I've found the brand often times makes a difference. And a higher priced brand is not necessarily less salty.

Have you experimented with different brands?

I love corned beef too and two years ago I discovered Trader Joe's cb. It's really the best supermarket corned beef I've ever had, but it's only available around St. P's day. So last year I bought a couple extra to put in the freezer. And I cooked them in bake in bags. They were all perfect. The right amount of salt, not soggy from boiling, just roasted deliciously! I think I followed the recipe from the bag package for timing. So if you have a TJ's near you, try one at St Patrick's day and see what you think.

I cooked corned beef today too. I got a lower sodium version and it turned out pretty good. I usually rinse my brisket but besides that I prepare it exactly the same way as you. However, I never use the juice/ cooking liquid. Mine always gets kind of scummy and never looks very appetizing to me.

I serve corned beef with grainy mustard which probably covers up a multitude of sins.

I supposed it you wanted to do some sort of gravy you could thicken the cooking liquid with flour and then season it or cook it down.

olychick - I will give TJ's a try. Costco sold the Vienna Beef brand corned beef until 2 years ago. It was excellent and not salty at all. And they had more than one cut available. Their flat cut was well trimmed and not fatty at all.

I will give the TJ's CB a try. I was thrilled with the organic chicken legs I bought yesterday.

I rinse my corned beef before putting it in a large pot with a litre of ginger ale and topped up with water. A few peppercorns and that's it. Simmer until done, adding vegetables at the right times depending on the size of the beef. Serve with hollandaise sauce with a generous dollop of wholegrain mustard mixed into it, yum. Leave any remaining beef to get cold in the cooking water before removing to the refrigerator. I always cook double the vegetables to make hash the next night :-)

Thanks for all of the suggestions, I've not considered the brands!! I've moved three time in the last 3.5 years, so different grocery stores. I had a commissary in Maryland and was making a really nice CB up there. It was the whole thing, not just the flat cut, like the fat :). Then in FL I bought at Publix and here in NC there is Farm Fresh. There is a TJ's an hour North of me, along with Target and an actual mall. Also some commissaries in Norfolk. I'll start paying attention to the brand. I've always wanted to wash off the brisket, but thought I was supposed to keep it. I dislike that nasty floating stuff that it creates, from now on I'll be washing it off!!! Christy

Also, it's easy to make your own.

dcarch

Use beef broth and water instead of beer and I've been very disappointed in my cb from Publix the last couple of years. Looking for a better brand. Any suggestions?

Trader Joe's is great!

I have been very happy with Boar's Head's CB - come out this time of year.

I will have to try the TJ version.

Worth trying?

What if You Could Make Great Corned Beef?

Exactly! What if you could make a great corned beef? What if you could make it taste the way it does not in the Irish pubs of memory but in the reality you sometimes see in the hot baths of Jewish delicatessens, where it sits aside pastrami, its smoked and spiced cousin: ruddy pink and salty and fatty and meltingly sweet?

Homemade Corned Beef