You’ll love this easy Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage, served straight from the pot with a dollop of whole wheat mustard. Leftovers make great Reuben sandwiches!
Corned beef and cabbage – a popular St Patrick’s Day dish – is as native to Ireland as I am. Although corned beef and cabbage are consumed in Ireland today, it’s not the national dish that many people consider it to be.
This one-pot wonder is an adaptation of the Irish bacon and cabbage dish that I enjoyed on numerous occasions during my culinary internship in Ireland. I was intrigued to find Irish-Americans emulating their new Jewish neighbors and using the cheaper salted (corned) beef instead of their traditional piece of bacon. This was another contribution to the American melting pot.
What is corned beef?
Corned beef is brisket that has been pickled in spices, salt, and nitrates (the nitrates also give it an appealing color) for curing (or canning). When purchasing your corned beef, look for briskets, which are more tender and lower in fat.
How do you buy corned beef?
- A three pound brisket is ideal, as it shrinks when cooked. If you plan to feed more than six people, choose a larger brisket.
- Make sure your breast breast wrap says “cured.” So you don’t have to interfere in the curing process yourself. If you accidentally picked up an uncured brisket or want to try curing your own beef, here’s how to cure beef at home.
- Save the Spice Pack! It’s also important to purchase a packet of corned beef that includes a spice packet. While most corned beef is full of flavor on its own, the seasoning package spices up the flavor of the entire dish. It most commonly includes bay leaves, black peppercorns, and mustard seeds.
Why Make Slow Cooker Corned Beef?
Do you have a few hours to praise me the virtues of slow cooking corned beef and cabbage? No? Ok, here are just a few!
Best vegetables for corned beef
As the name suggests, cabbage is the ultimate pairing when it comes to corned beef. I prefer to use kale because it’s easy to find and it’s the cheapest kale to cook with. Savoy cabbage is another great option if you can find it.
Using carrots in this recipe reduces the bitterness of the cabbage. A coarse chop, leaving chunks two inches thick, leaves tender carrots that aren’t mushy by the end of cooking.
New red potatoes, also called red baby potatoes, are preferred because they’re not overly starchy, are small enough to cook in two hours, and add a bit of color to the finished dish. Yukon gold or auburn are good substitutes if you cut them no larger than two inches to cook. No need to peel your potatoes – just scrub them thoroughly before slicing.
When to put vegetables in the slow cooker
Add the vegetables two hours before serving the corned beef and cabbage. Adding them towards the end of cooking will preserve their texture and some of their color.
But no fear! If you get home late to add the veggies, toss them on a lightly greased sheet pan and roast in a 225°F oven for 25 minutes. Once they are soft, put them in the slow cooker. Thanks to the broth created by the corned beef, the veggies taste like you cooked them all together.
How to serve the corned beef
After the corned beef is cooked, all you have to do is lift it out of the pot with tongs and cut across the grain. The meat has what looks like subtle ridges – that’s the grain. Slice the meat perpendicular to these ridges for the most tender slice of corned beef. Arrange the corned beef on a serving platter or return to the slow cooker to keep warm.
Corned beef and cabbage is an easy dish that’s best served straight from the pot. The only way it could possibly be made better is to smear a dollop of whole wheat mustard over your beef slices.
Storing and reheating leftovers
Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to three days and reheated in the microwave or oven until heated through.
My favorite way to reuse leftovers, however, is with a classic Reuben sandwich: slices of corned beef with sauerkraut and Swiss cheese, served on dark rye bread and brushed with Thousand Island dressing.
Here are more ways to love your slow cooker!
- Slow Cooker Guinness Beef Stew
- Slow cooker mac and cheese
- Slow Cooker Cider Pulled Pork
- Slow Cooker Bourbon Short Ribs with Cheesy Grits
- Poached salmon in the slow cooker
Slow cooker corned beef and cabbage
ingredients
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3 to 3 1/2 lb healed Corned beefwith spice pack
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1 Middle white onion, quartered
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2 cloves garlicpeeled and left whole
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3 cups water
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1 1/2 lb new red potatoeswashed and chopped into 2 inch pieces
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1 medium (approx 1 1/4 lb) Kalecut into sixths
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4 big carrotspeeled and cut into 2 inch slices
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whole grain mustardFor painting
method
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Prepare the corned beef:
After removing the corned beef from the bag, rinse under cold water to rid of any remaining brine. Then place the brisket in your slow cooker, fat side up. Sprinkle the contents of the seasoning packet over the brisket and add the onion and garlic. Pour the water over the brisket and cook on low for 8 hours (or on high for 4 hours).
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Add the vegetables:
With 2 hours of cooking remaining (or 1 hour if cooking on high), carefully remove the corned beef from the slow cooker and place on a plate. Add the sliced potatoes to the bottom, then return the breast to the slow cooker. Place the cabbage pieces and carrots around the beef and cover. Continue cooking the corned beef for 2 hours if cooking on low (or 1 hour if cooking on high).
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Cut and serve:
Once the potatoes are tender and a piece of brisket flakes easily when pierced with a fork, use tongs to carefully remove the corned beef from the slow cooker onto a cutting board. Slice the breast 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick against the grain.
Transfer to a serving platter and arrange cabbage, carrots and potatoes on top. You can also return the corned beef slices to the slow cooker to keep them warm and serve straight from the pot.
Top with whole grain mustard if you like.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 909 | calories |
| 49g | Fat |
| 32g | carbohydrates |
| 81g | protein |
