Commercial corned beef is generally made from the brisket cut of the cow. It is a meat that requires long, slow cooking if done on the stove top, in the oven or in a crock pot. Using a pressure cooker to cook corned beef will cut the time needed to cook and tenderize the meat to a fraction of the time. If desired, you can make an entire corned beef and cabbage meal in the pressure cooker in less than two hours.
Cooking the Corned Beef
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Place 1 to 2 cups of water in the pressure cooker. Add the corned beef and lock the cooker lid in place. Cook for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours at 10 pounds pressure. If your cooker does not have a gauge, let the weight on the top of the cooker lid begin to giggle violently and turn down the heat to medium low. Remove from the heat source and allow to release pressure naturally or run under cold water in the sink until the lid can be removed without using force.
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Making the Traditional Corned Beef and Cabbage Meal
Cook the corned beef in the pressure cooker as described above for 1 hour. Remove from heat and release pressure. Add 1 head of cabbage cut into quarters, 3 pounds of small potatoes and a pound of baby or sliced carrots. Add in 2 cloves of garlic, 1 coarsely chopped onion and 1 bay leaf. Place the lid back on the cooker and bring the pressure back to 10 pounds. Cook for an additional 15 minutes.
Corned Beef Soup
Cut corned beef into 1 inch cubes. Place in the pressure cooker with a half cup of water and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and release pressure. Add in 4 to 6 cups of water, 1 chopped onion, 1 can of diced tomatoes, 1 can of tomato paste, 3 to 4 sliced carrots, 3 diced potatoes and 1 package of frozen peas or lima beans. Cover and boil for approximately 45 minutes or until the vegetables are soft and tender.