisket in a container in the fridge for up to 5 days or sliced and frozen in a freezer safe bag or container for up to 3 months. To reheat, you can microwave or warm in a pan.

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Drunken Crock Pot Corned Beef Brisket

Cooked corned beef in a white serving dish surrounded by cooked carrots and cabbage with utensils on the side and bowl of mixed greens and bowl of sauerkraut to the top.

The easiest slow cooker corned beef brisket that you'll ever see! Set it and forget, then enjoy for the rest of the week for you and your family!

  • Author: Cassy Joy Garcia
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 hours
  • Total Time: 10 hours 30 minutes
  • Yield: 3 dozen servings 1x
  • Category: Food Recipes
  • Method: Crock Pot
  • 6 bottles hard cider (for gluten free) -or- lager beer, like Harp's
  • 3–5 pounds packaged corned beef brisket
  • 2 shallots, quartered
  • 3 small cooking onions, quartered
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 3 carrots, peeled and quartered
  • ¼  head of cabbage, cut into 3 pieces
  • 5 peppercorns
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  1. Place the brisket in your crockpot, or other slow cooker, and rub with the contents of the seasoning packet.
  2. Pour 2-3 beers into the crockpot over the beef.
  3. Add your carrots, onions, shallots, cabbage, peppercorn, bay leaves, and ground pepper.
  4. Pour in the remaining beer until the contents of the crockpot are covered.
  5. Cook on low for 8 hours.
  6. Pull out and drain brisket over the pot, then place in a dish on the counter and let cool for 10-15 minutes. Save about 1.5 cups of the broth and the contents of the slow cooker if you want to enjoy them as a side to your dish.
  7. Cover the brisket with plastic wrap (or seal in a dish), then place in the freezer for 1 – 1 ½ hours. This step is optional, but recommended and will help you slice the brisket later.
  8. Slice the brisket against the grain (cross-grain), as thinly as possible.
  9. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

Instant Pot Version:

  1. Add corned beef to Instant Pot and then sprinkle it with the contents of the seasoning packet.
  2. Add all remaining ingredients to Instant Pot.
  3. Place the lid on the pot, cover, and make sure the valve is set to sealed. Press the "manual" button and set to cook for 90 minutes.
  4. After 90 minutes is up, let the pressure release naturally (about 20 minutes) and remove the lid from the pot.
  5. Once the beef is done, follow the remaining instructions from Step 14 on.

Recipe source: Adapted from Sheahan's Tipsy Leprechaun Corned Beef Brisket

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Source: https://fedandfit.com/drunken-slow-cooker-corned-beef-brisket/