Crockpot Corned Beef and Cabbage with Beer
Crockpot cornbeef and cabbage with beer is the easy way to cook a St. Patrick's Day dinner any time of year. The corned beef simmers in a bath of beer and spices until it slices cleanly, and potatoes, carrots and cabbage finish in the same pot. The beer adds a malty depth that plain water cannot.
Crockpot Corned Beef and Cabbage with Beer
Course: Main CourseDifficulty: Easy8
servings15
minutes9
hoursCorned beef brisket cooks slowly in beer and broth with its spice packet. Potatoes, carrots and cabbage join the pot near the end.
Ingredients
3.5 to 4 lb corned beef brisket with spice packet
1 can (12 oz) lager or amber beer
2 cups low-sodium beef broth
1 large yellow onion, cut into wedges
4 cloves garlic, smashed
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
2 bay leaves
1.5 lb baby potatoes, halved
4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
1 small head green cabbage, cut into 6 wedges
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Directions
- Rinse the corned beef under cold water and pat it dry. Trim any very thick fat, leaving a thin layer.
- Place the onion wedges and garlic in the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker.
- Set the brisket on top, fat side up. Sprinkle the contents of the spice packet over it.
- Rub the brown sugar and mustard over the meat.
- Pour the beer and broth around the beef and add the bay leaves.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 9 hours or on HIGH for 5 to 6 hours, until the meat is fork-tender.
- Add the potatoes and carrots around the beef, cover and cook on HIGH for 1.5 hours.
- Tuck the cabbage wedges on top and cook another 45 to 60 minutes, until the cabbage is tender.
- Move the beef to a cutting board and let it rest for 15 minutes, tented with foil.
- Slice the beef thin against the grain. Toss the vegetables with melted butter and parsley and serve with some of the cooking liquid.
Notes
- Store-bought brisket is already cured, so skip extra salt. Leftovers make excellent sandwiches and hash. Refrigerate for 4 days, with some liquid so the meat stays moist. Freeze the sliced beef in broth for 2 months.
Why corned beef is made for the slow cooker
Corned beef is brisket, one of the toughest cuts on the animal, brined to be salty and seasoned. It needs long, wet cooking to break down the connective tissue, and that is what a slow cooker does best. On the stove it needs watching, and in the oven it can dry out.
The beer replaces some of the water you would normally use. It adds a mellow, malty flavor to the beef and the vegetables, and it helps balance the saltiness of the cure.
It also frees up your oven and stove for the rest of the meal, which matters when you are cooking for a crowd.
Ingredient notes for beer-braised corned beef
Corned beef brisket: The flat cut slices more neatly, while the point cut has more fat and shreds well. Both work, but rinse either one to remove some surface salt.
Beer: Choose a lager, pale ale or amber. Dark stouts are fine, too, but they make the liquid darker and more bitter.
Spice packet: The little pouch has peppercorns, mustard seed and coriander. It is all you need, so add nothing more than a bay leaf.
Cabbage: Cut it in wedges with the core left in so the leaves hold together. Add it late, or it turns grey and mushy.
Baby potatoes: Their skins are thin and they stay whole. Halve larger ones so they cook at the same pace.
Whole grain mustard: A spoonful rubbed on the meat adds tang and helps the sugar stick. It melts into the cooking liquid.
Tips for tender, sliceable corned beef
Slice against the grain: Look at the direction of the muscle fibers and cut across them. Slicing with the grain gives you tough, stringy slices, even on perfectly cooked meat.
Add vegetables late: Potatoes and carrots need only about two hours, and cabbage needs under one. If they go in at the start they turn to mush.
Most common mistake: Skipping the rest. Fresh from the pot, the beef falls apart when you slice it. Ten to fifteen minutes under foil lets it firm up.
Rinse first: Corned beef sits in brine in the package. A quick rinse under cold water takes off the extra surface salt without losing the flavor.
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Swaps and variations
Use all beef broth for a beer-free version, or apple cider for a sweeter finish. Parsnips and turnips are good in place of some of the potatoes. A spoonful of horseradish stirred into sour cream makes a quick sauce. Leave off the brown sugar for a more traditional flavor.
One swap that does not work is cooking a raw, uncured brisket the same way. It will taste bland and need much more salt and seasoning.
For a sweeter finish, replace half the beer with apple cider, or brush the cooked beef with a mixture of mustard and brown sugar and broil it for 3 minutes.
What to serve with corned beef and cabbage
Everything is cooked in the pot, so you only need rye bread or Irish soda bread to mop up the juices. Serve with grainy mustard or horseradish cream, and a little of the cooking liquid spooned over the vegetables.
Slice the beef thin and fan it on a platter, with vegetables around it, for a table that looks like a holiday.
Storing, freezing and reheating
Refrigerate the sliced beef in a little of the cooking liquid for up to 4 days. The cabbage does not reheat well, so eat that first.
Freeze the sliced beef in broth for up to 2 months. Reheat gently in a covered pan so it does not dry out, or use it cold in sandwiches and in a skillet hash with potatoes and a fried egg.
Wrap leftover slices tightly in foil with a little liquid. The beef reheats in the oven at 300°F without drying out.
Crockpot Corned Beef and Cabbage with Beer at a glance
- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Cooking time: 9 hours
- Servings: 8 servings
- Ingredients: 13, led by to 4 lb corned beef brisket with spice packet, (12 oz) lager or amber beer, low-sodium beef broth, yellow onion
Tips for Crockpot Corned Beef and Cabbage with Beer
Store-bought brisket is already cured, so skip extra salt. Leftovers make excellent sandwiches and hash. Refrigerate for 4 days, with some liquid so the meat stays moist. Freeze the sliced beef in broth for 2 months.
Crockpot Corned Beef and Cabbage with Beer FAQ
How long does Crockpot Corned Beef and Cabbage with Beer take?
Crockpot Corned Beef and Cabbage with Beer takes 9 hours of cooking after 15 minutes of prep.
How many people does Crockpot Corned Beef and Cabbage with Beer serve?
This recipe makes 8 servings.
What do I need to make Crockpot Corned Beef and Cabbage with Beer?
13 ingredients, led by to 4 lb corned beef brisket with spice packet, (12 oz) lager or amber beer, low-sodium beef broth, yellow onion. Amounts are in the recipe card above.
