"Pete C." > wrote in message
ster.com...
>
> Theron wrote:
>>
>> "FERRANTE" > wrote in message
>> ...
>> >I am going to start cooking my two corned beef briskets tonight in my
>> > new crock pot and I have a question: should I cover the briskets with
>> > water and not use that much? I was thinking that since it would be
>> > slow cooking all night that the steam (heat) would cook them
>> > thoroughly without needing so much water, but I am not sure. That is
>> > where you seasoned cooks come in.
>> >
>> > How much water is needed?
>> >
>> > Thanks,
>> > Mark
>>
>> I've been wondering about baking, or steaming a mildly cured bottom
>> round.
>> If you seared the brisket first[I recommend regardless of what you do],
>> and
>> used a small amount of water, you'd be steaming. You could raise the
>> brisket
>> slightly off the bottom. I'd cover tightly.
>>
>> I just thought. If you did this and the end result was too much salt
>> and/or
>> "too tough" you could just continue on and braise in the usual fashion.
>> The best St. Patrick's day to you,
>> Ed
>
> I always bake my corned beef briskets, I think they come out much better
> than boiling / braising. They bake on a rack in a deep pan with a bit of
> water in the bottom. Oddly enough those directions are on the package of
> the brisket I currently have in the oven. I started baking them years
> ago though.

Thanks Pete. The Safeway corned beef package I'm about to cook says the same
thing. I've never tried it. Do you brown the brisket first? I've been
browning when I braise and it makes quite a difference. You could also use
beer in your steaming liquid, though I doubt that it would make any
difference.

Ed,