# Gearing Up For St. Patrick's Day Cooking: How to Give Corned Beef a Bit More Oomph? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 12, 2006, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gearing-up-for-st-patricks-day-cooking-how-to-give-corned-beef-a-bit-more-oomph/348079 "2006-03-12T21:09:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carnac_the_Magnificent)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2006, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gearing-up-for-st-patricks-day-cooking-how-to-give-corned-beef-a-bit-more-oomph/348079/1 "2006-03-12T21:09:30Z")
It’s hard to find an outstanding Irish restaurant, so I usually cook our St. Patrick’s Day feast. The corned beef I get at the supermarket is sold with its own spice packet but, when prepared as directed, is a tad understated for my tastes. How can I give it more oomph? I’ve seen bottles of pickling spices at the grocer, but am wondering if it’s just that easy: Add an extra tablespoon or so of spices. **ALSO** , can someone improve on the following menu: Corned beef, red potatoes, carrots, cabbage, Irish soda bread, and, um, green sherbet. ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2006, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gearing-up-for-st-patricks-day-cooking-how-to-give-corned-beef-a-bit-more-oomph/348079/2 "2006-03-12T21:12:18Z")
Melinda Lee has a recipe for Guiness ice cream on her website, melindalee dot com. ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2006, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gearing-up-for-st-patricks-day-cooking-how-to-give-corned-beef-a-bit-more-oomph/348079/3 "2006-03-12T21:14:11Z")
I add a lot of garlic to mine, and serve with garlic dill pickles- they go perfectly together. And if you have a slow cooker, that’s the way to go. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2006, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gearing-up-for-st-patricks-day-cooking-how-to-give-corned-beef-a-bit-more-oomph/348079/4 "2006-03-12T21:14:16Z")
The way to give corned beef more oomph? Buy pastrami. It’s _Irish cuisine. Irish cuisine_ is French for _sans oeumph_. ---
**Author:** ![Nic2004](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/4491bb/32.png) [@Nic2004](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nic2004)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2006, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gearing-up-for-st-patricks-day-cooking-how-to-give-corned-beef-a-bit-more-oomph/348079/5 "2006-03-12T21:38:06Z")
In a recent thread on recipies, a recommendation was made on corned beef. The poster said to cook it in a slow cooker for “twenty-four hours. Not twenty-three, not twenty-five, TWENTY-FOUR”. So a week or so ago I tried it. Fantastic! The most tender corned beef I’ve ever had. I took some water from the crock at the twenty-third hour and cooked the cabbage, carrots and potatoes in that seperately. Turned out reeeally well. I realize this doesn’t address the “more oomph” question but it may enhance the meal overall. ---
**Author:** ![Jake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2006, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gearing-up-for-st-patricks-day-cooking-how-to-give-corned-beef-a-bit-more-oomph/348079/6 "2006-03-12T22:19:31Z")
> [@Nic2004](#): > > In a recent thread on recipies, a recommendation was made on corned beef. The poster said to cook it in a slow cooker for “twenty-four hours. Not twenty-three, not twenty-five, TWENTY-FOUR”. So a week or so ago I tried it. > Fantastic! The most tender corned beef I’ve ever had. I took some water from the crock at the twenty-third hour and cooked the cabbage, carrots and potatoes in that seperately. > Turned out reeeally well. > > I realize this doesn’t address the “more oomph” question but it may enhance the meal overall. Was that the pre-cooked corn beef mentioned above (with the spice packet)? Seems like 24 hours in a crock pot would disintegrate it. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2006, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gearing-up-for-st-patricks-day-cooking-how-to-give-corned-beef-a-bit-more-oomph/348079/7 "2006-03-12T22:23:33Z")
Why not try giving it some oomph by not having it - what they actually have in Ireland is not corned beef, but “bacon and cabbage”. This is basically a big cut of cured gammon steak. You soak it overnight to remove the salt, then boil it of bake with a glaze, and serve with green cabbage (kale), potatoes (of course), sharp mustard (ironically English in most households) and gravy. Delicious, and very authentic. ---
**Author:** ![Jake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2006, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gearing-up-for-st-patricks-day-cooking-how-to-give-corned-beef-a-bit-more-oomph/348079/8 "2006-03-12T22:46:53Z")
“then boil it of bake with a glaze” I don’t understand what this means. ? ---
**Author:** ![Plynck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Plynck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plynck)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2006, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gearing-up-for-st-patricks-day-cooking-how-to-give-corned-beef-a-bit-more-oomph/348079/9 "2006-03-12T22:47:45Z")
> [@Carnac the Magnificent!](#): > > **ALSO** , can someone improve on the following menu: > > Corned beef, red potatoes, carrots, cabbage, Irish soda bread, and, um, green sherbet. :dubious: Ummm… Beer is conspicuous by its absence… An oversight, I hope? I simmer my corned beef with a chopped up onion, allspice and a bottle of dark beer. By the time it is ready, it is almost like simmering in a fragrant onion soup. I’ll throw the cabbage and the carrots in at the end, but I prefer plain boiled potatoes so I boil them separately. Although I generally loathe the American style of yellow mustard, I do like what it does to a corned beef dinner. Heresy (I know), but the vinegary sharpness seems to be a good contrast that I don’t get with authentic mustards. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2006, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gearing-up-for-st-patricks-day-cooking-how-to-give-corned-beef-a-bit-more-oomph/348079/10 "2006-03-12T22:55:43Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > Why not try giving it some oomph by not having it - what they actually have in Ireland is not corned beef, but “bacon and cabbage”. This is basically a big cut of cured gammon steak. “Gammon steak”? ---
**Author:** ![Nic2004](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/4491bb/32.png) [@Nic2004](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nic2004)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2006, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gearing-up-for-st-patricks-day-cooking-how-to-give-corned-beef-a-bit-more-oomph/348079/11 "2006-03-12T23:07:43Z")
> [@Jake](#): > > Was that the pre-cooked corn beef mentioned above (with the spice packet)? > Seems like 24 hours in a crock pot would disintegrate it. Yes. I thought so too but I thought I’d gamble on the advice. My wife said it was the most tender she’s ever had. I just added the packet and put it on low from the begining as opposed to cooking on high for part of the time. I would do it the same way next time. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2006, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gearing-up-for-st-patricks-day-cooking-how-to-give-corned-beef-a-bit-more-oomph/348079/12 "2006-03-12T23:11:31Z")
> [@Jake](#): > > “then boil it of bake with a glaze” > I don’t understand what this means. ? For “of” please read “or”. Sorry 'bout that. **BrainGlutton** I chose the wrong term. I don’t know the American term for Irish bacon. It is not, I repeat, “bacon” as Brits or Yanks would know it. [Here is an example](http://www.irishgrub.com/product_list.htm) on a _hideous_ website. Second product down. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2006, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gearing-up-for-st-patricks-day-cooking-how-to-give-corned-beef-a-bit-more-oomph/348079/13 "2006-03-12T23:12:22Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > Why not try giving it some oomph by not having it - what they actually have in Ireland is not corned beef, but “bacon and cabbage”. This is basically a big cut of cured gammon steak. You soak it overnight to remove the salt, then boil it of bake with a glaze, and serve with green cabbage (kale), potatoes (of course), sharp mustard (ironically English in most households) and gravy. Delicious, and very authentic. Agreed. But forget the cabbage, because it’s horrid stuff 🙂 …boiled ham & potatoes is enough for me ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2006, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gearing-up-for-st-patricks-day-cooking-how-to-give-corned-beef-a-bit-more-oomph/348079/14 "2006-03-12T23:15:07Z")
If you do use a slow cooker, try putting the spices into a tea ball. That’s what I did when I made ruben soup. ---
**Author:** ![FilmGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@FilmGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FilmGeek)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2006, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gearing-up-for-st-patricks-day-cooking-how-to-give-corned-beef-a-bit-more-oomph/348079/15 "2006-03-12T23:31:47Z")
Gammon steak? Never seen that in my local supermarket. Though, there is a World Of Warcraft character named Gamon that is basically a huge bull… ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2006, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gearing-up-for-st-patricks-day-cooking-how-to-give-corned-beef-a-bit-more-oomph/348079/16 "2006-03-12T23:37:43Z")
[Gammon](http://www.meat-online.co.uk/product-list.cfm?catId=18&depId=15). ---
**Author:** ![Tabula\_Rasa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a9adbd/32.png) [@Tabula\_Rasa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tabula_Rasa)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2006, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gearing-up-for-st-patricks-day-cooking-how-to-give-corned-beef-a-bit-more-oomph/348079/17 "2006-03-12T23:52:34Z")
Garlic: convert the number of cloves in a corned beef recipe to bulbs of garlic. A mistake made by a bunch of kids a long time ago, while preparing a batch for a school report on Ireland. It was tasty, but nineteen eleven-year-olds full of boiled cabbage and garlic makes for a, erm, _thick_ classroom environment. ---
**Author:** ![Tabula\_Rasa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a9adbd/32.png) [@Tabula\_Rasa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tabula_Rasa)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2006, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gearing-up-for-st-patricks-day-cooking-how-to-give-corned-beef-a-bit-more-oomph/348079/18 "2006-03-12T23:53:39Z")
Cloves _of garlic_, I mean. ---
**Author:** ![False\_God](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ee7513/32.png) [@False\_God](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/False_God)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2006, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gearing-up-for-st-patricks-day-cooking-how-to-give-corned-beef-a-bit-more-oomph/348079/19 "2006-03-13T00:04:54Z")
Since corned beef is basically brisket, what I generally do is cook it halfway in a slow cooker, then finish it off on the grill. Center nice and juicy, fat gets rendered, and the outside gets crispy. Sometimes I put on a finishing rub of brown sugar, dry mustard and olive oil, sometimes there’s Montreal Steak seasoning involved. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2006, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gearing-up-for-st-patricks-day-cooking-how-to-give-corned-beef-a-bit-more-oomph/348079/20 "2006-03-13T01:54:55Z")
Corn your own beef. Really. It’s very, very easy, I do it every year, and I can’t make enough for everyone to be happy with. This year, we bought 15 pounds of brisket in the hopes we’ll have leftovers. You need a brisket and about 5 days. Basically, you cover the brisket with a dry rub, put it in a big ziploc, and turn it over every day. If you’re really interested, I’ll dig out my recipe and post it tomorrow. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gearing-up-for-st-patricks-day-cooking-how-to-give-corned-beef-a-bit-more-oomph/348079.md?page=2)