Sous Vide Corned Beef Recipe

5 from 13 votes

Once you find your sweet spot texture, this 2-inredient sous vide corned beef recipe is pretty much foolproof. Pile it in reuben sandwiches, serve it with cabbage for St. Patrick's Day or make a corned beef hash for brunch. All delish.

Prep Time5

Cook Time1

reducing saltiness30

Total Time1 35

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Canadian, Irish

Servings (change as needed):

Author: Cheryl Avrich

Ingredients

2 1/4 pounds (1 kg) raw corned beef brisket, Note 1 pre-brined, ready-to-cook package
seasoning packet that comes with package (or Montreal Steak spice)

Instructions

PREPARE CORNED BEEF: Remove corned beef from package and rinse well. Place in a bowl and add water until meat is fully covered. Let it sit for 30 minutes to 2 hours. This will help remove some of the salt from the pre-brined corned beef. If short on time, rinse under cold water for several minutes.
Then pat dry and re-season with packet of seasoning that comes with corned beef. If there isn't one, sprinkle lightly with Montreal spice seasoning.
HEAT WATER BATH: Heat water with sous vide equipment to 155F/68.3C (Note 2 for other temperatures). I use hot water from the tap to get the water to temperature quicker.
SOUS VIDE CORNED BEEF: When water reaches the correct temperature:
°For water displacement method: place corned beef in zipper freezer plastic bag. Lower bag into water, unsealed, until top of the bag is just above water level, pushing as much air as possible out of bag. Then seal bag.
°For vacuum seal method: place roast in vacuum sealer bag. Seal bag with vacuum sealer machine. Lower bag into water.
Bag should not float. Use clip to attach to side of container or hang bag over side when you put on lid. Cover container with lid, towel, plastic wrap or aluminum foil to reduce evaporation.
Sous vide corned beef for 24 - 36 hours depending on the texture you prefer, Note 3. When finished, remove corned beef from bag and rest it for 10-20 minutes. Reserve juices if you want to use them to boil potatoes, cabbage and carrots. Otherwise discard them. Note 4 to sear.
SERVE: Slice corned beef ACROSS the grain. See Note 5 for serving suggestions.

Notes

Size of corned beef: Time and temperature will not change if your corned beef is smaller or bigger as most are about the same thickness (2-3 inches/5-7.6 cm).
Other time and Temperature options:
- 145F/62.8C for 36-40 hours (moist, steak-like texture, sliceable). This lower temperature means a long cooking time.
- 165F/74C or 16-20 hours (quite a bit of moisture loss, fall apart, flakey)
- 180F/82C for 10-12 hours (a lot of moisture loss, fall apart, dryer, shredded)
Preferred texture at 155F/68.3C with different times:
- 24 hours: sliceable, tender with a slight bite, moist
- 36 hours: sliceable bordering on shredding, not as moist, very tender.
Optional searing of corned beef: I don't bother (since corned beef is usually boiled), but you can sear the meat on a very hot grill or cast iron skillet for two minutes on one side (the fattier side).
How to serve corned beef:
- In a grilled reuben sandwich with Russian dressing, swiss cheese and sauerkraut between two pieces of rye bread.
- In a plain sandwich on rye bread with prepared or deli mustard with or without vinaigrette coleslaw.
- Sliced with boiled cabbage, carrots and potatoes - a traditional st. patrick's day meal.
- In a hash with potatoes, onions and peppers. Topped with a fried egg if you like. Here's our easy potato skillet breakfast with ham - just replace the ham with corned beef.
Make Ahead:
- If you're not using the corned beef right away, cool it in an ice bath for 10 minutes and put it in the fridge in the bag with the juices for 4-5 days. If you vacuum sealed the bag, it will last longer - about 10 days.
- To reheat, place the bag in a water bath at 10 degrees lower than the original temperature you used. Heat for 45-60 minutes.

Nutrition values are estimates for generous portions.