What’s in Corned Beef and Cabbage
Homemade corned beef and cabbage uses surprisingly few ingredients for such a flavorful dish. The following ingredients are necessary to make corned beef in either a slow cooker or an Instant Pot:
- Carrots
- Yellow onion
- Small potatoes (red or purple)
- Corned beef round (leaner) or beef brisket (fattier)
- Beer is acceptable; brown ales and lagers, including Bud Light, work well.
- Fresh thyme
- Head of cabbage
- Sour cream
- Prepared horseradish
What is Corned Beef?
Beef round (leaner) or beef brisket (fatter) that has been preserved by salt-curing is used to make corned beef. This preservation technique has been used for eons and is particularly well-liked in Jewish and Irish cuisine. The beef is flavorful and tenderized by being slowly cooked with herbs and pickling spices.
Is corned beef traditionally served in the U.S. Irish or not? S. each and every St. Patrick’s Day, but it IS Irish-American. You probably won’t find it served at the neighborhood pub in Ireland.
The Difference Between Corned Beef Round or Corned Beef Brisket
Beef round and beef brisket are the two standard cuts of corned beef. Round comes from the back of the cow, while brisket comes from the front. Both cuts of beef are relatively tough unless cooked low and slow because these beef muscles are the most frequently used. That’s what makes corned beef the perfect slow cooker meal.
While beef round cuts into more consistent slices that don’t fall apart, beef brisket cuts into more shreddy pieces with lots of juicy flavors. I’ve prepared corned beef using both cuts of beef, and the results were different. So, which cut of corned beef is best?.
Beef brisket has more marbling and fat which makes this corned beef juicy, fall apart-tender, and delicious. Brisket is offered in a point or flat cut. The flat cut has a generous fat cap on top of the meat that melts flavor into the meat as it cooks. The point cut has lots of fat and connective tissue for loads of flavor, but not as much meat.
Choose the round cut of corned beef if you want it to be more lean. It’s leaner with far less marbling. However, this cut won’t have quite the flavor and won’t be as juicy as beef brisket, just like the meat of any kind with less fat and collagen.
- Remember that corned beef will shrink by about a third when cooked when selecting your package.
- Choose corned beef that hasn’t been cured and hasn’t had nitrates or nitrites added because these ingredients may have cancer-causing properties.
- I frequently purchase a 3- to 4-pound piece of pre-brined point-cut beef, which conveniently feeds 4 people for dinner and leaves enough leftover for the best Reuben sandwiches.
- For the best slices, always cut your corned beef against the grain.
What Happens if You Don’t Rinse Corned Beef Before Cooking
If you’re worried about too much salt in the corned beef, you can rinse it before cooking, but I’ve found that it’s really not necessary, so I never rinse mine. It’s all personal preference. Rinsing is optional, but it will still be flavorful if you do.
How to Cook Corned Beef in the Slow Cooker
- Place the corned beef (fat-side up), potatoes, carrots, onions, and onions in the slow cooker.
- Add the pickling spices and pour the beer over everything.
- Sprinkle with fresh thyme leaves.
- Cook the corned beef on HIGH for 4-5 hours, or until it is tender. Most recipes advise cooking the brisket in the slow cooker for 4 to 4 12 hours on high. By doing this, you’ll have portions that are neatly cut and, despite being tender, don’t fall apart when prodded with a fork. However, if you’re like me and prefer your corned beef to have a fall-apart texture, cooking it for a longer period of time will make it more tender.
- Put the cabbage on top of the beef and cook it for an additional hour, or until it is tender.
How to Cook Corned Beef in the Instant Pot
This slow cooker corned beef recipe was simple to convert to the Instant Pot because I love pressure cooking in that appliance.
- Cook the corned beef under HIGH pressure for 90 minutes with the onion, herbs, spices, and beer.
- Add the potatoes, carrots, and cabbage to the pot after a quick release.
- Set to HIGH pressure and set for 5 minutes.
- Quick release, and check for doneness.
Pro tip: To make the beef cook more quickly and evenly if you’re in a rush, cut it into two to three chunks. I didn’t care if I had a large chunk of meat to plate because I was already going to slice mine up to serve; the tender bites were fine with me.
Why is Corned Beef Served With Cabbage?
Corned beef is traditionally served with cabbage because it was one of the cheapest veggies available to Irish immigrants at the time.
Can I Omit the Beer?
If you don’t like beer, just cover the beef and vegetables with about 16 ounces of cold water or beef broth and start the stewing process. The spices should flavor it all well enough.
Alternately, you could always mix beer and water/broth 50/50. It’s totally your choice.
Tips for Making the Best Corned Beef Recipe
Corned beef usually comes with its own spice packet included. If your spice packet feels a little underwhelming, feel free to make your own pickling spice or, after putting everything in the slow cooker, add an additional teaspoon or two of coriander seeds, allspice, and one or two more bay leaves. Alternately, you could always brine your own corned beef (here’s a recipe for that), but in my opinion, doing so would simply take away from how simple this Crockpot corned beef recipe is to make.
With the exception of the cabbage, cook the vegetables with the corned beef for greater flavor. Add the cabbage in the last 45 to 1 hour of cooking time due to its delicate nature. If you prefer a firmer potato, you could also add the potatoes after three hours.
Don’t overcook the potatoes. The only recommendation I would make in this cooking cautionary tale is to remove the vegetables from the slow cooker at around 4 hours to prevent them from becoming mushy, then add them back when you add the cabbage to the cooker. As a result, the corned beef is a chunk that is fall-apart tender.
What to Serve With Corned Beef and Cabbage
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Crockpot Corned Beef and Cabbage (or Instant Pot)
- 3 carrots , peeled and cut into 3-inch pieces
- 1 yellow onion , peeled and quartered
- ½ pound small potatoes , halved
- 3–4 pounds of corned beef brisket plus 1 pickling spice packet or 1 tablespoon of pickling spice
- 2 beers, 8 to 12 ounces each (I like lagers or ales),
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme
- ½ head cabbage , cut into 1 ½-inch wedges
- ½ cup sour cream
- 3-4 tablespoons prepared horseradish , to taste
To Cook in the Slow Cooker:
- Place the potatoes, carrots, and onion in a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. Put the vegetables on top of the corned beef, fat side up, and sprinkle with pickling spice. Pour the beers over the vegetables and brisket. Sprinkle with the sprigs of fresh thyme. Cook corned beef covered for 5-6 hours on high or 10-12 hours on low, or until it is tender.
- Place the cabbage on top of the corned beef, cover the pan, and cook for 45–1–hours (or 1 1/2–2 hours on low) or until the cabbage is tender. Serve the corned beef thinly sliced against the grain with the vegetables, cooking liquid, and horseradish sauce.
To Cook in the Instant Pot:
- To make the corned beef cook more quickly and evenly, cut it into two to three chunks. With the fat cap up, add to the insert of a 6 quart Instant Pot. Layer with the onion, spices, thyme and beer. 90 minutes of HIGH pressure cooking followed by a quick release
- Close the insert after adding the potatoes, carrots, and cabbage, then set the pressure to HIGH for an additional five minutes. Natural release for 5 minutes, cut, and serve.
For the Horseradish Sauce:
- In a small bowl, combine the horseradish and sour cream. Refrigerate for up to 1 week.
More Easy Beef Recipes to Make
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How to Cook the Best Tender Corned Beef in the Slow Cooker~Easy Cooking
FAQ
Is it better to cook corned beef on high or low?
Brisket is not a fan of high temperature when it comes to cooking. Corned beef is more likely to come out tough and chewy when cooked on high for an extended period of time. Instead, cook corned beef over low heat, regardless of the cooking method.
How long to cook meat in a crockpot on high?
Time to Cook
Can you cook corned beef too long in crock pot?
Yes, you can over cook anything really. But using a crockpot, it would take a long time to overcook corned beef. Corned beef can easily be cooked for 10–12 hours on low without any problems. Longer cooking will eventually cause it to fall apart.
How long to keep beef in slow cooker on high?
Cook your beef joint in the slow cooker with the lid on for 5-8 hours on LOW or 3-6 hours on HIGH. While a brisket can cook for up to 8 hours on LOW and 6 hours on HIGH, a large topside joint only needs about 5 to 6 hours on LOW or 3 hours on HIGH. If possible, turn the beef joint over halfway through the cooking process.