Corned Beef and Cabbage—Slow Cooker recipe

Corned Beef and Cabbage—Slow Cooker recipe

Cooked slowly in a large crock pot, this corned beef will turn our tender and tasty and full of flavor!

Corned beef is not a traditional Irish dish, but one you will find often in America for St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, possibly because it was an easy way of curing meats among early Irish immigrants.  The beef is cured and then flavored with pickling spices.  Carrots, parsnips, onions and potatoes are typically added, along with the namesake cabbage, once the meat has cooked a bit.  You will need a LARGE slow cooker (crock pot) for this recipe.

Note: Often corned beef contains nitrates as a preservative, which is something I try to avoid.  Check the labels and look for nitrate-free options–I have found them available at Trader Joe’s and in some grocery stores in the Organic meats section.

Serves 4-6 (depending on how much your meat shrinks or needs to be trimmed)

Ingredients:

4 cups water beef broth or 2 cups broth + 2 cups beer
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp sugar or brown sugar (optional)
1 tsp black pepper
1 large yellow onion, quartered
3 Lbs corned beef brisket (trim excess fat and discard)
2 Tbsp pickling spice (typically a blend of mustard seeds, coriander seeds, bay leaf, allspice, dill seeds, cloves and chili flakes).  A packet of pickling spices is often sold with the corned beef, or can be purchased separately in the spice section of your local grocer.
8 small yellow or white potatoes, washed and cut in half
1 head cabbage, cut into eight wedges, core removed
5 large carrots, cut into 2” slices
3 large parsnips, cut into 2” slices (optional)
1 turnip, cut into 1” cubes

Preparation:

1. Add the broth, beer, vinegar, pepper and onions to a large crock pot and mix
2. Add corned beef, and sprinkle with pickling spice to cover. Rub in.
3. Add carrots, potatoes, parsnips and turnips around and on top of meat.
4. Cover and cook on HIGH heat setting for 4 hours.
5. After 4 hours, remove lid and add cabbage on top of other veggies. Cover and continue to cook, on LOW setting for 3 more hours, or until beef is tender.
6. To serve, cut the beef into slices against the grain or pull apart with two forks into shreds. Add to platter with cabbage and veggies.  Extra cooking liquid can be passed to add more juice.  Can also be accompanied with brown mustard.