Chef John's Corned Beef and Cabbage

It's almost St. Patrick's Day, and for many that means boiling up a nice authentic Irish dinner of corned beef and cabbage. The original Irish recipe actually used a type of lean bacon, made with a cut of pork similar to Canadian bacon. Corned beef came into the picture as a lower-cost substitution, to replace the more expensive and harder to find cut.

• Preparation Time: 15 mins
• Cooking Time: 3 hr
• Total Time: 3 hr 15 mins
• Calories: 380 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 onion, quartered
• 3 quarts water
• 2 pounds red potatoes, halved
• 1 (4 pound) corned beef brisket with spice packet
• 3 carrots, cut into large chunks
• 3 stalks celery, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 small head cabbage, cut into eighths

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Combine corned beef and spice packet contents, water, onion, carrots, celery, and salt together in a large pot or Dutch oven; bring to a simmer, skimming off any foam that rises to the surface.

Step 2

Cover the pot, reduce heat to low, and simmer until meat is almost fork-tender, about 3 hours. Add potatoes and simmer, uncovered, until potatoes are almost tender, about 30 minutes more.

Step 3

Place cabbage pieces on top of and around meat, cover the pot, and simmer until cabbage is tender, 20 to 30 minutes more.

Step 4

Remove meat to a cutting board and let rest 10 to 15 minutes. Cut across the grain and serve in a bowl; ladle vegetables and broth over the top.