Appetite for Knowledge

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day With Corned Beef

Corned beef for St. Patrick’s Day? Why? Here’s a little background. The first corned beef was packed in salt, and sometimes spices, for curing. It got its name from the corn kernel-sized grains of salt in which it was packed. Historically, beef was a delicacy enjoyed only by Ireland’s wealthy or reserved for special occasions. Cattle were kept for their milk, and sheep for their wool. This left old hens and pigs as the more likely contenders for the pot.

When the Irish emigrated to America and Canada, where both salt and meat were cheaper, they treated beef the same way they would have treated pork or bacon in Ireland: they soaked it to draw off the excess salt, then braised it with cabbage. From here, the many versions of corned beef and cabbage that exist today have evolved. While it’s not traditional in Ireland, corned beef brisket is what most Americans prepare for St. Patrick’s Day feasts.

Brisket comes from the heavily exercised front limbs of the animal and is consequently a tough cut of meat. When cooked properly, this cut is tender, juicy and succulent. Corned beef and other forms of brisket need to be cooked for a long time with low heat and plenty of moisture in order to realize their full potential as the star of your dinner table.

This year since St. Patrick’s Day happens to fall on a weekday, the prospect of making corned beef and cabbage after work is not appealing. Slow cooker and pressure cooker to the rescue! This recipe lets you layer everything into the cooker and come back home to a delicious corned beef meal. If you prefer, use your electric pressure cooker with faster, delicious results.

Fork into corned beef and cabbage this St. Patrick’s Day. “Top of the day” to you and your delicious St. Patrick’s Day meal!

Written by Vicki Hayman, MS, University of Wyoming Extension Nutrition and Food Safety Educator

Sources:

https://www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com/cooking/corned-beef; https://stripedspatula.com/instant-pot-corned-beef/)

Print Recipe

Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage

Ingredients

4 pound corned beef brisket w/ seasoning pack
3-4 medium carrots quartered
3 medium potatoes halved
1/2 medium cabbage head cut in wedges
3 cloves garlic minced
1-2 bay leaves
1 Tablespoon white sugar
2 Tablespoons cider vinegar red wine vinegar can be substituted
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
2 teaspoons kosher salt
Water to cover

Instructions

Place corned beef brisket at bottom of a large slow cooker.
In a bowl combine water, salt, pepper, seasoning pack from corned beef, garlic, sugar, vinegar, and bay leaves.
Arrange carrot and potatoes on top of brisket.
Pour water and spice mixture into slow cooker; add more water if necessary, to cover corned beef and veggies.
Put slow cooker on LOW and cook for 6-7 hours.
Add cabbage to the slow cooker in the last 11/2 -2 hours of cooking. If you have a smaller slow cooker, transfer some broth from slow cooker to a pot and simmer cabbage leaves for 20 minutes until soft.
After 8-9 hours in slow cooker the corned beef will be tender and flavorful. Remove; slice brisket thinly across grain (let it cool 5- 10 minutes for easier slicing). Serve with vegetables.

Notes

Cooking Tips:
1. Adding several tablespoons of apple cider vinegar to the water when cooking corned beef will prevent shrinking and to tenderize it.
2. To prevent corned beef from turning stringy and dry after cooking, let it cool in the cooking liquid until it is warm rather than hot, then remove and slice for serving. This keeps the meat tender and juicy.

Print Recipe

Electric Pressure Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage

Ingredients

1 small yellow onion sliced (use 1/2 if large)
4 cloves garlic peeled and lightly smashed with the back of a knife
2 Tablespoons pickling spice
21/2 cups water
4- pound corned beef brisket rinsed
12 ounces lager-style beer nothing bitter
1 pound tiny potatoes about 11/2 inches in diameter, or red-skinned potatoes cut into 1 1/2 inch wedges
1 head cabbage cut into 8 wedges
1 pound baby carrots
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley for garnish
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted (optional)
Whole grain mustard for serving (optional)

Instructions

Combine onion, garlic, pickling spices, and water in the insert of a 6-quart pressure cooker. Place the corned beef brisket, fat side up, on a rack on top of the onions. Pour beer over the brisket.
Seal lid and set the unit to HIGH pressure for 85 minutes. Let pressure release naturally for 20 minutes, then manually release the remaining pressure.* Remove corned beef and place on a dish or a cutting board, spooning a bit of the cooking liquid over the top. Cover with foil to keep warm.
Strain cooking liquid and discard solids. Return 11/2 cups of liquid to the pressure cooker and add potatoes, carrots, and cabbage wedges. (Reserve remaining cooking liquid.) Seal lid and set the unit to HIGH pressure for 3-4 minutes, depending on how soft you like your vegetables. Quick release pressure.
Slice corned beef against the grain. Spoon a little bit of the reserved cooking liquid over the corned beef slices on your platter. Sprinkle parsley over the vegetables, and if desired, drizzle with melted butter. Serve corned beef with mustard.

Notes

Since the beer foams up in the pressure cooker during the corned beef cooking process, you might find that the initial force of manually releasing the steam (after the natural release) causes some liquid to spray out of the valve. A little bit of liquid is fine, but if you release the pressure and find that too much liquid is coming out, re-seal the valve, and try releasing the remaining pressure again in another 5 minutes. Or, with a heat-proof glove, release the steam more slowly by turning the valve just until you hear a hissing noise and carefully holding it in that position.

Contact Our Expert!

Email: nfs@uwyo.edu

Extension Educator:
Vicki Hayman – (307) 746-3531

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