When I think of St. Patrick’s Day, I think Corned Beef and Cabbage. The weird thing is that history tells us this dish probably has no true connection to Ireland, but rather to the Irish immigrants who came to America.
The dish likely found its beginnings in the New England Boiled Dinner, a similar dish that used a ham rather than beef.
Corned beef was less expensive than ham in those days (and still is, I might add), so the Irish immigrants started using it. Regardless, that’s where my mind goes.
This easy preparation results in a super tender, yummy roast beef that is even better the next day on a Reuben sandwich. Sometimes the leftovers are better than the original dish. Just keep in mind that the corned beef shrinks a lot when it cooks, so make sure you grab one big enough to feed the whole family. I usually plan on about 1 pound (precooked) per person. Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Y’all enjoy.
Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 8 hours and 30 minutes
Total time: 8 hours and 50 minutes
Serves 4 to 5
Ingredients
- One 5- to 6-pound flat-cut corned beef (with pickling spices)
- 4 to 6 small potatoes, halved if they are larger than 2 inches
- 1 large onion, quartered
- 1 1/2 cups baby carrots
- 2 ribs of celery, cut into 3-inch pieces
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 beef bullion cubes
- 1 medium head cabbage, cut into 1-inch strips
Instructions
- Place the potatoes, onions, carrots, celery and garlic cloves in the bottom of a 4-quart slow cooker.
- Rinse the corned beef and place it over the vegetables with the fat side up.
- Add the packet of pickling spices that came with the corned beef.
- Add the beef bullion cubes and enough water to just cover the beef.
- Cover and cook on low for about 8 hours.
- When about ready to serve, remove the meat and vegetables to a serving platter and cover to keep them warm.
- Add the cut cabbage to the slow cooker broth, cover and cook for about 30 minutes or until the cabbage has reached your desired texture.
- Slice the beef against the grain and serve with spicy mustard or a horseradish sauce.
This recipe originally appeared on SouthernBite.com. For more great recipes, visit the website or check out ”The Southern Bite Cookbook.”
