Corned Beef & Cabbage

Psst . . . St. Patrick’s Day is next week! Scroll to the end of this post to find out how to get two exclusive St. Patrick’s Day Instant Pot recipes delivered straight to your inbox—completely free.

Ahh, I love corned beef & cabbage! One of the big reasons I love it so much is that thanks to one of those ancestry kits, I found out that I am in fact Irish! I love Ireland, and so I love corned beef & cabbage. It’s such a great comfort food. I love to eat it when it’s cold . . . even though it doesn’t get that cold in California. But I still love turning the AC down really low, sitting there and eating this dish to feel comfy.

Now the thing about corned beef & cabbage is there’s some serious prep time involved. We’re talking at least a week. Yep, you read that right. But it’s worth it in the end, trust me. During that time you’re basically pickling or brining (or salting or curing) the beef, which makes it super delicious once it’s finally ready to be cooked. It takes a while, but the process is really simple. Essentially you take a beef brisket, stick it in some salt water for 7–10 days, and then cook it. Ok it’s a little more complicated than that, but you get the gist, haha.

In the recipe below, I recommend 10 days to brine, but a little less time is fine, especially if your brisket is on the smaller side. Remember you’ll want to have this ready for St. Paddy’s!

What should you have on the side? Corned beef & cabbage is a versatile main dish that goes well with a huge variety of sides. But I suggest a soup! You could try my Garlic Cauliflower Soup, Carrot Soup with Carrot Top Garlic Pesto, or Butternut Squash Bisque.

And did you know corned beef & cabbage pairs very nicely with red wine? I recommend a Syrah or California Pinot Noir. Check out Dry Farm Wines and get your first bottle for just a penny. (Note: I’m an affiliate for Dry Farm Wines, which means I get compensated if you purchase through that link.)

By the way, I want to leave you with a piece of trivia. Did you know that in Ireland corned beef isn’t called corned beef? It’s called… spiced beef! The more you know…

St. Paddy's Day Corned Beef & Cabbage

George Bryant

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 days d

Cook Time 3 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Total Time 10 days d 3 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Course Dinner

Cuisine Irish

Servings 6 servings

Ingredients

  

• 1 corned beef brisket *recipe below
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp ground allspice
• 1 ⁄2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 ⁄2 tsp ground ginger
• Pinch of ground cloves
• 1 tsp sea salt
• Freshly cracked black pepper
• 3 carrots diced
• 3 stalks celery diced
• 1 small yellow onion diced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 head cabbage cut into 8 wedges

To corn beef:

• 8 cups water
• 1 ⁄2 cup sea salt
• 8 whole allspice berries 
• 6 whole cloves
• 2 bay leaves crushed
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• 1 tsp mustard seeds 
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 1 ⁄2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 2–­4 lb beef brisket, trimmed
• 1 small yellow onion quartered *no need to peel
• 1 large carrot roughly chopped *no need to peel
• 2 stalks celery roughly chopped
• 2 cloves garlic crushed *no need to peel

Instructions

 

• To Corn Beef:
• Add water to a large stock pot and stir in salt, allspice, cloves, bay leaves, cinnamon, peppercorns, mustard seeds, coriander, and ginger. Cook over medium high heat until the salt dissolves. Remove from heat and allow to cool to 45 degrees. Add ice if needed.
• Once cool, place brine and brisket in a large zip top bag. Seal, making sure to remove as much air as possible. Place bag in a large casserole dish and lay flat in fridge for 10 days. Be sure to check daily to ensure the meat is completely covered with the brine.
• To Cook:
• Thoroughly rinse corned beef with cool water and discard brine. Place corned beef in a large stock pot and fill with water until the meat is covered by one inch (roughly 8–­12 cups). Add bay leaves, allspice, cinnamon, cloves, salt and pepper and stir to combine.
• Place pot over high heat and bring to a boil, lower heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 2-1/2–­3 hours or until meat is fork tender. Add carrots, celery, and garlic and cook uncovered for 12­–15 minutes. Add cabbage and cook an additional 12–­15 minutes or until tender.
• Remove bay leaves, shred or slice corned beef against the grain, and serve immediately w/ cooked veggies and broth (optional).

St. Patrick’s Day Giveaway!

So, St. Patrick’s Day is next week, and if you love corned beef or shepherd’s pie as much as I do, you know they’re reason enough for celebrating. Recently, I’ve become a big fan of using the Instant Pot to cook them, and I’d love to share both recipes with you. Just enter your email address below to get them in your inbox . . . instantly! (See what I did there?)

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