Homade Corned Beef and Cabbage

This history of Corned beef and cabbage, especially corned beef, is fascinating.  While it’s an Irish dish, it looks very different now than it did centuries ago.  Due to England’s takeover of Ireland in the 17th century, increased beef production, and low salt taxes, corned beef became incredibly popular during this time.

The corned beef back then was legitimately cured beef in salt, and the salt crystals were so large, similar to the size of corn, the English coined the term, “corned beef.”  The decline of corned beef in Ireland started in the mid 19th century, as America began becoming a major producer of it.  With the immigration to America from Ireland because of famine during this same period, the Irish re-popularized their dish but through Jewish Delis.

You will absolutely love this delicious homemade corned beef and cabbage recipe that is cured, slow-cooked, and served up with cabbage, carrots, and potatoes.

How to Make It

Follow these simple to prepare instructions for making this amazing homemade corned beef and cabbage:

Start by combining the pickling spice, salt, and brown sugar in a large pot with water.  Make sure the salt and sugar are dissolved, so you may need to boil it.  Add ice to cool.

Place the brisket into the brine, cover with plates and refrigerate for 5-7 days or as many as 10 days.  Move the brisket around every 2 days to make sure the brine is touching all parts of the brisket.

Rinse the brisket well under cold water to remove the spices and to relax the salt content on the beef.

Next, bring the brisket in a pot of water with pickling spice to a boil and then simmer on low heat for 3 ½ to 4 hours.

With about 30 minutes left in the cooking process, add the cabbage, carrots, and potatoes to the mixture and cook.

Slice the corned beef against the grain and serve with cooked vegetables

slicing cooked corned beef on a cutting board

CHEF NOTES + TIPS

  • Save some of the cooking liquid and refrigerate it so you can use it to reheat it.
  • Corned beef has very high salt content, so it’s not looked at as a healthy recipe and some even consider it to be bad for you.
  • You can also add a roughly chopped onion to the corned beef when cooking it with the vegetables.
  • If the ice does not completely cool the mixture, you can flash cool the liquid in the freezer for 20-25 minutes.
  • Sometimes the brisket is extremely long, feel free to slice it in half before cooking it.
  • Watch the video to see how to properly slice a brisket.