I know I should do some crock pot cooking now and then, God knows I love it, but I've always put a corned beef or two into a large pot on the stove, throw in a bunch of "pickling spices" and bay leaves, cook it for whatever number of hours per pound the package recommends, and it has never been less than totally delicious. It's practically foolproof.
I'm always there checking on it and occasionally turning the pieces which may or may not be doing any good but I'm somehow compelled to do it. I also usually get to a point where I'm adding a little more water.
What else? When it's done, before slicing it (which I'm sometimes good at and sometimes not) I cut and scrape off the major hunks of fat that will come off easily. Because I'm a lean corned beef (and pastrami) kind of guy, don'tcha know.
