Corned Beef Conclusions

I was moved to make a corned beef for St. Patrick's Day.  Not that I am Irish or even own a piece of green clothing, but it just seemed like the right thing to do.  But do I really like corned beef?  Debatable.  No so much the corned beef and cabbage type, but I do like a good hash and dunking a sandwich in 1,000 Island Dressing is always good.  So I decided to skip right to the good stuff.

I made the corned beef in the slow cooker.  Just set the thing in there, added the pickling spice packet, layered on potatoes and carrots and added enough water to cover the beef by about an inch.  I let it cook on low for 8 hours.

My first move was to make the reuben.  I learned a trick from Cooks Country about the sauerkraut too. Cooking it down did avoid making a soggy sandwich, but it smelled really bad.  I had to turn on the kitchen fan-bad.  Made me wonder what am I doing eating this stuff-bad.  But amazingly once it was on the sandwich it added a nice crunch and flavor.  Also who knew how to spell sauerkraut?

As for the Hash.  The first thing I learned is that it is hard to take a good picture of a Hash.  But it is easy to make!  I just chopped the beef, potatoes, and carrots from the slow cooker, now nice and cool from the fridge.  I melted some butter in a pan and tossed it all together.  Salt, pepper, and oregano to taste.  I liked adding the egg on top.  My husband created a whole new animal with ketchup and cheese and hot sauce.

Next time, although I did grow to like the sweet pickled taste of the corned beef, I think I'll do the same one-two combo with a turkey breast.  And I won't wait until next St. Patrick's Day to do it again.

The Best Reuben

INGREDIENTS

• 1cup sauerkraut, drained and rinsed (see note)
• 2tablespoons cider vinegar
• 1teaspoon brown sugar
• 8slices hearty rye bread
• 1cup Swiss cheese, shredded
• 12ounces thinly sliced corned beef (see note)
• 4tablespoons unsalted butter
• Thousand Island Dressing 

INSTRUCTIONS

• 1. Cook sauerkraut, vinegar, and sugar in large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until liquid evaporates, about 3 minutes. Transfer sauerkraut to bowl and wipe out skillet.
• 2. Spread dressing evenly on 1 side of each slice of bread. Layer half of cheese on 4 slices bread, then top with half of corned beef. Divide sauerkraut evenly over meat, then top with remaining corned beef and remaining cheese. Arrange remaining bread, dressing-side down, over cheese.
• 3. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in empty skillet over medium heat. Place 2 sandwiches in pan and cook until golden brown on first side, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip sandwiches and cook, covered, over medium-low heat until second side is golden brown and cheese is melted, about 2 minutes longer. Transfer to wire rack and repeat with remaining butter and sandwiches. Serve.