The Easiest Corned Beef and Cabbage

This is the easiest Corned Beef and Cabbage recipe that I have come across and I have tried a lot. Corned Beef and Cabbage is that once-a-year meal I think I don’t like and then I make it and it’s great! The problem may be that it is not the prettiest meal while cooking. But it wouldn’t be St. Patrick’s Day in this Irish household without it.

My mother always made it and I would not touch it with a ten-foot pole. My mom called it a boiled dinner, but there are a lot of different versions of that. My mom’s exact birthday was always a question in our house. It is the week of St. Patrick’s Day, so we celebrated her “birthday week.” My grandmother would joke she couldn’t be having birthday parties on St. Patrick’s Day in Dorchester, MA, it would just be too much. So she joked that she lied on the birth certificate and said my mom was born on the 18th! My grandmother was a trip.

Because it was my mom’s “birthday week” and she would make this, I always felt I should try it. I was a very picky eater as a child, it drove my mother crazy. She would be so happy to see how far I have come. Now that she has passed, I can’t help but feel sentimental this week. She was a wonderful woman.

A few years ago, I went to The Chieftain Pub in Plainville, Ma and my sis-in-law ordered Corned Beef and Cabbage. I was forced to try it and from then on I loved it. I would ask for their recipe, but I am sure they are not willing to share and I understand that. I am willing to travel for theirs…it is that good. Usually reserved for around St. Patrick’s Day, this Corned Beef and Cabbage Recipe is great all year round. The perfect Gluten Free holiday meal. If there are food allergies in your family, this is a great go-to meal.

The Chieftain Pub is closed on Sundays and I am all about the Sunday Dinner, so I needed to find an alternative. After a lot of research this is my favorite recipe. My friend Kristen gave me this recipe and I love it. So on those Sundays when The Chieftain Pub is closed, here is a recipe for you. And remember, everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day. But the Irish love to have friends and raise a pint with anybody, so you can be Irish any day you want.

May you be in heaven a full half hour before the devil knows your dead

-Irish Blessing

If you are interested, please check out the Recipes page of my blog Sunday Chefs for more tried and true family recipes and restaurant reviews.

The Easiest Corned Beef and Cabbage

Usually reserved for around St. Patrick's Day but this Corned Beef and Cabbage Recipe is great all year round. The perfect Gluten Free holiday meal. If there are food allergies in your family this is a great go to meal. Remember, everyone is Irish on St. Patrick's Day.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Course: dinner, lunch, Main Course
Cuisine: irish

Ingredients
  

  • 1 3-4 lb. Corned Beef I buy with brine and spices included
  • 4 Potatoes quartered
  • 5 Carrots Peeled and chopped
  • 1 large White Onion Roughly chopped
  • 1 medium Green Cabbage quartered (or about 8 pieces if it's large)
  • Mustard optional

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch Oven or Crock Pot

Method
 

  1. Add the Corned Beef to a large, heavy pot. Cover with cold water and bring to a boil.
  2. Drain off the water and cover again with new cold water.
  3. My friend Kristen gave me this tip and it makes such a huge difference. It takes a lot of the salt out.
  4. Add the seasoning packet and bring to a boil again. Once you bring to a boil, lower the temp and simmer for about 2 hours.
  5. Add potatoes, carrots and onions. Bring to a boil again, then lower and simmer for about 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
  6. Add the cabbage (careful to not break apart). Cook for another 20 minutes.
  7. Remove from heat and serve warm.
  8. Mustard is a great condiment for this.

Notes

This recipe may seem a bit daunting. Pre-boiling and changing the water is the key to this. It will get very foamy, which is a little off putting, so it is nice to get rid of that. Don’t get nervous when you see the foam. It will all come together in the end.
When it comes to the cabbage, I like to cut the cabbage in to four or eight wedges. I try to keep them together while cooking. It is nice to give everyone their own wedge of cabbage. And it looks much nicer also. 
A Corned Beef sandwich the next day with some spicy mustard on rye bread is an amazing thing. Make sure to have one. 
Just remember …. everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day!
Additions: Mustard 
Allergens: Includes Carrots, but is Gluten Free, Nut Free, Dairy Free, Egg Free, Peanut Free, Soy Free

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