Help, Corned beef fail.

[Bill Hig]

I have an MES 30 with a PID controller which holds a nice steady temp, even when it's 10F outside. I tried to make a couple of small corned beefs for NYE dinner. I got two prepared corned beef from the local store and soaked them a couple of times to remove the salt. I did one with a pastrami type rub and one with a more traditional BBQ type rub. put them in at 225 until they reached around 140F (about 3.5 hours), them put them in foil with a bit of apple juice as a liquid. Left hem till the thickest part was around 180F (another 3.5 hours). They tasted great but were not at all tender. Pretty dry and certainly not fall apart tender.

What did I do wrong? I suspect that the low available humidity at this low ambient temp caused them to dry out but I don't know. Any thoughts appreciated.

 

[motocrash]

It's brisket,you need to take to probe tender or ~ 200-205*

 

[highlife4me]

You made dried beef!!

 

[daveomak]

The corned beef, in the vac packages at the store, are not the tenderest hunks of meat... You did good wrapping at 140... Sealed tight, maybe taking the meat to 205 would have made a difference... Try a few more and take to higher temp... You might even try skipping the soak step.. Salt holds in moisture and helps with the tenderness..

 

[Rings Я Us]

Yeah I never smoked one myself. But I do it in the crock pot till probe tender also.

 

[SmokinAl]

In my opinion you just didn't cook it long enough.
It needs to go to at least 200 or until probe tender.
I've had them take until 210 to get tender.
Al

 

[Bill Hig]

Thanks for the advice. I saw 180-185 as a finish temp on a bunch of recipes. Now ai have an excuse to try again.