I made corned beef and cabbage the other night; the corned beef was not tender. Why?

I had it cooked in liquid for over 4 hours, yet it was still tough. I cooked it on a stovetop. What can I do to make corned beef tender, that it can be sliced with fork? Thanks!
I made corned beef and cabbage the other night; the corned beef was not tender. Why?
Try cooking it longer than four hours. Meat tends to be cooked in a liquid for like 7-9 hours to be tender. Never remove to the stovetop to cook because that just dries out the meat.



For those saying pressure cooker, some people may find it inconvenient to get one, seeing as they aren't cheap. Unlike a crock pot or something along those lines.
Reply:Not cooked long enough.
Reply:Oven-Braised Corned Beef Brisket



PREP AND COOK TIME: About 41/2 hours



NOTES: The weight of the meat shrinks by about half as the brisket cooks.

6 to 8 servings



1 piece (about 4 lb.) center-cut corned beef brisket



1 lemon, ends trimmed



1 onion (about 1/2 lb.), peeled



1 teaspoon black peppercorns



1/2 teaspoon whole allspice



6 to 8 whole cloves



1/4 cup Dijon mustard



1/4 cup brown sugar



1. Trim and discard most of the surface fat from brisket. Rinse meat well under cool running water, rubbing gently to release its corning salt.



2. Lay meat, fattiest side up, in a 2-inch-deep, 11- by 15- or 16-inch roasting pan. Thinly slice lemon (discard seeds) and onion and lay slices over meat. Sprinkle with peppercorns, allspice, and cloves.



3. Set pan on middle rack in a 325 [degrees] oven. Pour about 8 cups boiling water around brisket, seal the pan with foil, and bake until meat is very tender when pierced, about 4 hours. Uncover and drain off all but about 1 cup of the liquid. If desired, reserve the lemon and onion slices and rearrange them on top of the meat.



4. In a small bowl, mix the mustard and brown sugar; spread evenly over meat, on top of the onion-lemon mixture. Broil about 8 inches from heat until the mustard mixture begins to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer the brisket to a platter. Serve hot, warm, or cold; slice meat across the grain.
Reply:Here, I'll give you my coveted and (mostly) secret corned beef recipe...use it wisely.



Blah, blah, blah potatos, cabbage, carrots and such.



For the beef, first pat it down with brown suger, cover the thing.



Then fill your crock pot with guinnes, or whatever your favorite stout beer is.



Cook slowly (4-5 hours)



You will be pleased...
Reply:Cook it longer. You can tell if it's done by poking with a fork. It should pull apart easily.
Reply:Pressure Cooker! One hour, fork tender corned beef.
Reply:Pressure cooker or slow cooker
Reply:Either use a pressure cooker or extend the cooking time.