Theron wrote:
>
> "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,

I just take it out of the package, put it on a rack in the pan and
sprinkle the seasoning stuff on top. The relatively long time in the
oven browns the outside just fine. Leaving the corning / pickling gook
also helps glaze it a bit. Water in the bottom of the pan mostly keeps
the drippings from burning.

I made some very tasty corned beef has this morning with a bit of the
brisket I baked last night along with the potatoes and onions I boiled
along with some cabbage (I left the cabbage out of the hash).