Ubiquitous with St. Patrick’s Day, corned beef and cabbage is a hearty, filling dish featuring tender corned beef simmered to perfection alongside carrots, potatoes and cabbage. While corned beef and cabbage is associated with St. Patrick’s Day in the U.S., in Ireland it’s more common to celebrate the March 17th holiday with a lamb-based meal.
In fact, corned beef and cabbage isn’t really a traditional Irish recipe at all, and is better associated with the significant influx of Irish immigrants to America beginning in the mid 1840s. We still love eating it on St. Patrick’s Day (or any time of year), especially in leftover corned beef recipes like Reuben sandwiches and corned beef hash and eggs the next day.
What is corned beef?
Corned beef is salt-cured beef brisket. This cut of beef comes from a cow’s lower chest, which is quite muscular. As a result, the meat is quite tough. A process of salt-curing and a long cook time serve to tenderize the meat.
What’s the difference between corned beef and pastrami?
Pastrami vs. corned beef comes down to a couple of differences. Both are salt-cured beef brisket, but pastrami is made with the fattier end of the brisket, and it gets smoked, spiced then roasted. It tends to be richer meat, thanks to the extra fat.
Corned beef, on the other hand, is made with the more muscular end, which is a tougher cut and ends up a bit drier after cooking. That’s why a long slow-and-low braise or boil is best to get corned beef nice and tender.
Ingredients for the Best Corned Beef and Cabbage Recipe
- Corned beef brisket: Look in the meat section of your local grocery store for ready-to-cook corned beef. It is typically sold in vacuum-sealed packages. For this corned beef and cabbage recipe, you’ll want to use the “flat” cut, which is typically rectangular in shape, even in thickness and relatively leaner than the “point” cut, which is more marbled, thicker and smaller in size. Make sure to save the spice packet!
- Carrots and potatoes: These vegetables add heartiness to this dish. The best types of potatoes to use in this recipe are waxy varieties like red or Yukon Golds.
- Cabbage: Find a nice fresh head of green cabbage for this recipe. Cut it into even wedges so it cooks uniformly.
- Horseradish sauce: For extra flavor, an optional horseradish sauce adds extra zing to the corned beef. An additional mustard sauce amplifies the flavor even more. Freshly peeled horseradish is the best for the sauce. Prepared horseradish is already mixed with vinegar and spices.
Directions
Step 1: Cook the corned beef
Place the brisket, the contents of seasoning packet, brown sugar and bay leaves in a large Dutch oven or stockpot, and cover with water. Bring everything to a boil. Reduce the heat, and let it simmer, covered, for two hours.
Step 2: Add the potatoes and carrots
Add potatoes and carrots to the Dutch oven, and return everything to a boil. Reduce the heat, and simmer, covered, just until the beef and vegetables are tender, 30 to 40 minutes.
Test Kitchen Tip: If the pot is full, remove potatoes and carrots before adding the cabbage, then reheat before serving.
Step 3: Add the cabbage
Add the cabbage to the Dutch oven, and return to a boil. Reduce the heat, and simmer, covered, until the cabbage is tender, about 15 minutes. Remove the vegetables and corned beef, and keep warm.
Editor’s Tip: For optimal flavor and juiciness, let the corned beef rest for at least 30 minutes before slicing. To do so, set the corned beef on a cutting board, and lightly tent with foil.
Step 4: Make the horseradish sauce (optional)
If desired, for the horseradish sauce, strain and reserve 1-1/2 cups of the cooking juices. Skim the fat from the reserved juices, and discard the rest. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat, and stir in the flour until smooth. Gradually whisk in 1 cup reserved juices. Stir in the sugar, vinegar and horseradish, and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook and stir until thickened. If desired, thin with additional juices, and season to taste with additional sugar, vinegar or horseradish.
Step 5: Make the mustard sauce (optional)
If desired, for the mustard sauce, whisk together the sour cream mustard and sugar.
Step 6: Slice the corned beef, and serve
Cut the beef across the grain into slices. Serve with the vegetables and sauce.
Editor’s Tip:Â When slicing brisket, you want to look for the lines of visible muscle fibers, and notice in which direction they’re lined up. That’s the “grain.” Cut against the grain (instead of with it) to ensure tender slices of meat.
Recipe Variations
- Smoke it: For outdoor-cooking aficionados, try making smoked corned beef. Smoking adds a complex sweet, smoky flavor that takes the corned beef to the next level.
- Slow-cook it: We love a good set-it-and-forget-it recipe, and this slow-cooker corned beef and cabbage can’t be beat.
- Add a sweet glaze: This maple-glazed corned beef is a sweeter take on traditional corned beef flavors.
How to Store Corned Beef and Cabbage
Store leftover corned beef and cabbage in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days.
Can you freeze corned beef and cabbage?
Leftover corned beef can be frozen for up to three months. When you’re ready to eat again, thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating. If you know you want to freeze just the corned beef, cook it alone, wrap it, and store it in the freezer. When you’re ready to serve it, cook the vegetables separately. Leftover vegetables do not freeze well because they become soft when reheated.
Corned Beef and Cabbage Tips
What’s the best cut of corned beef to buy?
The best cut of corned beef to buy depends on your personal preference. There are two cuts of brisket for corned beef: flat cut and point cut. The flat cut is square, has less fat, slices easily and is found in grocery stores more commonly. On the other hand, the point cut is pointed, has more fat and is better for shredding. Additionally, you could purchase an entire brisket, which has the point and flat cut, or a beef round, though it is a much-less-common cut for corned beef.
Should you rinse corned beef before cooking?
Corned beef doesn’t need to be rinsed before cooking. In fact, the USDA recommends not rinsing any raw meat or poultry before cooking, because it actually increases the risk of bacterial cross contamination from the raw food in your kitchen. (It’s one of the common food safety mistakes people often make at home!) Instead, just drain the juices from the package, and proceed with the recipe.
What else do you serve with the corned beef?
In addition to the vegetables and sauces, this Dutch oven corned beef goes great with a hearty slice of Irish soda bread and a pat of butter. For more festive ideas, check out all of our St. Patrick’s Day dinner recipes.
