Sous Vide Corned Beef Recipe

Corned Beef is a staple American recipe and eaten during any and all meals.

In this Sous Vide Corned Beef Recipe, we’ll prepare corned beef in the sous vide method for a healthier result, without preservatives or artificial flavors.

I also include a bonus recipe for a Corned Beef Chili Salad.

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Sous Vide Corned Beef Recipe

Sous vide corned beef is an easy and simple recipe. It does take a quite long time to cook, so prepare it at least 3 days in advance.

Depending on your local butcher or grocery store, they might not have "corned beef," but they'll have "brisket, beef shoulder, or chuck roast." Either of those will work as they all represent the shoulder area.

Brisket is the bottom of the shoulder, often where the chest and shoulder meet. Chuck roast is the top of the shoulder.

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Cook Time 2 days d 12 hours hrs

Total Time 2 days d 12 hours hrs

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 4

Equipment

• Sous Vide Cooker
• Sous Vide Container
• Vacuum Sealer
• Large Vacuum Seal Bags
• 200 ml Wide Mouth, Glass Jar Containers with Lids

Ingredients

  

• 2.2 lbs (1 kg or 35 ounces) Beef Shoulder
• 2 tbsp Pistachio
• 10 Juniper Berries
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 2.7 Ounces (50 grams) Salt
• Juices of 3 Lemons
• 3 Lemon Peel
• 1 tsp Chili Pepper Flakes

Instructions

 

• Begin by setting the sous vide cooker to 69°C / 156°F.
• Prepare the meat by removing the excess fat with a knife, while keeping the meat whole.
• Insert the beef inside the vacuum bag and add the juniper berries, the bay leaves, the lemon peels and the lemon juice. Then add 200ml of water and the salt.
• Carefully seal the vacuum bag and cook the beef shoulder for 60 hours.
• When it's done cooking, let the beef sit at room temperature to cool.

  (From here, read below for a continuation to a great Corned Beef Chili Salad)
• Slice up the corned beef for a tasty Reuben or pastrami sandwich. Corned beef also goes great with sous vide carrots and cabbage. 

Notes

Corned Beef Chili Salad

This is a continued flavorful chilled version that goes great with salads.

• Once the beef is at room temperature, insert the corned beef inside the glass containers until 3/4 full, then add the pistachio and chili flakes.
• Add a bit of the cooking juices from the bag and close with a lid.
• Put the jars in the fridge for 3 hours and the meat will become a whole small brick.
• Serve it with lemon juice, chili and a salad.

Keyword Beef Shoulder, Brisket, Chuck Roast, Corned Beef

What is Corned Beef?

Corned beef is a type of meat that is cured by soaking in a salty brine before cooking. Briskets are cut into steaks, and then they are soaked in a saltwater solution for several days, up to 7 days, and they reach a desired level of tenderness.

Briskets usually come out grayish brown when they’re done cooking, but corned beef comes out beautifully pink and tastes great!

Why Sous Vide Corned Beef?

Sous vide makes corned beef more consistent than any other method. You can cook corned beef perfectly every time by using this method.

Corned beef is traditionally cooked at a lower temperature than other meats. At 131°F, the meat is tender and juicy. A braise cooks at higher temperatures, and results in drier meat.

For a more traditional corned beef, it should be sous vide cooked at 152 degrees Fahrenheit. At this temperature, the meat maintains its shape and doesn’t fall apart. The juices stay inside the meat instead of running out into the sauce.

If you use a higher temperature that’s 165°F or higher, it will fally apart rather easily as the connective issue has broken down. 

Should You Buy or Cure Your Own Corned Beef

Curing your own corned beef takes a lot of work and patience. But it’s worth it in the end. Your meat will be delicious and tender.

Buying it at the grocery store isn’t necessarily a bad idea. Try different brands to see which ones your taste buds prefer. If you take a closer look at the ingredient list, look for ones that are not adding that many preservatives.

Best Time and Temperature for Sous Vide Corned Beef

General guidelines for time and temperature and the different results you will get: 

130° – 140°F for 20+ hours – Not flaky and very tender

140° –  150°F for 10+ hours – Medium-rare steak texture, maintains shape and doesn’t fall apart. Still juicy inside.

150° – 160°F for 10+ hours – Medium steak texture, starts to fall apart. Still has some juices.

160° – 170°F for 10+ hours – Medium-Well doneness, falls apart easily. Will be rather dry. 

What to Serve with Corned Beef

There are many side dishes to serve with corned beef. Some favorite dishes include

1. Roasted Red Potatoes
2. Potato Gratin
3. Asian Cabbage Salad
4. Soft Dinner Rolls
5. Marinated Artichoke Hearts
6. Classic Glazed Carrots
7. Blanched Green Beans
8. Sauerkraut

Can You Eat Corned Beef Medium Rare?

Yes, you can eat corned beef medium rare. The USDA recommends that it’s safe as long as it’s reached 145°F and stood for about 20 minutes after it’s finished cooking. 

How to Serve Sous Vide Corned Beef?

Sous vide corn beef is a versatile meat that’s perfect for a wide range of recipes. You can use it for either an appetizer or main dish. You could use it for sandwiches too.

Sous vide corned beef is perfectly tender and full flavored. Salt cured corned beef brisket gets rubbed down with pickling spices and cooked low and slow. Serve it with cabbage or made into a warm, cheesy Reuban sandwich.

Why Should I Brine a Corned Beef Myself?

Corned beef is made by cooking meat in a brine solution. Brining helps to tenderize the meat. However, there are many different recipes for corned beef. You can control the ingredients if you brine a corned beef yourself. 

You also have a sense of accomplishment when you make something 100% from start to finish. 

If you prefer more flavor, you can even inject the brine into the meat yourself. Grocery stores may not do that, so you can control the flavors too.

What’s in Corned Beef Brine?

To make the brine, we need a pickling spice mix. We also need some juniper berries. We could get those online or at our local market. But we should try to buy them locally because they’re more fresh.

These are some other sous vide recipes to take a look at.

• Keto Sous Vide Egg Bites
• Sous Vide Chuck Roast Recipe
• Sous Vide Roast Beef Recipe