Corned Beef and Cabbage Pickling Spice

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This Traditional Corned Beef and Cabbage cooks everything low and slow (just like it should be) with the perfect spices in a Dutch oven or large stock pot. This delicious traditional recipe does not require any special equipment or expertise.  The corned beef is slow cooked with pickling spices. The carrots, potatoes and cabbage are added at different intervals so everything is done and tasty at the same time!!  The corned beef is tender and the cabbage is cooked just perfectly with just a tiny bit of crisp left.

Boy the years are just flying by.  It seems like we just had St. Patrick's Day.  I grew up believing that we were Irish.  Quite Irish as my later Mother would tell me.  She would tell me that her late late late ancestors were Irish and that we should celebrate St. Patrick's Day with gusto.  Well I found out from a cousin of mine that we did not have Irish ancestors at all.  They were Dutch or Scandinavian or something.  To tell you the truth I only half listened to my cousin as I was chuckling in my head at Mom's insistence on our Irish heritage.

My Mom would make this Easy Traditional Corned Beef and Cabbage every St. Patrick's Day.  She loved it so much and it is such an easy recipe that you too can take part in the Irish custom. She loved it so much that she would even make a batch for one of the Irish priests at our church.

How do you make corned beef and cabbage?

First in a large Dutch oven or stockpot add the corned beef and cover with cool water or beef broth. Now add the bay leaves and the spice packet. Cover the pot and simmer for 2-2 1/2 hours or until the brisket is almost fork tender.

Add the potatoes and carrots and simmer covered for about 30 minutes.  Now add the cabbage wedges and simmer covered for an additional 10-15 minutes.  Remove vegetables, cover and keep warm.  Remove and discard the bay leaves. Finally trim away any excess fat from the corned beef and slice against the grain.  Serve promptly in a dish with the potatoes, carrots, and cabbage with horseradish sauce or Honey Mustard Sauce on the side.

Helpful tips for making Corned Beef and Cabbage

• Buy good quality corned beef after all it is going to be the star of the show.
• Leave the fat on the corned beef when simmering as it helps cook it really tender and gives it lots of flavor. For this method cook it fat side up.
• Don't skip the spice packet. Simply add it to the water with the beef.
• The key is too simmer not boil the beef and vegetables. Low and slow as my late mother used to say.
• For aesthetic purposes peel your carrots as you will really appreciate the bright orange color.
• Red and gold potatoes are traditional and they are waxy enough to stay together through the simmering. Russet potatoes will begin to break down during the cooking process.
• Don't forget to remove and discard the bay leaves.  They are sharp on the edges and could cut your mouth or pose a choking hazard.
• Once cooked trim the fat from the beef. I like to leave just a very small portion of fat on for more flavor but my husband likes it completely trimmed.  As my mom always said "Different strokes for different folks."
• Slice the corned beef against the grain as this produces the most tender pieces that do not fall apart.
• Corned beef is cured with salt so it is naturally high in sodium. So go easy on any added salt.

What is the difference between flat cut and point cut corned beef?

Don't let these two different cuts confuse you. Corned beef after all is simply beef brisket that has been cured in salt brine. Corned beef brisket is then split into two cuts, the flat cut and the point cut. The flat cut is a much leaner cut but it still has a thick layer of fat on it so it cooks up moist and tender. It is best used for slicing and is my first pick for traditional corned beef.

The point cut get its name from coming to a point at one end. It is marbled with more fat and connective tissue. This cut cooks up tender and juicy but is best used for shredding.

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Traditional Corned Beef and Cabbage

This family loved traditional corned beef recipe has all the customary trimmings and  is cooked in one easy pot on the stove top.

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 180 minutes
• Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x
• Category: main meal beef
• Method: stove top
• Cuisine: Irish

• 3–4 pounds corned beef brisket with spice packet
• water (or beef broth)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 lb. baby yellow potatoes
• 5 large carrots peeled and chunked
• 1 head green cabbage cut in wedges

1. In Dutch Oven or large stockpot add corned beef and cover with water or beef broth. Add spice packet and bay leaves. Cover and simmer for 2-2 1/2 hours. The brisket should be fairly fork tender.
2. Add potatoes and carrots; cover and simmer for  additional 30 minutes. Add cabbage; cover and simmer for 15 additional minutes.
3. Remove the bay leaves and discard. Remove corned beef and vegetables from the pot and cover to keep warm.  Remove any fat from the corned beef and slice against the grain.

Notes

• Buy good quality corned beef after all it is going to be the star of the show.
• Leave the fat on the corned beef when simmering as it helps cook it really tender and gives it lots of flavor. For this cooking method cook it fat side up.
• Don't skip the spice packet. Simply add it to the water with the beef.
• The key is too simmer not boil the beef and vegetables. Low and slow as my late mother used to say.
• For aesthetic purposes peel your carrots as you will really appreciate the bright orange color.
• Red and gold potatoes are traditional and they are waxy enough to stay together through the simmering. Russet potatoes will begin to break down during the cooking process.
• Don't forget to remove and discard the bay leaves.  They are sharp on the edges and could cut your mouth or pose a choking hazard.
• Once cooked trim the fat from the beef. I like to leave just a very small portion of fat on for more flavor.
• Slice the corned beef against the grain as this produces the most tender pieces that do not fall apart.
• Corned beef is cured with salt so it is naturally high in sodium. So go easy on any added salt

Keywords: corned beef cabbage, how to make corned beef and cabbage. easy corned beef and cabbage, best corned beef and cabbage

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This post was originally published March 12, 2018 and was republished January 5, 2020 with new content.

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