Guinness Braised Corned Beef Sandwiches

Corned Beef IP
Instant Pot Corned Beef on a pita

It’s March! It’s my BF Trilo’s birthday, and it’s St. Patricks Day, which can only mean: it’s time for corned beef! And lot’s of it (he describes himself as ‘stark raving Irish’). Any time I make Guinness braised corned beef, sandwiches are sure to follow. I have a great recipe that uses wagyu beef, which gives you tender, juicy, meltingly good results. Of course we cook it in the Instant Pot, because it is the best tool for the job, by far.

Stocking Up While It’s The Season

We’ve decided to be smart this year, and while the getting is good, we’re stocking up on Snake River Farms American Wagyu Corned Beef at our local Costco. We have tried a few different cuts and producers, and this has come out as our favorite.

Corned Beef IP
Stocking up on our faves

So Much Yummy Corned Beef

So what do you do with so much corned beef? Two of those roasts I’ll be freezing so we have it for our annual trip to the desert in August (yay!). The third one, I cooked in the Instant Pot, and sliced it thin for sandwiches.

Corned Beef IP
Thin slices for sandwiches

Sandwich Time!

Trilo was first up at the plate (dinner plate that is). He went for a loaded Corned Beef Trencher on a torpedo roll. What is a trencher, you ask? Trilo describes it as a pre-sandwich – you take a piece of bread, cut or dig out a trench along the top, and fill it with stuff. He slathered on the russian dressing, piled it with sliced corned beef, and then topped it with shredded gruyere cheese.

Trilo’s Corned Beef Trencher

For my sandwich, since I’m keeping bread to a minimum, I went with pita bread from Oren’s Hummus, a local “Authentic Israeli” restaurant that also sells goods at the farmer’s market. Their pita bread is fresh made, and so fluffy! Since we picked some up over the weekend, it seemed like the perfect start for my corned beef sando.

YUM!

I slathered on the russian dressing (Ken’s Steakhouse Russian Dressing is my favorite), layered in some sauerkraut, and added some crisp shredded red cabbage. Next, I opened the pita as wide as I could and piled in the moist, tender, corned beef, and drizzled a bit more dressing for good luck.

I added a dollop of Oren’s Hummus on the plate, and added some of the Pickled Carrot Sticks I made earlier in the week. The sandwich serves as a scoop for the hummus, which was so yummy I think I’ll layer the hummus IN the pita next time! I have to say, that was a really great sandwich!

Future Meals

Trilo is already wandering around the house this morning thinking about what sandwich he’s going to make for lunch! I did hear him mention “tacos” again, so I have a feeling that will be his direction. lol

Corned Beef IP
Let’s not forget Tacos!

However you do it, have fun making som great corned beef. And enjoy your St. Patrick’s Day! Sláinte!

Corned Beef IP

Mouth-Watering Corned Beef with Guinness (Instant Pot)

Wagyu corned beef makes this recipe extra moist and fall-apart tender, but all types of corned beef work equally well.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
NPR: 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Irish, jewish, Pub
Keyword: beef, comfort, corned, deli, instantpot, irish, jewish
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 306
Author: BlakOpal

Ingredients

  • 4 lb Corned Beef Round American Wagyu Beef preferred
  • Spice packet from corned beef
  • 1 Yellow onion peeled and quartered
  • 4 cloves Garlic whole, peeled
  • 3 Bay Leaves whole
  • 4 stalks Celery (optional)
  • 1 can Guinness Draught Stout 14.9 oz can (or substitute any stout beer you prefer)
  • Russian Dressing (for serving)

Instructions

  • Gather ingredients and tools.
    Corned Beef IP
  • Prepare the meat by removing it from packaging, saving the spice packet. Run under water to rinse quickly. Depending on the size of your Instant Pot and your corned beef, you may want to cut the meat into 2-3 chunks. For my 3.6 lb. roast, I cut it into two pieces since I want to be able to slice it later.
    Corned Beef IP
  • Put the meat in the bottom of your inner pot. I like to put the meat with the fat side down, if possible.
    Corned Beef IP
  • Quarter the onion and remove the skin. Chop the celery into a few large chunks as well. Peel the garlic cloves by smashing them with a knife on the cutting board to loosen the hard skin.
    Corned Beef IP
  • Add the vegetables to the pot with the meat, and sprinkle the spice pack into the pot. Drop in the bay leaves.
    Corned Beef IP
  • Pour the Guinness over top of everything.
    Corned Beef IP
  • Put the lid on the Instant Pot, close the vent, and set it to cook on manual, high, for 90 minutes. When the time is up, let it do a natural pressure release for 10 minutes.
    Corned Beef IP
  • Using a slotted spoon, carefully lift the corned beef out of the liquid and set it to rest on the cutting board. Strain the liquid and reserve.
    Note: the meat will be very tender and smell delicious, but refrain from slicing it until it has a few minutes to rest. Cutting before the meat has rested will cause the juices to run out and will give you a dry corned beef.
    Corned Beef IP
  • After 5-10 minutes resting, you can cut a few slices off. Try to only slice what you need for your meal. The meat is very soft and will tend to shred.
    Corned Beef IP
  • Put the rest of your corned beef into an airtight container and pour back in some of the juices from the pot. This will help keep it moist. Let it rest in the refrigerator overnight.
    Corned Beef IP
  • Once cooled and rested, you can use a sharp knife to carefully cut the corned beef into thin slices.
    Corned Beef IP
  • When reheated in a pan or in the microwave with some pot juices, the highly-marbled wagyu corned beef will literally melt apart.
    Corned Beef IP
  • Enjoy your sliced corned beef in sandwiches, tacos, or however you like! If you want to do corned beef and cabbage, you can cook the cabbage (and potatoes, carrots, etc.) separately, using the juices from the pot. 
    Corned Beef IP
  • Enjoy!
    Corned Beef IP
Nutrition Facts
Mouth-Watering Corned Beef with Guinness (Instant Pot)
Amount Per Serving (1 serving)
Calories 306 Calories from Fat 198
% Daily Value*
Fat 22g34%
Saturated Fat 7g44%
Cholesterol 81mg27%
Sodium 1851mg80%
Potassium 501mg14%
Carbohydrates 1g0%
Protein 22g44%
Vitamin A 60IU1%
Vitamin C 42.2mg51%
Calcium 20mg2%
Iron 2.6mg14%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Tried this recipe?Mention @BlakOpalEats or tag #blakopal!

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