Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Here’s a fun fact: Corned Beef and Cabbage is an Irish-American meal served on St. Patrick’s Day but not in Ireland. It appears that it is an American tradition and one of the most served meals on March 17 in the U.S.!

Corned Beef is beef brisket that has been cured in ‘corn’ salt. This explains the reason we’re all very thirsty after eating it and need a pint to go along with it!

I have searched for the perfect Corned Beef and Cabbage recipe for 25 years. I have tried every technique from boiling, brining, dry-rubbing, slow-cooking and oven roasting. This recipe is one of my favorites and it is super easy making me realize that all the other methods are just too much work.

My secret is to braise the corned beef in the oven — baking it one hour for every pound. I use Guinness beer and beef broth as the liquids it cooks in while covered. A Dutch oven is perfect or a large roasting pan covered tightly with foil. Once you remove the corned beef from the oven, let it rest for 10 minutes before cutting into sliceable pieces. Another trick is to roast the cabbage on its own sheet pan to keep it from wilting. I’m not a fan of squishy cabbage, which often happens when it is cooked in the liquid.

This recipe is family approved. I also know my maternal grandma and spouse’s mom are smiling with Irish eyes as we feast on this tender and moist Corned Beef with Roasted Cabbage, Potatoes and Carrots dinner!

Corned Beef with Roasted Cabbage, Potatoes & Carrots (serves 4-6)

Ingredients:

For Corned Beef:

3-5 pounds corned beef (usually sold in a package with seasoning included if not use the dried seasonings below)

1/4 cups Dijon mustard

Dried seasonings such as fennel, coriander, peppercorns, mustard seeds, allspice and ground pepper (mixed together in a small bowl to use as the beef dry-rub)

3 TBSP canola or vegetable oil

3-4 bay leaves

3 garlic cloves, sliced

1 bottle of Guinness beer

1 32 ounces of beef broth

For Vegetables:

1 large onion, sliced

3-4 stalks of carrots, sliced

6 large potatoes (I like and use red potatoes), quartered

3 garlic cloves, sliced

1 32 ounces of vegetable broth

1 large head of cabbage, sliced

1/4 cup olive oil to drizzle over the cabbage

Salt and ground pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Remove corned beef from the package. Rinse off the meat thoroughly in cold water and completely pat dry.
3. Place the beef on a large cutting board or surface and cover with the dry-rub seasoning prepared or provided in the corned beef package. Then, smear the Dijon mustard over the beef. (Many recipes called for the Dijon to be spread over the beef first but I reversed the order because I wanted the dry-rub to stick to the beef in all the cracks and crevasses).
4. Add the 3 TBSP oil to a large frying pan or Dutch oven and heat on medium-high until very hot. Add the beef and sear on each side about 3-4 minutes until browned. Remove and set aside.
5. In a large roasting pan or Dutch oven add the Guinness beer and broth along with bay leaves and garlic. Nuzzle the beef into the mixture and cover the pan tightly with the lid or foil. Cook 1 hour for every pound (if it’s a 3 pound piece of beef then you’ll cook it for 3 hours).
6. While the beef it cooking, slice the onions and chop the potatoes and carrots. In a large pan with lid or Dutch oven, heat 3 TBSP oil on medium high. Add the onions and cook for 10 minutes until translucent and slightly browned. Add the carrot slices, potato quarters and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté the vegetables for about 5-6 minutes until combined. Then, add the vegetable broth and turn the heat to low or simmer for 1 1/2 hours or until the potatoes are fork-tender when pierced.
7. Slice the cabbage (you can also quarter it but I like the appearance when it’s sliced) and add to a sheet pan (i.e., cookie pan) and spread out. Drizzle the cabbage with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and any other seasonings you wish. This will cook the last 30 minutes on a separate rack in the oven with the corned beef. Don’t forget to add it to the oven!
8. Once the corned beef is done, remove it from the oven and pan. Place on a cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes covered with foil. It’ll be easier to slice once it cools slightly.
9. Add the roasted cabbage to a bottom of a large serving platter. Then, add the vegetables (onions, carrots and potatoes) on top. Slice the corned beef and serve on a separate platter or arrange on top of the vegetables. Be creative with the presentation.
10. Serve with Irish Soda Bread and/or any other traditional dishes!

Enjoy! XOXO Jill