If we were to play a word association game, where you would say the first dish that comes to your mind when I say ‘St. Patrick’s Day’, what would your answer be? I’d wager a pot of gold it would be Corned Beef and Cabbage. You would not be alone as most Americans consider it the Irish fare to serve on March 17.
This simple dish is steeped in a bit of debate about the authenticity of origin. Did it truly originate in Ireland? Did Irish immigrants to the U.S. recreate a favorite native dish (originally made with bacon) using corned beef instead? We will never know. However it is served in Ireland on special occasions.
My husband is of Irish roots and like me has traveled much to the Emerald Isle. When we got together we were working long hours in high tech and past the point of spending hours in a pub on a week night to celebrate St. Paddy’s Day (as well as often in American pubs the green beer and strobe light shamrock eyeglasses have overtaken the authenticity of the holiday). Instead we’d settle in with a six pack of Guinness, a DVD of ‘The Commitments’ and make Corned Beef. At the time we’d pick up the pre-brined brisket that comes with the seasoning packet that is simply dumped in a crock pot or stock pot to boil away with some onions and carrots yielding a salty piece of meat for dinner and leftover sandwiches.
For such a simple and classic dish it seemed obvious sharing a recipe here in preparation for St. Patrick’s Day would be the right thing to do. After I looked through family recipes, some favorite Irish cookbooks, and speaking at length with butchers at a few of my favorite local markets, I realized one has a decision to make when approaching this dish, and everyone’s approach is a bit different.
Corned beef is actually a brined brisket. Much as one does with their Thanksgiving turkey (albeit for turkey it’s a much shorter duration of brining), the brisket is placed in a brining mixture of salt and water, and sometimes seasonings depending on the recipe being used. The process of brining can take from 5 days to a few weeks and requires changing of the mixture and chilling to ensure the brisket is prepared as well as safe to eat in the end.
After the meat is brined, it is cooked with pickling seasoning and simple vegetables preferably over a number of hours to keep the meat supple and well flavored. There are variations and personal preferences all along the path. Some recommend soaking the brined brisket over night to release excess salt before cooking. Some add vegetables at the beginning which cook for hours. Regardless of how it’s done it is a delicious ode to the holiday and the Irish.
For my recipe I wanted to keep the brisket succulent with a long cook as well as add something most gluten-free diners rarely experience; meat cooked in beer. The beer acts to provide another level of flavor along with the seasonings and vegetables. I also like cooked but not mushy vegetables so I used two sets of vegetables. The first is purely to add flavor to the broth when cooking and provide a bed for the brisket so it would not burn by being directly on the bottom of the slow cooker. A second set intended for the meal are added a few hours before the meat is done, leaving them cooked perfectly to round out the meal. I personally am not a fan of cooked cabbage but did include the directions to ensure that too will come out great!
The method I’m sharing is simple however requires about 24 hours as the corned beef is first soaked overnight to release excess salt. It then cooks for 10 hours in a slow cooker and is it ever worth the wait!
Recipe
Slow Cooker Beer-Simmered Corned Beef and Vegetables
Ingredients
- 3-4 pound flat-cut Corned Beef brisket
- 1 medium-large Yellow Onion , peeled and cut into 4-8 wedges
- 1 large Carrot , cut into large pieces (does not need to be peeled)
- 2 stalks of Celery , cut into 3-4 inch pieces
- Seasoning packet for corned beef (will be included when purchasing the corned beef)
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 3-5 sprigs fresh Thyme
- 1 pint (2 cups) medium to dark Beer (I used Green’s Gluten-Free Dubbel Dark Ale)
- 1 cup Water
- 4 medium potatoes , thin-skinned potatoes (e.g. Yukon Gold, Red New, etc.), scrubbed and cut into quarters
- 1-2 large carrots , peeled and cut into 3-4 inch lengths
- Optional: small head of green or savoy cabbage , halved and one half cut into wedges
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large stock pot or mixing bowl immerse the corned beef in water (covered by a few inches); cover or seal with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight.
- Remove the corned beef, rinse and set aside.
- Line the bottom of the slow cooker with the onion wedges, unpeeled carrots and celery. Place the corned beef fat side up on top of the vegetables.
- Sprinkle the seasoning packet, bay leaf and thyme sprigs on the corned beef. Pour the beer and water over the corned beef. Place the lid on the slow cooker.
- Set slow cooker on low for 10 hours.
- After 8 hours: Place the potato wedges and peeled carrots around the top of the slow cooker around or on top of the corned beef. Return lid to slow cooker.
- After 9 hours: Place cabbage wedges on top of the vegetables (do not pack the slow cooker too full). Return lid to slow cooker.
- When the cooking completes, scoop top vegetables into serving vessels using a slotted spoon to keep cooking liquid in the slow cooker. Remove the corned beef from the slow cooker and allow it to rest for at least 20 minutes before slicing across the grain to serve. Excess fat may be trimmed before serving.
- The corned beef may be prepared ahead of time and stored in a container with some of the cooking juices in the refrigerator until serving. For leftover use, discard the cooking liquid and store the corned been in a plastic storage bag or sealable container.
Paulette says
love corn beef sandwiches on home made bread with cabbage as a side
Toni Dash says
Yes!! So good.
BRENDA NEUMAN says
Thank you for such a great dish… My problem with cooking Beef Brisket is that it shrinks so much. I have never cooked it in a slow cooking. I have always done it on top of the stove on a low flame. will cooking it in a slow cookeing help to keep it from shrinking so much.I would like to have some advice – Thank You
Toni Dash says
Brenda are you speaking about beef brisket or CORNED beef brisket? They are different.
Noelle Carroll says
This looks mouth watering! I think I will head to the grocery store and make this for dinner tonight, thank you so much for posting!
Laura @MotherWouldKnow says
Toni, I’m a huge fan of The Commitments, though it’s been years since I last saw it. Reading your post made me want to find it (to watch yet again) and grab my slow cooker for a round of this corned beef. I’m of Eastern European Jewish ancestry and my husband is mostly of Irish descent, so our ideas on corned beef diverge. But with this recipe, I’m willing to go his way for once:)
cheryl says
This recipe was awesome the soaking over night I had never heard of before and I’m a seasoned cook. Beer is always my choice for liquid, this year I removed almost all the fat prior to cooking for health reasons. My husbands 80 year old mom who acts our age! Certainly we trend to watching. The meat was the best I’ve ever cooked and the best they have ever had and they have had many a Corned Beef meal. Thank you I will never change a thing- try removing the fat!
I did 2, 4 lb roast in crocks to see if there was any variation by pieces both turned out perfect. Made the best leftover sandwiches. Drippings were grease free thicken some gravy save some to moisten meat for sandwiches two days later.
Toni Dash says
First of all Cheryl, I so appreciate you taking the time to share your findings. I wished I could have hired you as a recipe testing when I was working through 20 batches of gluten-free popover prototypes!
Most importantly I’m delighted you had the results you did. I think corned beef is one of those things that people don’t realize could be better than what we’ve always had. I completely agree on the soaking step and also feel doing that allows the flavors from the seasonings and vegetables to shine more in compliment of the meat. Again, thank you SO much for your time and sharing.
Michelle @ My Gluten-free Kitchen says
So great to see this classic dish made gluten-free! I shared it on my Facebook page this morning. Thanks for sharing your recipe!
Toni Dash says
I agree Michelle! Just because we are gluten-free doesn’t mean we should be excluded from something this delicious in my mind! Thanks for commenting and sharing!
Ashley @ Wishes & Dishes says
Ahhhh such a classic! Love that you did it in the slow cooker 🙂 Have a great weekend!