Classic Corned Beef and Cabbage

A long-cooked one-pot meal of corned beef cooked to perfection and served with tender cabbage, potatoes, and carrots would please any Irish-American on St. Patrick’s Day. Add some mustard or a creamy horseradish sauce and you have a real celebration. (Step back from the green beer, folks!)

What is corned beef?

Corned beef is most commonly a flat-sliced ​​brisket, but sometimes it’s made from round beef that has been salt-cured. Coarse rock salt, called “salt grains” (one of several explanations for why it’s called corned beef), was used when people began salting meat to preserve it.

How do I buy corned beef?

The preferred cut of corned beef is a flat brisket. There are two types of prepared corned beef: with or without nitrates. In a clever but confusing marketing strategy, corned beef that’s been cured without chemical nitrates (using celery juice, which full disclosure says contains sodium nitrate) is often labeled “uncured,” which is misleading.

If the label says corned beef, it’s cured! That’s the bottom line. You can buy it cured with natural or chemical nitrates, but it’s cooked the same way, regardless of the startling labeling.

Corned beef usually comes in a pack filled with a liquid solution called brine. Due to the curing salts used, the meat is slightly pink and typically has a spice packet.

Instead of using the spice pack, I throw it out and add my own spice mix.

There is some discussion on this topic. Already in the 17th^th In the 19th century in rural Ireland, a large salt pork tenderloin was simmering in a pot over the fire and some cabbage was thrown in to cook. However, it’s safe to say that the Irish rarely eat it with a celebratory meal these days, and the St. Patrick’s Day celebrations themselves are purely American.

One theory of its popularity in the United States is that Irish immigrants brought the memory of this dish with them to America. In fact, in Boston, where I live, we call it a New England Boiled Dinner, and it came to our shores along with the many Irish immigrants who settled here.

A piece of meat and some cabbage tossed in a pot for hours doesn’t sound very appealing, but in this version the meat simmers first and then the vegetables are cooked in the broth after The meat is cooked so they don’t become dismal versions of themselves from overcooking in the pot!

I find this simple dish pleasant and appealing; It is worth doing more than once a year.

Simmer in the oven, not on the stove

Instead of cooking, the meat actually simmers gently in the oven, like a pot roast. Bring it to a simmer on the stovetop with some onions and spices—then cook it, covered, low and slow in the oven.

The constant, low oven temperature allows the meat to cook evenly. When ready, transfer the meat from the broth to a baking sheet or casserole dish and bake in a hot oven for about 10 minutes to give the top a golden brown crust.

Let it rest before slicing and cook the vegetables while it rests. The potatoes should go in first to give them a head start, and the carrots and cabbage should go in five minutes later so all the veggies are tender at once.

How to serve corned beef and cabbage

Cut the meat across the grain and place on a large platter. Surround it with the cabbage wedges, potatoes and carrots. Pour a ladle or two of the broth over the plate; sprinkle with parsley and place the platter in the center of the table for guests to serve themselves.

Serve with mustard of your choice and with sour cream horseradish sauce if you like. In Ireland, corned beef may be served with parsley sauce, which is essentially a white sauce made with lots of chopped parsley. I implemented this idea with sour cream, horseradish, and parsley for a quick no-cook version.

Make Ahead Corned Beef

I usually make corned beef in two steps, just for convenience. I like to have a head start, so I don’t rush. Cook the meat the first day, then strain the cooking liquid and refrigerate separately until ready to assemble the meal.

Once chilled, the meat slices evenly in no time, and the chilled broth’s fat rises to the top and solidifies for easy removal. Here are the steps:

Day 1: Cook the meat. Strain the broth. Store them separately in the fridge overnight.

• Cook the corned beef in the broth in the oven.
• Remove the meat from the broth and sear in the oven as described above.
• Store the cooked corned beef in the refrigerator in a container or on a plate covered with a lid or foil.
• Strain the broth into a container. Store it in the fridge overnight.

Day 2 or 3: Slice the meat and warm in the oven while you cook the vegetables.

• Preheat oven to 350oF.
• Remove and discard the fat from the chilled broth and heat the broth in a large saucepan.
• Slice the meat and place in a shallow casserole dish. Add about two scoops of broth; Cover the dish with foil and heat in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until hot.
• Meanwhile, cook the vegetables according to the recipe.
• Plate up and serve!

Ways to use leftover corned beef

• Salted ground beef
• Reuben sandwiches with homemade Thousand Island!
• Hot Reuben dip!
• Make an impromptu soup – chop the veggies and add them to the leftover broth (if it’s not too salty). Otherwise, add them to beef or chicken broth. Add chunks of corned beef if available, or create a whole new soup by adding chunks of cooked sausage, chicken, or other vegetables.

More ways to cook corned beef

• Slow cooker corned beef and cabbage
• Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage
• Baked Corned Beef and Cabbage
• Homemade corned beef