I have a 17 lb slab of corned beef.?!
Answers: My mom usually does this, I am clueless. Should I cut into thirds and cook in crockpots, or cook as a whole in oven? I am worried about cooking as a whole because I think it is about 1hr/lb and think it may dry out? Plus running the oven for 17 hours? Any suggestion would be helpful.
I'd definately cut it into several pieces first. Even cutting it into 1/3's is a pretty big hunk o meat! I do mine several ways. The crockpot is a good way... no need to be checking it all the time, but it's definately gonna have to be a smaller piece of meat! Using the oven would be fine (again, with a smaller piece of meat. I don't even own a pan that I could put a 17lb piece of corned beef in!!) If you put it in the oven, make sure it's just slightly covered with water, and I turn my corned beef over about every hour or so. Don't cover your baking dish with aluminum foil, it reacts with the pickling spices in the corned beef. If you have a baking dish with a lid ( a large casserole dish) that would be great. I bake mine in a slow oven ( around 250 degrees and you're right, about 45min-1hr per lb ) keep it covered with water, and flip it over every hour or so. You should end up with a nice tender, moist, corned beef!
Unless you are serving a crowd I would cut it into smaller pieces and freeze them. As for cooking the piece you intend to eat I would bake it in the oven.
here is a website that might help. I just use my slowcooker. but yours is so big
I'd cut it into smaller pieces and make a couple of different variations of corned beef. One with cabbage in a crock. One roasted in the oven, .......Maybe I'd do two with cabbage.
17 Lbs is allot of Corned beef. At about $5 a lb. Usually 4 lbs is enough for 3 people, so say it is about 3 inches in diameter, you will want approximately a 12 inch piece, that feed 4, with potatoes and salad. You can cut this against the grain in pieces wrap in plastic wrap then tin foil and freeze. If you do decide to cook all of it, it really does cook faster than 1lb an hour. Corned beef is a better grade of cut so it will cook faster, yet dry out just as easy, it should have only a slight marble of fat. 350 for a half per pound with a liquid base of beef broth or just water and garlic, glazed with olive oil and put in a casserole dish type container. If you are doing this on the stove, please do not let it get out of water. Med-low heat. half hour per pound. Gotta love you for taking the initiative. Cook away.
I never cook corned beef in the oven as it dries out the outer.
Cut it into pieces, a 2 1/2lb piece is enough for 3-4 adults, with generous servings.
Simmer it for 30 minutes per lb and let rest for 10-15 minutes.
Do not cook whole in the oven - you will have a salty -dried out mess. (BTW I am jelous. I am checking corned beef prices and would kill for a little corner piece of your big slab!)
This is a lot of meat. If you can freeze even half of it that would be good. Cut into 2-3 lb chunks and put in freezer bags. If you need to cook all of of it - cut slab into same size peices and boil each peice for at least 3-4 hours. It doesn't have to be a rolling boil but a good simmer. You probably need some really big pots to acomplish this for all the meat.
Check the meat for tenderness. If you can stick a fork in it and it's difficult to twist, it's not done yet. If you pull off shreds easily, it's done. Corned beef is very forgiving, you can cook the sh*& out of it and it's still good.
If you are pulling off a St. Patty's day feast - in the last 45 minutes of cooking add to the boiling water some red potatoes. In the last 15 minutes, throw in some quartered cabbage chunks and carrots. I also like turnips and onions and pretty much anything that cooks in boiling water!
i never put my corn beef in the oven.. it can dry out
here are two ways i cook it
i would suggest you cut it in half. or in fourths. all depends on how many you are cooking for or will be cooking for in the future. freeze what you are not using right now..
the rest put in a big sauce pan with water have enough to cover the piece of meat. boil it for half hour. then add a head of cabbage, cut up. and 3 carrots sliced. boil them for 1/2 hour.. then add cut up turnips. and a few small potatoes. boil till everything is done.. this is very good especially for st pattys day.
or i put in my crockpot. with just enough water to cover the meat if it comes with a seasoning i put that on top.if not then i dont put any seasoning on it.. i put my setting on for 6 hours.. it comes out tasting so good and tender...
enjoy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!