Homemade Corned Beef and Cabbage Recipe
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
15 mins
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Cook Time
4 hrs
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Additional Time
7 d
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Servings
12
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Calories
501 kcal
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Course
Main Course
Homemade Corned Beef and Cabbage Recipe
Description
The recipe involves preparing a pickling spice blend with peppercorns, allspice berries, mustard seeds, coriander seeds, red pepper flakes, ground ginger, cloves, bay leaves, and cinnamon. The spices steep in a brine solution of water, sea salt, curing salt #1, and brown sugar, which cools with ice before submerging the brisket for a week in the refrigerator. Regularly repositioning the meat ensures even curing.
After curing, the brisket is rinsed and simmered in water with pickling spice and vegetables including cabbage wedges, thickly sliced carrots, and red or Yukon potatoes until tender. This slow cooking softens the meat and vegetables, melding flavors. The result is a traditional corned beef and cabbage dish featuring a balance of aromatic spices, salty cured beef, and mildly sweet, soft vegetables.
You can prepare this recipe up to a day ahead and gently reheat it. Store cooked corned beef with or without its cooking liquid refrigerated for up to five days or freeze it for two months, thawing fully before use. Some cooks include chopped onion when cooking for added flavor. Videos can aid in slicing the brisket properly after cooking.
Ingredients
For the Corned Beef
- 2 tablespoons peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon allspice berries
- 1 tablespoon mustard seeds
- 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
- 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon cloves
- 5 bay leaf
- 1 cinnamon stick broken up
- 1 gallon water
- 1 1/3 cup salt sea salt
- 4 teaspoons curing salt #1
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- ½ gallon ice
- 5-6 pound brisket flat cut
For the Vegetables
- 1 tablespoon pickling spice
- 1 cabbage head; cored and sliced into wedges
- 6-8 carrot peeled and very thickly sliced; large
- 3-4 pounds red potato or Yukon potatoes
Instructions
- Corned Beef: Place all of the spices minus the salt and brown sugar into a medium-size bowl and simply smash using a fork to help break it up to make a homemade pickling spice. You can also do this with a mortar and pestle if you have one. Set it aside.
- Next add 1 gallon of water to a very large pot along with 4 tablespoons of pickling spice, salt, curing salt, and brown sugar and bring it to a boil to dissolve the salts and sugar.
- Remove the pot from the heat and add the ice to help cool.
- Once the liquid is completely cooled to at least room temperature add the brisket flat to the pot making sure it is completely submerged. Add plates or bowls to help keep it submerged and refrigerate.
- Every 2 days move the brisket around to make sure every side is getting brine on it.
- After 7 days remove the brisket and rinse it very well on all sides.
- Place the brisket into a large pot and cover it with water by about 4 inches.
- Add in 1 tablespoon of the pickling spice and then bring the mixture to a boil over high heat.
- Next, turn the heat down to low and simmer for 3 ½ to 4 hours or until very tender.
- With about 30 minutes left in the cooking process add the cabbage, carrots, and potatoes to the pot and cover. You may need to move some things around to get it all to fit.
- Once everything is done, slice the brisket against the grain and serve.
Notes
- This recipe can be prepared up to one day in advance; reheat gently before serving.
- Store cooked corned beef covered with or without cooking liquid in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 2 months.
- Thaw frozen corned beef in the refrigerator for a day prior to reheating.
- Saving some cooking liquid is recommended to use when reheating the brisket for moisture and flavor.
- The brisket can be sliced in half before cooking if the piece is too long to fit in your pot.
- Adding a roughly chopped onion during cooking with vegetables is an optional step for extra flavor.
- If the brine doesn't cool fully with ice, chilling it briefly in the freezer (20-25 minutes) helps speed cooling.
- Watching instructional videos can help with slicing the brisket properly after cooking.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 12Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 501 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 501kcal | 25% |
| Carbohydrates | 49g | 16% |
| Protein | 43g | 86% |
| Fat | 15g | 23% |
| Saturated Fat | 5g | 25% |
| Cholesterol | 117mg | 39% |
| Sodium | 13584mg | 566% |
| Potassium | 1443mg | 31% |
| Fiber | 7g | 28% |
| Sugar | 23g | 46% |
| Vitamin A | 6987IU | 140% |
| Vitamin C | 53mg | 59% |
| Calcium | 127mg | 13% |
| Iron | 6mg | 33% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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