San Diego Reader

And now, for something completely different: I enjoy good corned beef, but it can be a bit of a pain to prepare without it turning into shoe-leather. And as my cooking appliances are a bit on the limited side, I have to improvise. So, after a bit of experimentation, I have devised a way to cook a nice point-cut corned brisket on the grill. That's right--GRILLED Corned Beef! It's easy to make if you know what you are doing.

Ingredients

• 2.5 to 3.5 lb Corned beef brisket, point cut preferred.
• 2 Liters of pilsner beer (any brand will do, but I found that Malt Liquor's higher alcohol content does a decent job of leeching)
• 1 Bottle of Regular Italian Dressing (Balsamic Vinegar dressing works just as well, don't use "creamy-style" dressings here!)
• 2 tsps Garlic Powder
• 1 Liter Ice Water
• Marinating bowl and space in your icebox.

Instructions

First, you have to re-marinate the cut of brisket that you are using, in order to leech out the heavy-duty brine solution (extremely high salt content here). Figure 24 hours for each pound, in the fridge.

Second, it takes a while to grill the corned beef (about 1.5 hours-per-side). Too much time, and you probably will be calling Pizza Hut to obtain your dinner (think shoe-leather with a brouge). Too little time: EE-YUK-UPCHUK (mostly from the residual salt from the curing brine).

Well, now--here's how I get this done:

What you will need:

Putting it together:

1) Combine Italian Dressing, ice water, and garlic powder in the marinading bowl. Mix well.

2) Put corned beef brisket into bowl with base, fat side down.

3) Pour beer on top of brisket until covered.

4) Place marinating bowl in fridge, cover, and let steep 24 hours per pound.

5) When ready to cook, set your grill up and get the heat going.

6) When grill is ready, put the brisket on the grill, and cook each side for 1.5 hours, turning only once.

7) When brisket is cooked all the way through (pink, not blood-red), remove from grill, slice, and enjoy.

Best served with mashed potatoes, a vegetable, and perhaps a green salad. Beer recommendations are Guiness, Harp, Murphy's Stout, or Tetley Smooth.

Enjoy--
LPR

Added Tuesday, March 23, 2010