Corned Beef and Cabbage

By Sarah DiGregorio

Updated Feb. 7, 2023

Corned Beef and Cabbage
Julia Gartland for The New York Times. Food Stylist: LIza Jernow.
Total Time
4¾ hours
Rating
4(2,467)
Comments
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The addition of potatoes and carrots makes this corned beef and cabbage recipe not only great on St. Patrick’s Day but a satisfying meal any day. Cure beef brisket in a salty, spiced brine and it becomes savory, tangy and aromatic corned beef. Get a corned beef made from flat-cut brisket, if you can, as it will be easier to slice into neat, uniform slabs. (The point cut has more striations of fat and may fall apart when sliced.) Braise the meat until tender, and add the vegetables toward the end of the braising time so they’ll absorb the beef juices and soften until perfectly crisp-tender. Finish the beef with a simple honey-mustard glaze and a quick broil to caramelize, then serve it with more Dijon mustard and beer. (Here are slow cooker and pressure cooker versions of the recipe.)

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 3 to 3½-pound ready-to-cook corned beef, preferably flat-cut
  • 1¼cups semi-dry white wine, such as Riesling
  • 1pound red or Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1- to 2-inch pieces
  • 2 to 3large carrots (about ½ pound), peeled and cut into 1- to 2-inch pieces
  • ½small head green or savoy cabbage (about 1 pound), core left intact, cut into 4 wedges
  • 3tablespoons Dijon mustard, plus more for serving
  • 2tablespoons honey
  • Flaky sea salt, if necessary
  • Black pepper
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

972 calories; 56 grams fat; 18 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 27 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 46 grams carbohydrates; 8 grams dietary fiber; 15 grams sugars; 60 grams protein; 4699 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Remove the corned beef from its packaging in the sink and reserve the spice packet. Rinse the beef well under cold running water and pat it dry with paper towels. (If you don’t rinse off the brine, the meat will be too salty.) If there is a substantial fat cap on top of the beef, place the beef on a cutting board and trim most of it, if you’d like. (The fat will not completely render away during cooking.) Be sure to leave at least a thin layer of fat on top, about ⅛- to ¼-inch thick, to keep the meat moist.

  2. Step 2

    Transfer the corned beef to a large Dutch oven with the fat cap facing up. Add the wine and the spices from the packet. Cover the pot and transfer to the oven to cook, 3 hours.

  3. Step 3

    Baste the beef with the cooking liquid. Drop the potatoes and carrots into the liquid surrounding the beef and lay the cabbage wedges on top. Cover and cook until the corned beef and vegetables are tender, 1 to 1½ hours. (A paring knife should slip easily into the beef, but the meat should not be falling apart.)

  4. Step 4

    Heat the broiler to high. Stir together the mustard and honey in a small bowl. Remove the corned beef from the pot and put it on a foil-lined sheet pan. Spoon the honey-mustard glaze all over the top and sides of the beef and slide it under the broiler. Cook until the glaze bubbles and caramelizes in spots, about 3 minutes.

  5. Step 5

    Let the corned beef rest for 5 to 10 minutes, then slice it against the grain into ½-inch slabs. Place the beef slices on the serving platter alongside the vegetables and drizzle everything with a little bit of the cooking liquid. Taste the vegetables, and season them with flaky sea salt, if necessary. (The beef will not need to be seasoned with salt.) Season the beef and vegetables to taste with black pepper. Serve with Dijon mustard.

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FAQS

  1. Corned beef needs to be braised or simmered for a long time to become tender and sliceable, making it ideal for the slow cooker. To cook corned beef and cabbage in the slow cooker, rinse a 3 ½-pound piece of corned beef and pat dry. If desired, trim off any excess fat from the fat cap, always leaving at least a thin layer to keep the meat moist. Transfer to a slow cooker, fat cap facing up, and add about a cup of semi-dry white wine and the spices from the packet that came with the corned beef. Cook on high for 4 hours. Reduce heat to low, baste the beef, and add 2 to 3 carrots, cut into chunks, and half of a head of cabbage, cut into 4 wedges. Cook for 4 hours more, until the beef and vegetables are tender.

Ratings

4 out of 5
2,467 user ratings
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Comments

S.

This dish was taken to the next level when I began ROASTING the potatoes, carrots (and parsnips & onion wedges) in the oven instead of boiling them. Toss with your choice of oil and salt & pepper first. Thyme is a nice touch, too. Fantastic! No longer just plain ol' "boiled food" for poor folks! Also, be sure to only simmer the cabbage until just tender-crisp.

Lynn W

Is total time 3 hours putting vegetables in at 1 1/2 hours or vegetables go in at 3 hours and total time 4 1/2 hours.?

Mary A.

This is my new go-to recipe for New England Boiled Dinner! I made my own spice packet with peppercorns, coriander, allspice, mustard seeds, bay leaf. I added water in addition to wine to slightly cover the beef. So delicious!

Christine VB

This was an eye-opener. Cooking the corned beef low and slow in the wine resulted in beautifully tender meat. I started with a cup of wine, and when I added the vegetables I added half a cup of water. Towards the end the liquid was getting low so I added another half cup water. The vegetables came out tender but not mushy. Lots of flavor. The honey mustard was a good addition.

LizLomatium

My first comment. This is divine. Followed the recipe exact. 3 hours in the oven in a covered, enameled, cast iron dutch oven with just enough wine left to toss the veg and bake all together for another 1.5 hours. Woah, like woah. Horseradish, salt, and pepper for extra good times. I am happy to be eating this entire dish all to myself.

Deb K

The method and timing worked well, but the flavor was waaaaayyy too intense. Will make again and either dilute by half or replace the wine with water.

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