My counter top oven is dying. I know they don’t last forever (this is my second one) . I bought it for about $55 dollars about 3 or 4 years ago and I use it atleast once daily, so I know I have gotten my money’s worth from this particular kitchen item. It’s just that they no longer make this particular brand of counter top oven any more. I am going to have to make a a decision on a new one soon. I know it isn’t the worst thing I could have to happen to me. I just suck at making decisions and I hate change, especially in my kitchen.
My dying counter top oven may not be the worst thing that has ever happened to me but it is currently the most annoying thing. I wanted to make a baked corned beef brisket today. With my unreliable oven, I didn’t want to take the chance of ruining it. I was so bummed because today was the only day I had time to do the long, slow cook that a corned beef brisket needs to become tender. After a good pout, it occured to me I could make a corned beef brisket in my pressure cooker. A quick internet search for a recipe, I found one by Gutsy By Nature. I absolutely loved how the cook tossed out the spice packet that came with the brisket and made her own. I also loved how the pressure cooker cut the the cooking time from over 3 hours in the oven to just over 90 minutes in the pressure cooker. The corned beef brisket was very lightly flavored (I would probably double the spices next time) and not overly salty like corned beef brisket sometimes gets. I will always bake my corned beef brisket whenever possible but when I can’t I will use this recipe and my pressure cooker.
Pressure Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage
3-4 lb corned beef brisket
4 cups water
1 small onion
3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
2 bay leaves
3 whole black peppercorns
1/2 tsp whole allspice berries
1 tsp dried thyme
1 1/2 lbs small potatoes
5 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
1 small cabbage, quartered
In a 6 quart pressure cooker, add the water, onion, garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns, allspice berries and thyme. Lock the lid and set the timer for 90 minutes at high pressure. Release the pressure with a 10 minute natural release. Remove the meat and keep warm. Add the vegetables. Lock the lid. Set the time for 10 minutes at high pressure. Release the pressure with a quick release. Server the corned beef with the vegetables and a side of soda bread.
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