Crockpot Corned Beef With Cabbage and Beer

The only time I give any thought to corned beef is around St. Patrick’s Day, and the next thought is where can I order it from? It’s just not something I’ve thought about making myself, because I eat it so rarely. That said, I was looking for something to feed a crowd and thought this could be something fun to try.

Once winter rolls around, the crockpot and I become best friends. There is something so nice about putting a bunch of items in the slow cooker, turning it on, leaving for the day and coming home to a wonderful home-cooked meal. I figured why couldn’t we do that with corned beef and from that thought comes Crockpot Corned Beef With Cabbage and Beer.

This recipe has the traditional base of carrots, onions and potatoes, although I went with baby red potatoes as I like their taste and color for a crockpot recipe. We twist it up a bit by rubbing the corned beef brisket with some dark brown sugar and, of course, we need to add some good Irish stout beer for additional flavor.

Prepping the Ingredients

This recipe calls for layers of ingredients. Start by peeling the carrots and cutting them into 2-inch pieces, using the 7" Santoku knife. Using the same knife, cut the onion into a large dice and quarter the baby red potatoes.

Using a 7-5/8" Petite Chef, cut out the core of the cabbage, slice the cabbage in half and rough chop one half of the cabbage. Save the other half to use in another recipe.

Putting Ingredients Into Crockpot

In a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker, layer the prepped carrots, onions and potatoes along the bottom. Rub the corned beef brisket with brown sugar so it’s lightly coated, place it on top of the vegetables (fat side up) and sprinkle with pickling spice.

Slowly pour a can of Guinness® over the vegetables (avoid pouring over the brisket so as not to remove the brown sugar and pickling spices) and place the sprigs of fresh thyme on the meat and vegetables. Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for five to six hours (check the meat as each slow cooker is different). The meat is done when tender.

Uncover the crockpot and add the chopped cabbage, covering the brisket and vegetables. Cover again and cook for an additional 45 minutes, or until the cabbage is tender.

Remove the meat from the slow cooker, it should be tender, and using a 7-3/4" Petite Slicer and Turning Fork, slice the meat against the grain into thin slices.

To serve, put a few slices of corned beef brisket on a plate and scoop out the vegetables and cabbage to serve on the side. Spoon the cooking liquid from the slow cooker over the entire plate and serve with some prepared horseradish, if desired.

This Crockpot Corned Beef With Cabbage and Beer is everything I had hoped it would be and so easy, because the crockpot did most of the work. Give this recipe a try and you just may have corned beef more than one time a year.