Smoked and Shredded Corned Beef

Is Corned beef and Reuben the same thing?

No, corned beef and reuben are not the same thing. Corned beef is a cut of brisket that is cured and boiled. It’s usually sliced and served with cabbage and potatoes.

A reuben sandwich is made using corned beef as the protein on rye bread with cheese, sauerkraut and mustard.

Which ever way you enjoy corned beef, the result is a delicious, savory mouthful.

Ingredient List for Smoked and Shredded Corned Beef.

• Corned beef: most stores sell corned beef briskets pre-packaged and seasoned. This is the perfect piece to grab at the store.

• Beer: adds a rich and hoppy flavor to the meat in the braising process. Any beer option will work.

• Broth: adds savoriness to the braise and works well with beer. If you chose to exclude alcohol from this recipe, stick to the broth only.

• Worcestershire sauce:  adds a savory and umami flavor.

• Onion: adds sweetness to the braise.

• Garlic: adds a robust richness and savoriness to the flavor of the dish.

Soak corned beef in water.

Before you do anything, you have to soak the corned beef brisket in water. Why? Well, it’s all because of the curing process. Corned beef is cured in a salt brine that adds flavor to the meat and helps preserve it. This is important for pre-packed foods. If you were to smoke and braise the corned beef straight out of the package, it would be too salty and very unpleasant to eat.

Soaking in cold water will slowly draw out any excess salt from the meat. Do not opt for a rinse. That will only remove salt on the surface which will result is very salty corned beef.

Grab a deep dish, pour in cold water and submerge the corned beef. Leave it in the water for 1-2 hour which is plenty of time to reduce the sodium levels.

Smoke corned beef.

Remove the corned beef from the water and pat it dry with a paper towel. Brush on some horseradish mustard over the entire surface of the meat and season with coarse ground black pepper.

Preheat the grill to 250 degrees and set for indirect heat. I used my Weber Searwood Pellet grill for this cook and it was perfect. Steady, controlled, even heat and smoke throughout the cook.

If you are making this smoked and shredded corned beef recipe on a different grill, make sure to have an indirect heat set up. This will keep the temperature low, and keep the meat from direct contact to the heat.

Total smoking time will range from 3-4 hours depending on the size of the beef. Final internal temperature should be 170 degrees Fahrenheit.

How to create an indirect heat set up on the grill

Indirect heat is created differently depending on the type of grill you have.

• Gas grill: Turn the burners on one half of the grill. For indirect heat, place food on the opposite end.
• Charcoal grill: position the heated charcoal to one half of the round bowl. For indirect heat, place the food on the opposite end.
• Komodo style grill: use a plate setter that will deflect direct heat from the food on the grates.

Braise the smoked corned beef.

To add more flavor to the smoked and shredded corned beef and to tenderize it further, braise the meat in a savory broth.

In a dutch oven, add chopped yellow onion, minced garlic, beer of choice and Worcestershire sauce. Mix the ingredients together. Transfer the smoked corned beef from the smoker to the dutch oven. Pour over some beef broth and close the lid.

Move it back to the grill to cook. At this point, you can also use the oven or stove top. A medium heat on the stove top or increase the temp on the grill or in the oven to 300 degrees.

Braise the smoked corned beef until it is fork tender. There is no doneness temperature required. The key factor to ensuring the smoked corned beef is shreddable is how tender it is.

Gently place the fork into the meat in a few places. If it goes in smoothly, then it’s done. If not, continue cooking and check back in 30 minutes.

This process and concept is the same as in my Shredded Italian Beef recipe.

Shred the smoked corned beef.

For the final step, after many hours of smoking, braising and cooking this smoked corned beef, it’s time to shred it!

Keep the meat inside the dutch oven and with heat resistant gloves or two forks, start shredded the smoked corned beef. If cooked properly, there should be no resistance. The meat should easily pull apart.

Remove any large fatty clumps. Those will not be pleasant to eat.

Keep the smoked and shredded corned beef inside the broth. This will keep the meat from drying out.

Assemble a smoked and shredded reuben sandwich!

Time to enjoy the delicious smoked and shredded corned beef and what better way than by making a reuben sandwich.

Grab some French Rolls, place the cheese first and fill them to the top with that delicious smoked and shredded corned beef.  Top off with sauerkraut, mustard, slice it in half and serve! For a “wet” sandwich, dip the whole thing in the au jus. 

It really doesn’t get better than this! Enjoy!

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