Instant Pot Corned Beef

One of my favorite things to eat is a big plate of corned beef with butter-soaked potatoes on the side. Before the Instant Pot, that treat took half a day to get perfect, but now I can pull it together in a mere 70 minutes of cook time. How amazing is that? Corned beef is not just for St. Patrick’s Day anymore!

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So do you like your corned beef fall-apart tender or sliceable? A standard 3-4 lb corned beef will be sliceable at 70 minutes and fall-apart tender at 90 minutes. The stout beer in this recipe gives a wonderful, subtle flavor to the meat that even beer-haters love. But if you want to avoid it altogether, substitute beef broth.

Red potatoes are the traditional variety served with corned beef (and the prettiest!), but you can use any kind of potato as long as they are egg sized (or cut in egg-sized pieces).

Did you ever wonder why it’s called corned beef? It has nothing to do with stuff that grows on ears in the midwest. It actually has to do with the method of preserving, which was traditionally done with large-grains of rock salt referred to as “corns.”

Corned beef is not just for St. Patrick’s Day anymore!

Ingredients:

• 12 oz Guinness stout (or other dark beer or beef broth)
• 3-4 lbs corned beef with seasoning packet

Vegetables:

• 10-12 egg-sized potatoes, skin on
• 1 1/2 cups of baby carrots
• 1/2 head of cabbage, cut in half (optional)

Instructions:

1. Pour beer into Instant Pot.
2. Use seasoning packet as a rub to thoroughly coat corned beef. Place beef in the pot.
3. Secure the lid, making sure the vent is closed.
4. Using the display panel select the MANUAL function*. Use the +/- keys and program the Instant Pot for 70 minutes for a sliceable corned beef, 90 minutes if you want it “fall-apart” tender.
5. When the time is up, let the pressure naturally release for 15 minutes, then quick-release the remaining pressure.
6. Remove corned beef to a cutting board and cover loosely with foil to rest, reserving juices.
7. Remove the trivet and place the vegetables into the pot with the reserved juices. Secure the lid, making sure the vent is closed.
8. Using the display panel select the MANUAL function*. Use the +/- keys and program the Instant Pot for 3 minutes.
9. When the time is up, quick-release the pressure.
10. Slice the corned beef against the grain and serve with vegetables.

*The MANUAL and PRESSURE COOK buttons are interchangeable.