kelly, the food chemist, reporting for duty!
before we get into the recipe for this slow cooker spin on an irish classic.. let’s talk about corned beef + it’s famous pink hue!
if you take a little picture stroll through this post, you’ll notice that my corned beef is void of its distinctive pink color.
don’t be like me + panic.
don’t be like me + frantically google with tears in your eyes.
don’t be like me + call your irish grandma wailing that you mistakenly must have made the wrong meat.
turns out. . the pink color in commercial corned beef comes from the use of sodium nitrite. sodium nitrite is the same substance that’s used for curing a variety of meats, such as bacon, hot dogs + you guessed it, beef!
as an avid whole foods market shopper, i picked up my corned beef {with a coupon y’all!} from it’s meat department + true to the company’s standards.. sodium nitrite is not part of it’s ingredient party.
this is why after hours of tender loving slow cooking, my corned beef looks more like a pot roast instead of the corned beef my gramma has served up for all my years.
but what does it taste like!? is the texture weird!?
all valid questions.. but guess what! close your eyes + there is no difference!
while you may feel a bit robbed of the festive pink panther vibe you’re so used to, the flavor + texture are still sitting front row just waiting for a gaggle of your friends + family to belly up to the table!
this recipe can be done both on high or low in your slow cooker – just depends on your time constraints!
the ‘hardest’ part of this recipe is having to add your veggies at different intervals. doing so will ensure they remain crisp tender + not a mushy mess. . but if i’m being honest here, i have made the recipe by tossing everything but the cabbage in + letting it ride..
and throw me a good ‘ol piece of bread with kerrygold butter on top + mushy mess or not, this recipe totally takes me to my happy place.
as with any corned beef recipe, this makes for awesome leftovers.
there’s ruebans! corned beef hash! hell, toss it all inside a wonton wrapper + make yourself an eggroll!
i hope your enjoy this super simple spin on a classic + cheers to kicking off one of my favorite holidays!
pretend food chemist + general irish enthusiast, kelly maurine flynn approves this message.
- 3lb corned beef brisket with seasoning packet
- 14oz guiness draught beer
- 3 tablespoons whole grain dijon mustard
- 1 cup beef broth {or water may be substituted!}
- 10 shallots, skin removed + ends chopped off
- 4 yukon gold potatoes, skin-on + cut into fourths
- 6 carrots, peeled + cut into 2 inch pieces
- 1 head of green cabbage, cut into 8 wedges
- in a large slow cooker, lay down your corned beef with it's juices + pickles spices.
- pour over the beer + broth, then spread your mustard over the top of the corned beef.
- toss your shallots into the slow cooker.
- cover + cook on high for 3 hours.
- after 3 hours, remove lid + add in the carrots and potatoes.
- cover + cook for additional 2 hours.
- lastly, add your cabbage wedges + cook, covered, for 30 minutes to soften the cabbage.
- remove the corned beef from the slow cooker + slice.
- serve alongside the carrots, potatoes, shallots + cabbage with mustard + horseradish to garnish!
- enjoy!
join along as kelly posts, pins + peruses for inspiration in her ambitious kitchen!
Yummmmm! my favorite! i wait all year for this! since st patrick was italian after all! i am making in my crock pot tomorrow and hope it looks as delish as yours does….
i love to meet fellow corned beef enthusiasts! cheers to whipping yours up – you’ll do great! -k