Question about Home Made Reuben Sandwich

[slackmax]

I just made myself a terrific Reuben. Much better than I expected I could do myself.

My question is : am I supposed to cook the corned beef (I used flat, not points) before I slice it for the sandwich?

I just sliced some pieces off the raw corned beef and cooked them in shallow water in a pan. But I had to slice it fairly thick. Can I slice it thinner if I cook it all beforehand? Would it be more tender?

And am I right in assuming the corned beef is raw? Or is it edible already since it has been 'corned'?  I bought a big plastic bag of it, a 'roast' I suppose. Two pounds.

Thanks

[nereo]

Typically corned beef is boiled for several hours until the connective tissue breaks down. Its cousin, pastrami, is slow-smoked.

When making a Reuben I’ll often take the cold (cooked) pastrami or corned beef and grill it for a minute or so which makes it a bit crispier and renders out some of the fat. Alternatively you can steam or boil or even microwave. Each results in a slightly different sandwich.

What was your recipe for the corned beef?

[slackmax]

All the recipes I found online simply stated 'add corned beef' at some point in the assembly line. No mention of whether it was raw, cooked, boiled, fried, etc. I guess I was supposed to already know that, lol.

As I mentioned above, I sliced some raw meat off, and cooked it in a shallow layer of water, in a pan, on medium, for 15 minutes.  The slices were about a quarter inch, pretty thick. 

I was watching the cook at a deli counter cook my previous Reuben. He took out some pre sliced thin slabs of it (a lot, thankfully!) from a big plastic bag of it and put it on the hot grill and sprayed it with some water now and then, flipped it over a few times. Maybe it was already cooked and he was just heating it up. 

I noticed that even though my home made Reuben was terrific, the meat was a little tough. Not as tender as the Reuben I got at the deli. That might be one reason to slowly simmer the entire brisket for an hour, to soften it up. I could then just keep it in the fridge until I needed it, and slice off a few tender strips for a sandwich.

Would boiling get rid of the fat? I like the fat, would not want to waste it. Even though the meat was tough in my Reuben, the fat tasted great. Maybe I should just keep slicing it raw and cooking it in a pan, as I am now doing. 

[NotJen]

Your package of corned beef probably has cooking instructions on it.  Your sandwich recipes likely assume you are using deli meat or have prepared your corned beef based on the package instructions.

Yes, it will be much more tender if you cook the whole thing first - I have always made mine in a crockpot, 8-10 hours on low.  Most references online for stovetop say about 1hr per lb.

[slackmax]

Thanks very much for the replies.

Yes, there are instructions on the package for simmering and baking, 50 minutes per pound in both cases.

Thanks again. 


         

[nereo]

I’m confused whether you purchased corned beef or made your own. If you bought it then the package will say if it’s precooked or not (most are, but not all).

[mspym]

I am relieved you did cook the slices first because yes corned beef that's not from a can needs cooking. As others said, low and slow helps break down the cartilage and makes it tender. Some fat will render off but not all of it. It will also remove some of the sodium so you don't make your blood pressure shoot up. The fun things is you can play with adding things to the liquid to adjust the flavours. Classic is some onion, some carrot, some garlic, a bay leaf. I like onion, garlic, pepper corns, a couple of star anise and a stick of cinnamon. There's lots of variations available.

Deli counter Reuben would have been made with cooked corned beef, the heat and spritzing were to heat without drying out.

[AccidentialMustache]

If you have a pressure cooker available, it produces a really excellent corned beef. I use https://www.familyfreshmeals.com/2017/03/instant-pot-corned-beef-and-cabbage.html -- biggest problem is making enough corned beef that it isn't gone lone before the veggies are. My solution is usually to just... cook a second corned beef afterwards (and not bother with a second round of veggies). That'll usually use up the veggies and leave some for sandwiches.

[Roadrunner53]

I usually cook my corned beef in my crockpot. I just cooked one about a month ago. Typically some of the brands put in a packet of spices to add to the corned beef/water while cooking. This one didn't have a packet so I put in about 1/4 cup pickling spice which is what the little packets are made up of, I think. This corned beef flavor was so delicious! I always add sliced up onion too. This last time I only wanted meat for sandwiches, so I didn't add carrots, potatoes or cabbage.

Also, when I use the crockpot, I start it on high for about 5 hours, then switch to low. To determine if meat is cooked, you can poke it with a paring knife to see if it penetrates the meat easily. Once that happens, your meat is done. I will take the meat out at that point, then add wedges of cabbages to the potatoes, onions carrots. The cabbage will only take about half an hour. Then remove veggies into a big bowl, put meat back in crockpot to warm up for a few minutes, then remove it and slice.

My advice is not to be cheap and buy a more expensive cut. I buy the flat shaped corned beef, not the round looking ones. This is one case that you get what you pay for. If you buy a cheap CB you will end up with a piece of meat as big as a softball and you will be lucky to get one sandwich. Find a popular brand, buy the flat shaped one and pay the more expensive price. Even the expensive ones shrink and if you have company, you will be embarrassed with the amount of meat served. In the case of company, buy at least two CB's!

[nereo]

I am relieved you did cook the slices first because yes corned beef that's not from a can needs cooking.

Your corned beef comes in a can??

[slackmax]

I’m confused whether you purchased corned beef or made your own. If you bought it then the package will say if it’s precooked or not (most are, but not all).

Nereo, I bought two pounds of corned beef at the store, in a plastic package. Package did not say if it were raw or cooked.  Had cooking instructions, so must be raw, lol. 

[slackmax]

Wow, lots of corned beef expertise here! Thanks.

I have half of the CB in a crock pot now, on low. It came with a spice pack, which I added.

Hoping it becomes soft enough to use in a sandwich, and still tastes flavorful. If not, I will gladly revert to simply slicing off some raw CB when cooking a Reuben, and accept the toughness as a necessary part of the process. The fat taste is so good. That and the sauerkraut, the buttered rye bread, and of course, the beef.   

Went out and bought 2 pounds of the 'points' cut of CB. Supposed to be more flavorful due to more fat. We'll see. It was slightly less expensive.       

[mspym]

I am relieved you did cook the slices first because yes corned beef that's not from a can needs cooking.

Your corned beef comes in a can??

It's an option! Not one I take but it's on the supermarket shelves, right next to the spam.
@slackmax honestly, slow simmer and time will yield truly delicious corned beef. Also great in hashes.