Corned Beef Cabbage Dinner
- Total Time: varies
- Yield: 4 + servings 1x
Ingredients
- 4 pounds Corned Beef Brisket, rinsed, spice packet discarded if braising, used if Slow Cooking
- 2 large onions, one peeled and studded with about 4 cloves, the other peeled and quartered through the root end
- 4 cloves (for the onion)
- 1 sprig thyme
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- water
- 5 larger red potatoes or medium sized russets, peeled or not (about 5 ounces each, more if smaller the Irish rule is “one per person and one for the pot.”)
- 4 large carrots, scraped and cut into about 4-inch chunks
- 1/2 head of cabbage, quartered through the root end so it will remain intact
- parsley, optional for garnish
Instructions
Stovetop:
Put meat in Dutch oven with onions. Add the thyme and sprinkle with mustard powder. Add water, pouring down the side of the pan, not over the corned beef, to a level of about 3/4 up the sides of the corned beef, but not over, and bring just to a boil. Immediately turn down to a simmer and skim off any foam.
Add a lid and simmer very gently (small bubbles popping up here and there on a regular basis) for an hour and a half. Add the vegetables, cabbage on top and simmer gently another hour. The liquid level may need to be checked during the long simmer.
When finished, the Corned beef should be tender but not stringy and falling apart, the internal temperature should be 160 degrees. Rest for 15 to 20 minutes before cutting into thin slices across the grain. Serve on a platter with the vegetables, pour a little of the broth over and pass the remaining. Garnish with parsley if desired.
Note: If you’d like a lot of vegetables, cook the corned beef until done, remove to rest, then add as many vegetables as you can fit in the pot, potatoes on the bottom, cabbage on top. Cover and simmer briskly for 20 – to 25 minutes until vegetables are tender.
Corned Beef in the Slowcooker:
If you need to cook this in a crockpot, throw everything together, rinsed Corned Beef on the bottom along with the onions, add the thyme, sprinkle with mustard powder, then the contents of the spice packet. Then either:
- If the meal needs to be ready: Add the potatoes, carrots and the cabbage, in order, on top. Add enough water, pouring down the side of the slow cooker, not over corned beef to just cover the corned beef. Set it on low and leave for six to nine hours. The meal will be finished but the vegetables will be very tender.
- If there is time to cook in the evening: About 40 minutes before ready to eat, remove the corned beef, tent to keep warm. Turn the slow cooker to high, then add the vegetables in order, the potatoes on the bottom. Add the lid and leave for about 30 to 40 minutes until tender. When ready to serve, remove the vegetables, turn the slow cooker off, slice the corned beef across the grain and return it to the slow cooker for a few mintues to heat through in the broth. To speed things up, broth may be added to a pan and vegetables simmered on the stovetop.
Serve on a platter with the vegetables, pour a little of the broth over and pass the remaining. Garnish with parsley if desired.
Notes
If serving 4, there should be leftovers.
The general rule of thumb for braising different weights of corned beef: Cook 30 minutes, then add an additional 30 minutes per pound. Smaller cuts may need slightly less time.