We seem to always think Ireland when the subject of corned beef and cabbage comes up, but you might be surprised at the storied past of this dish. If you care to take a deep dive into the history of corned beef, I recommend this article in The New York Times. My favorite way to eat corned beef is in the delicious sandwich made famous by Reuben Kulakofsky, the Reuben sandwich. You don't need to wait for St. Patrick's Day, or even dinner time tonight, for a great Reuben sandwich. I am going to show you How to Cook Corned Beef for Reuben Sandwiches any time of the year. You can cook corned beef in a crock pot, instant pot, large skillet, or a large pot on the stove. In my opinion, slow braising in the oven is the best method for cooking corned beef for Reuben sandwiches.
The real star of the original sandwich is the tender corned beef, but it would be nothing without my Reuben sauce recipe. Slather your beef sandwiches with it and serve extra in a small bowl for dipping. Don't think a jar of Russian dressing off the shelf will have the same result. You need to make the sauce!
Now, let's get started making the corned beef for a classic Reuben sandwich to rival the best local deli.
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Ingredients
- Corned Beef Brisket with spice packet
- The cut of meat used for corned beef is a beef roast referred to as a brisket. Corned beef differs from "brisket" in that it is salt cured. Any size corned beef brisket will work except for very small briskets which might get too dry.
- For homemade Reuben sandwiches I prefer the cut referred to as the flat versus the point.
- The flat is just that, flat. It cooks evenly and slices beautifully for Reuben sandwiches.
- The point works well for long cooking in a slow cooker or boiling in a pot.
- The meat from the point works best for shredding.
- Dijon Mustard
- Plain or grainy does not matter. The mustard adds a little extra flavor, but its primary job is to keep the spices in place.
Substitutions
I highly recommend making my Reuben Sauce recipe for the sandwich dressing. It is perfect. If you prefer, a good homemade Russian dressing, or a homemade Thousand Island dressing will work. I have never found a jarred dressing that I think lives up to the best Reuben.
Sandwich bread for a Reuben is, by tradition, slices of rye bread. I prefer Jewish rye or marble rye, the latter being the most difficult to find. Dill rye is delicious on a good Reuben too.
Slices of Swiss cheese are traditional for Reubens. I love the way a slice of melted cheese, especially Swiss cheese, oozes out from between the slices of bread.
Variations of How to Cook Corned Beef for Reuben Sandwiches
The Rachel sandwich is one of several variations on the Reuben sandwich. In place of the classic corned beef and sauerkraut, a Rachel sandwich is usually made with turkey or pastrami, topped with coleslaw. The ingredients they share in common are Swiss cheese and rye bread.
Instructions
Steps 1-6: Rinsing the corned beef.
- Remove brisket from package. I highly recommend doing so in the sink.
- Place a wire rack in sink.
- Remove spice packet. Rinse the juices from the spice packet and set aside.
- Turn on cold water.
- Lay the brisket on the wire rack. Thoroughly rinse brisket in cold running water. Turn the brisket over and repeat.
- Pat dry, leaving fat cap intact.
Steps 7-12: Prepping the corned beef.
- Remove brisket from sink. Trim off any connective tissue on flesh side.
- Leave the fat cap intact.
- Brush the fat cap side with Dijon mustard.
- Brush the flesh side with Dijon mustard.
- Sprinkle the spices from the packet on both sides.
- Place the brisket in a baking pan. Add a little water to come up about ½" in the baking dish.
Steps 13-21: Braising the corned beef.
- Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 320 degrees for two hours.
- Remove the meat and check the internal temperature. Corned beef must be at least 145 degrees for safe eating, but collagen and fat do not begin to dissolve until the temp reaches 190 degrees. The meat is safe to eat, but needs more time to tenderize. Mine is at 202 degrees and is starting to get tender, but needs more braising time.
- At this time you may find that the fat cap is beginning to shrink, causing the meat to curl. Use a sharp knife to cut through the fat cap from side to side in a couple of places. This should release the fat, allowing the beef to maintain a flat shape. Keep the fat cap in place, just score it. You will remove it later but for now it will keep the meat from drying out.
- Flip the meat with the fat cap down, cover with foil and return to oven. Continue checking for desired tenderness every 10-15 minutes.
- Remove from oven to a cutting board when tender and discard liquid.
- Use a sharp knife to remove the fat cap. Discard the fat cap.
- Cut a small piece of meat off the end and taste for saltiness. Oftentimes the meat will be too salty for your liking at this point. The saltiness of the corned beef varies from supplier to supplier, but it is an easy fix if it is too salty.
- Bring enough water to almost cover the corned beef to a slow boil in a saucepan over medium heat. Place the corned beef in the simmering water and reduce heat to medium low heat for 5 minutes. Take the meat out and taste again. If it is still too salty, return it for another five minutes. I generally ask my hubby for a second opinion at this point.
- If perfect, allow to cool before slicing. Notice the way the grain of the meat runs in the last picture? You will see that when I slice it, I slice it against the grain, not in the same direction in the grain. This is the secret to juicy, tender corned beef.
Recipe
How to Cook Corned Beef for Reuben Sandwiches
Equipment
- Wire rack
- Paper towels
- Small brush
- Sharp knife
- 9x11 baking pan
- Large skillet.
Ingredients
- 3.5 pounds corned beef brisket with spice packet
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard regular or grainy
- Water
Instructions
Prepare corned beef
- Remove brisket from package in the sink. Place a wire rack in sink.
- Remove spice packet. Rinse the juices from the spice packet and set aside. Turn on cold water.
- Lay the brisket on the wire rack. Thoroughly rinse brisket in cold running water. Turn the brisket over and repeat.
- Pat dry, leaving fat cap intact.
Prepping the corned beef
- Remove brisket from sink. Trim off any connective tissue on flesh side.
- Leave the fat cap intact. and brush that side with Dijon mustard.
- Turn the brisket over and brush the flesh side with Dijon mustard.
- Sprinkle the spices from the packet on both sides.
- Place the brisket in a baking pan. I used a 9x11 glass baking dish. Add a little water to come up about ½" in the baking dish.
Braising the corned beef
- Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 320 degrees for two hours.
- Remove the meat and check the internal temperature. Corned beef must be at least 145 degrees for safe eating, but collagen and fat do not begin to dissolve until the temp reaches 190 degrees. The meat is safe to eat, but needs more time to tenderize.
- At this time you may find that the fat cap is beginning to shrink, causing the meat to curl. Use a sharp knife to cut through the fat cap from side to side in a couple of places. This should release the fat, allowing the beef to maintain a flat shape. Keep the fat cap in place, just score it. You will remove it later but for now it will keep the meat from drying out.
- Flip the meat with the fat cap down, cover with foil and return to oven. Continue checking for desired tenderness every 10-15 minutes.
- Remove from oven to a cutting board when tender and discard liquid.
- Use a sharp knife to remove the fat cap. Discard the fat cap.
- Cut a small piece of meat off the end and taste for saltiness. Oftentimes the meat will be too salty for your liking at this point.
- If the meat is too salty, bring enough water to almost cover the corned beef to a slow boil in a saucepan over medium heat. Place the corned beef in simmering water for 5 minutes. Take the meat out and taste again. If it is still too salty, return it for another five minutes.
- If perfect, allow to cool before slicing. To get perfect tender slices you need to slice AGAINST the grain of the meat.
- Notice the way the grain of the meat runs in the picture. You will see that when I slice it, I slice it against the grain, not in the direction of the grain.
Making the Reuben
- Butter one side of each slice of bread and place it, butter side down, in a skillet over medium-low heat.
- Cover one side with a slice to two of Swiss cheese and the other side with the sliced corned beef. Pile it as high as you like.
- When the cheese melts and the meat heated through remove from heat. Top with my Reuben Sauce or Russian dressing. You can add sauerkraut or coleslaw if you like or serve them on the side. Lay a spear of kosher dill pickle alongside the sandwich and serve hot.
Notes
Nutrition
Approximate nutrition information is provided as a convenience and courtesy only. You are encouraged to do your own calculations if precise data is required.
Lea Ann (Cooking On The Ranch) says
I am so ready for a corned beef sandwich and this year it's going to be this one. I love the sound of that sauce .... and why have I never cooked my corned beef in ale? Love everything about this. Pinned.
Mary says
Thanks Lea Ann. I prefer a pale ale to a dark for the corned beef. Hope you like it!