Smoked Corned Beef and Cabbage

[smoker pete]

First let me say that I love Corned Beef and Cabbage and have always simmered my Corned Beef for hours before preparing the cabbage, onions, carrots, and potatoes.  I have never cooked a Corned Beef in the oven so I wasn't sure what to expect when I chose to smoke my first Corned Beef.



Soaked the Corned Beef in water for 3 hours.  Changed the water every hour.  The Corned Beef had a pale appearance.  Dusted a small amount of spices just for grins.



PID @ 250º / 2 hours of hickory / pulled when IT reached 158º. It  took 4 ¼ hours (it was 3.77 lbs).  It sure looked and smelled great!!  So far so good ...



Here is the Corned Beef brisket after resting in foil for 20 minutes.  Certainly had a great smoke infused flavor and was quite moist ... BUT as I sampled a slice I found it to be very tough, leathery, to the point where I could have used it for stick of gum cause I chewed, chewed, and then chewed but it kept it's consistency.  Wasn't anything like the boiled Corned Beef that I have enjoyed for so many years.  But it sure smelled and looked great.



Popped it in the oven at 450º for 20 minutes to see if it would become chewable.
Here is the $$shot served with some boiled cabbage, onions, carrots and steamed potatoes.  



Alas, it was still tough!  Tried my best to chew a few pieces of Corned Beef but to no avail.  Since I love vegetables I decided to turn this into a vegan meal.  My thoughts are that I don't think I did anything wrong since the Corned Beef was certainly cooked.  For now I will just revert to simmering my Corned Beef for hours on the stove.  Maybe those that have smoked a Corned Beef for immediate consumption might share their thoughts on the subject.  Should I have smoked the Corned Beef and placed it in the fridge overnight and served it tomorrow?  For clarification, I was not trying to make Corned Beef Pastrami.

[Smokin Soon]

Pete, I'm with you on this one. I have done 2 attempts on corn beef in the smoker with the same results as yours. I was brought up with corned beef from a pressure cooker, and that is the way I still do it. I guess it is just what you are used to.

[Ka Honu]

I've had good luck cold-smoking and then steaming in the oven or (better method), smoking  to 150°F IT, wrap in saran and refrigerate for 24-36 hours. Then steam on a rack in a covered roasting pan in a  275°F oven for 2-3 hours.

[FLBentRider]

You cooked it to doneness, but not tenderness.

Next time, smoke it like a brisket to an IT of 180-190F and you will get that tenderness you are looking for.

Although, you may want to smoke it first and then put it in the pressure cooker.

[BuyLowSellHigh]

FLBR has you covered.  Remember that it's still a brisket and if you want tender you probably want to take it to an IT of 180 - 195 °F, depending on how tender you want it.  If you are used to a corned beef brisket simmered until fork tender, then probably you'll want to be in the upper end of the range.

For smoked there are a couple of ways you can go - entirely in the Bradley, applying smoke for a portion of the total cooking period (much like doing a brisket), or smoke then steam.  I think it you follow the basic method for cooking pastrami without the seasoned coating (or curing if you start with a commercial corned beef brisket) you will be pleased with the results.  There are two versions on the Recipe site. 

One is smoked and cooked in the smoker
http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?154-Pastrami

the other is steaming after smoking
http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?575-Steaming-Pastrami

[squirtthecat]

I think that's what I would do as well...   Smoke to 140°, then into the pressure cooker with a bottle of Guinness for a 30 minute ride.   Release pressure and check for tenderness.    Best of both worlds - sort of.

[Tenpoint5]

Smoker Pete,
I had the exact same results that you did when I did mine the other day. I am thinking of doing just like FLB mentioned. I will take the IT up to the 180º range.

[Oysterhog]

What happens if you cold smoke it for a couple hours then boil it as usual? I have done pot roast that way, smoke it a while, sear it, then finish the normal way.

[Ka Honu]

I don't boil corned beef so there's no "as usual" about it.  Having said that, remember that the flavor result of cold-smoking stays almost exclusively on the surface of the meat. 

My guess is that if you soak it in water, you'll wash almost all that flavor off. If you heat the water, you'll boil the rest out.  Browning before boiling might help a bit but probably not enough to make it worth the effort.  Remember, with a pot roast, you're consuming all of the liquid (with the smoke flavor) as gravy - not so with corned beef.

Alternate recommendation:  After cold smoke, cover all sides with sliced onions & ground pepper, wrap securely in foil (with a bit of room but no leaks), and bake (in a dish at least a couple of inches deep) at 350°F for 3 hours (regardless of size).  When you unwrap, use the liquid to cook the other veggies.

[smoker pete]

I don't boil corned beef so there's no "as usual" about it.  Having said that, remember that the flavor result of cold-smoking stays almost exclusively on the surface of the meat. 

My guess is that if you soak it in water, you'll wash almost all that flavor off. If you heat the water, you'll boil the rest out.  Browning before boiling might help a bit but probably not enough to make it worth the effort.  Remember, with a pot roast, you're consuming all of the liquid (with the smoke flavor) as gravy - not so with corned beef.

Alternate recommendation:  After cold smoke, cover all sides with sliced onions & ground pepper, wrap securely in foil (with a bit of room but no leaks), and bake (in a dish at least a couple of inches deep) at 350°F for 3 hours (regardless of size).  When you unwrap, use the liquid to cook the other veggies.

I have boiled my corned beef for years but I would have to agree that smoking and then boiling would negate the effects of the smoke.

What about hot smoking for 2 hours @ 250º and then proceeding with your 'Alternate recommendation'?  Maybe reduce the 3 hours in the oven by just a tad.  It's worth a try cause we do enjoy corned beef.

[BuyLowSellHigh]

I think you can go even longer than 2 hrs with the smoke.  If it were mine I would follow with steaming a la pastrami.  Doing that with a commercially packaged corned beef I would probably start by  soaking it in cold water for a couple of hours changing the water after one hour. In steaming you wont have the dilution or washing effect of the long simmer in a water batch that removes much of the salt and any residual curing agent in the raw meat.  In a pressure cooker, I have no idea, but if it's not gong to be submerged then I would soak it a good bit first.

When corned beef is made the curing pickle typically includes some variation on pickling spice.  Then when it is cooked the same or another variation of the same is added to the pot with the liquid (the commercial packages usually include a small seasoning packet for that reason).  For pastrami the spicing for cooking is coated on the meat prior to smoking/cooking, and is usually much heavier than what you would put in the poi for corned beef.  You should feel free to spice and season the corned beef before the smoke as you see fit.  If you want to stay close to your favorite boiled corned beef taste rather than go the pastrami or Montreal smoked meat direction, then probably a light coating of a commercial pickling spice blend would work well.