There is never enough corned beef. We have been fortunate to be able to get really good quality CB around St. Patrick's Day at our local Coop. Size varies but usually about 5 lbs per. They are prepared by a Deli in Boston and shipped to the store only at that time of year. We generally get the "red" CB because the seasoning is mild and the cut is not the usual brisket only. It's a different cut. They are rolled and tied, although I usually snip the strings when cooking it to allow more heat to reach the center. Bigger is better due to shocking amount of shrinkage and leftovers are more than welcome.
I simply place the beef in a large Dutch oven, with water and beer to cover. I used 1 lager last time. More is probably better. Bring to a boil and simmer for 2 ½ to 3 hours. That's it. No cabbage. No carrots. Remove to cutting board when done, slice and we serve it with roasted Brussels sprouts and colcannon. Sides are cooked separately.
Corned Beef Hash
Best results so far were achieved by par cooking ingredients, then frying in olive oil:
Ingredients:
About ¾ pound of leftover CB cut in ½ inch pieces
About a 6-7 small red potatoes large dice, not peeled
1 medium yellow onion chopped
salt/pepper/nutmeg to taste
Gently saute onion in olive oil until transparent on low heat, covered, remove onion from pan and set aside
In a separate pan boil diced potatoes with about ¾ cup of salted water until almost done, about 10 minutes on medium heat, drain and set aside
Using the same pan as the onions were cooked in, add a tbsp or so of olive oil, heat until shimmering, then add the CB, onion, potatoes, and seasonings. Fry without stirring until crusty on the bottom, then turn and fry a bit longer, potatoes should be done now.
Serve with poached eggs