Corned Beef and Cabbage, an Irish boiled pot dinner of corned beef, cabbage and vegetables with horseradish cream sauce ~ a traditional St. Patrick's Day feast.
I am always up for a celebration and St. Patrick's Day is one of my faves. I'm from Chicago and back in the day I went to the parade where they dyed the river green, then drank lots of beer afterwards at various venues. Too old for that now. I settled down, got married and started making corned beef and cabbage and inviting friends over. Over the years, wherever we lived, the tradition continued. So much fun, so many memories, and always corned beef and cabbage.
This is essentially your basic boiled pot of corned beef and vegetables. But there are ways to make this glorious and not bland and boring. Doctor up your cooking liquid, cook really good vegetables in the resulting broth, salt, and serve horseradish cream sauce with it. I have friends who say the horseradish sauce is the best part. One year, I went home and cooked this for my mom and her friends, they haven't stopped raving about it. Yep, it's that good.
And don't forget the Irish soda bread. It is absolutely necessary, crusty and dense and very easy to make. I have some friends who think this bread is the best part of the feast.
For St. Patrick's Day, try this corned beef and cabbage, horseradish cream sauce and Irish soda bread. For dessert, I make this rich and minty chocolate cake. And if you're lucky enough to have any leftovers, make Reuben sandwiches the next day! Go green for a day and invite the gang over, have a blast and break out the Guinness. Clink ?? Let me know your favorite part of the meal. Best, Kelly
If you’ve tried this Corned Beef and Cabbage for St. Patrick's Day, or anytime, please rate it below in the comments and let me know how it went ~ I love hearing from you! HUNGRY FOR MORE? Subscribe to my Newsletter and come hang out with me on PINTEREST, INSTAGRAM and FACEBOOK for all the latest updates.
Corned Beef and Cabbage
Ingredients
For the corned beef:
- 4-5 pound corned beef brisket, flat cut
- seasoning packet, comes with corned beef
- 1 onion, unpeeled, cut in half
- 2 carrots, washed, cut in half
- 2 celery ribs, cut in half
- 6 sprigs flat-leaf parsley
Vegetables
- 1 head green cabbage, cored, cut into 6-8 wedges (leave a bit of core, it will hold up better when boiled)
- 12 small new potatoes, cut in half
- 4-6 carrots, peeled, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 4 parsnips, peeled, cut into 2-inch chunks
- 4 leeks, white and light green part, cleaned and well rinsed
- 1 red onion, peeled, cut into wedges
- Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper
- 4 tablespoons chopped parsley
Horseradish Sauce
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup good-quality mayonnaise
- ½ cup horseradish, drained (not cream-style)
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- Pinch of sugar
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a very large pot, place corned beef and sprinkle seasoning packet over the top. Add the halved onion, carrots, celery and parsley. Cover with plenty of cold water and bring to a boil. Skim off any scummy foam as it appears, reduce heat to a simmer and cover. Simmer for 2½ to 3 hours until very tender, flipping brisket occasionally and skimming foam as necessary. When done, remove to a cutting board and cover with foil to keep warm. While corned beef is cooking, prep your vegetables and make horseradish sauce.
- Strain the cooking broth and return to the pot. Add the vegetables -- cabbage wedges, potatoes, carrots, parsnips, leeks and red onion wedges -- and some salt and pepper, and a tablespoon or two of chopped parsley. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer, cover and cook until all veggies are tender. About 20 to 30 minutes, you just have to check a few.
- To serve, slice corned beef and arrange in center of large platter. Surround with vegetables, preferably grouped together by type, it's more pleasing to the eye and easier for guests to choose what they want. Ladle some cooking broth over meat and vegetables. Sprinkle with remaining chopped parsley and serve with horseradish cream sauce on the side.
- To make horseradish cream sauce: Whip heavy cream until soft peaks form. In a separate bowl, combine mayo, horseradish and mustard. With a spatula, fold in the whipped cream until combined. Add a pinch of sugar and salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to serving bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
*Horseradish Cream Sauce adapted from The New Basics Cookbook.
Beth Horner
Sunday 3rd of April 2016
So our oldest son was out of town on St. Patrick's Day but he said he definitely wanted corned beef and cabbage when he got back. I made your recipe Friday night and it was fabulous! His girlfriend ate over too, and we all loved it. Thanks!
Mark Wildenhaus
Tuesday 15th of March 2016
A good side dish with a pint o Guinness.