Best Corned Beef and Cabbage

With Horseradish Sauce

March 17, 2024

Our recipe for corned beef and cabbage is so delicious, we’d like to eat it year-round. The whole spices included in the braising liquid are our secret ingredients (the tangy horseradish cream doesn’t hurt, either!). Cabbage and potatoes are cooked in the same pot as the brisket, so everything comes out perfectly tender and infused with flavor.

Summary

  • Prep Time: 10
  • Cook Time: ~ 3 hrs 50 min
  • Other:
  • Total Time: 4 hrs
  • Servings: 6 – 8
  • Yield:

Ingredients

  • One 3-pound uncooked corned beef brisket, rinsed (see Cook’s Note)
  • 16 cups (1 gallon) cold water
  • 2 medium carrots, unpeeled and cut into thirds
  • 2 celery stalks, cut into thirds
  • 1 large onion, peeled and quartered
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
  • 2 teaspoons mustard seeds
  • 10 whole juniper berries
  • 8 whole allspice berries
  • 4 whole cloves
  • 1 pound new potatoes, halved
  • 1 medium green cabbage (about 2 pounds), cut into 8 wedges

Directions

  1. Put the corned beef, water, carrots, celery, onion, bay leaves, peppercorns, mustard seeds, juniper, allspice and cloves in a large 6-quart heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven with a lid. Place over high heat and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to maintain a slow simmer, cover and braise until very tender but not falling apart, about 3 hours. A fork should easily pierce through the meat.
  2. Transfer the corned beef to a medium bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Set aside.
  3. Using a slotted spoon or skimmer, remove the vegetables and spices from the cooking liquid and discard. Add the potatoes to the pot and cover. Bring to a boil over medium heat for 10 minutes. Add the cabbage to the pot and cover. Boil for 10 minutes. The potatoes should be tender. The cabbage should be cooked through, but not mushy and wilted. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the potatoes and cabbage onto a serving platter.
  4. Slice the corned beef into 1/4-inch thick slices against the grain and place onto the serving platter. Ladle 1 cup of the cooking liquid over the corned beef. Serve warm with the cabbage and potatoes.
  5. For the horseradish cream: Combine the sour cream, horseradish, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper in a small bowl. Stir well to combine.
Cook’s Note

Because every corned beef is different, just make sure you cook it until tender but not falling apart. That was about 3 hours for us but could vary a bit depending on the thickness of your meat.

Adjustments

  • None

History

  • 2024=03-17 – Made without changes except I forgot to get horseradish so served with whole grain mustard. I also added some carrot disks at the same time as the cabbage. Everything came out great. Can’t wait to do this again with the horseradish sauce!

References