Guinness-Soaked Corned Beef with Rosemary - stalks celery

Method

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Wash and roughly chop the celery, carrots and onion.
• Arrange them in the bottom of a large baking dish (one that is big enough for the brisket too).
• On top of the vegetables, place the corned beef brisket fat-side-up.
• Using a sharp knife, cut a cross-hatch pattern into the top of the fat layer.
• Chop the garlic and rub it into the top of the meat (try to get some into the cuts on the fat).
• Tear up the herbs (rosemary and thyme), and sprinkle some on top of the meat and place the rest of the herbs in the pan with the vegetables.
• If the corned beef you bought comes with a spice packet, sprinkle the spices over the top of the corned beef.
• Season the beef well with herbes de Provence, salt and pepper.
• Add 1 of the bottles of Guinness to the dish.
• Bake, covered, at 350 degrees F, for 3 hours.
• Then add the second bottle of Guinness and continue to cook for another 3 hours.
• This corned beef comes out fork-tender and very flavorful.
• The liquid can be made into a gravy easily by straining it, adding 1 cup of beef stock, and using a corn starch slurry to thicken.
• However, the vegetables are used for flavoring, NOT to serve with the meatthey are too mushy and soak up the more bitter flavors from the beer.
• The corned beef can be made up to 2 days in advance, if wrapped well and stored in the fridge.
• Not only does this save you time later (especially if youre trying to have corned beef for dinner after working all day), but it also gives you a chance to chill the liquid down and pull the fat off (the fat floats to the top and solidifies).
• The beef was super easy to thinly slice when it was cold; once sliced, place in an oven-safe serving dish with a ladle of the liquid, cover, and bake until hot (approximately 30 minutes) at 300 degrees F.
• Serve with mashed potatoes and gravy, braised cabbage and roasted vegetables.
• Happy St. Patricks Day!