Easy Irish Boil
As I tried to find a way to describe this Easy Irish Boil dish to a friend I came up the perfect explanation “It’s kinda like a low country boil, only with corned beef and cabbage instead of crawdads…” So rather than call it a New England Boil, because I’ve never been to New England, I’m calling it an Irish Boil, because I’m making it for St Patrick’s Day – and because I can :).
A lot of families like to have special meals for St Patrick’s Day. Me, I like a good Reuben for lunch. Well, that is any day though. I’m pretty sure I could eat a Reuben every day of the week and not get tired of it. I could also eat an entire skillet of fried cabbage by myself if given half the chance. But I digress…Today I am bringing you a simple recipe for a complete St Patrick’s Day dinner which you can make on your stovetop or slow cooker (crock pot). A meal in one where you dump the ingredients and turn the heat on – how easy is that?
Stay tuned because tomorrow Mama is bringing you a fun and delicious cake with a bit of green to go along with this.
You’ll need: Carrots, Onion, Cabbage, New Potatoes, Pickling Spice, and a Brisket.
A word about sizes: It doesn’t matter how much of each vegetable you use or even how large your brisket is in this recipe, as long as you can fit it all into your pot. I try to get small new potatoes for that very reason. In case you’d like to know, my corned beef is just a little over 3 pounds.
The takeaway here: Make sure you start out with a pot big enough to hold everything. Mine is six quarts and it just barely does the job.
Place your corned beef in the bottom of a large pot and sprinkle the seasoning packet that comes with it on top. Add another tablespoon or so of pickling spice.
Why are we adding pickling spice? Well, basically that’s what that seasoning packet that comes with corned beef is. All we are doing is adding a bit more to amp up that flavor and get the cooking water infused enough so that it flavors the vegetables as well.
Now, cover this with water and bring just to a boil. Once it comes to a boil reduce heat slightly (there should still be light bubbling) and cook for 2-3 hours.
If you are cooking this in a crock pot: Place corned beef, seasoning packet, and pickling spice in slow cooker. Complete steps below for vegetables and THEN add enough water to cover. Place lid on slow cooker and cook on low, 7-8 hours or high, 3-4.
Quarter your onion (okay, I cut a few more times than four but you get the point), and cut your cabbage into big old wedges. This is the part where I get all nibbly because I love raw cabbage almost as much as I love cooked cabbage!
Place all of your veggies in the pot with the cooked corned beef. Hopefully, you have a big enough pot for them to go in at this point. If not, don’t say I didn’t warn ya :).
Bring this back up to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring every now and then, or until the potatoes are tender when pierced by a fork.
Carefully remove corned beef from pot and slice it as thinly as you can. An electric knife works wonderfully for this. My corned beef is not sliced anywhere near thin enough in these pictures but I don’t have the patience for that so I just put steak knives at everyone’s place setting and tell them I wanted to give them more interaction with their food :).
Add veggies around the beef to serve. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- Corned Beef 3-4 pounds
- New Potatoes
- Baby Carrots Or whole carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
- Onion
- Cabbage
- Pickling spice
Instructions
- Place corned beef in large pot. Pour seasoning packet over top (they usually come with one). Add an additional 1 tablespoon of pickling spice over this. Cover completely with water and bring just to a boil over medium high heat. Once it reaches a boil, reduce heat slightly (You want it to still bubble) and allow it to cook for 2-3 hours, adding more water if necessary to keep beef covered.
- After beef is fully cooked and tender (at least two hours) peel and quarter onion and cabbage. Place both in pot with beef along with potatoes and carrots. Continue cooking for another 30 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender.
- To serve, slice corned beef very thin and place on platter alongside veggies.
Notes
Nutrition
I have never had corned beef, not even sure where to buy it as I don’t recall seeing it in the grocery store.? Is it as salty as country ham?
It is salty but not as much as country ham to me. It is very strongly flavored though, definitely not a taste everyone would enjoy, and the cut of meat is tough so needs to be sliced very thin.
Of course having said that I need to add that I love it!
Darlene, most grocery stores sell corned beef right now for St. Patrick’s Day. It is usually is a big display where it’s easy to find, and there are usually signs and/or decorations around the area. I’m sure Kroger would have it. Ask the store manager next time you go to you favorite grocery store.
A note: some stores *might* mark down the price after 17.March.
Christy: prayers are ascending for Sweetie’s speedy return.
Praying that little doggie dog comes home safely. If they could only talk, what tales (tails?) they might tell!
Thank you so much Betty!!!
Hi Christy, I am praying for Sweetie and hope she comes home soon. Thank you for the corned beef recipe, I could have used it last year as the one I made did not turn out well at all. I think useing a crockpot might be a good idea for me. This year we are having a nice easy Irish stew and soda bread, but I will definitly remember this recipe for next year. Thanks again.
Thank you Constance, I appreciate the prayers!! I hope your stew turns out wonderful!!
Praying for a quick reunion with your Sweetie. Fur babies are a huge piece of a family .
Thank you Carrie, they really are. Our hearts have just ached over this!
So sorry your doggy is lost. I went thru 3 hours of searching for mine in the dark and raining all over our neighborhood before I found her a half mile from home. Keep searching and look under parked cars that’s where I found mine. Will say prayers you find her.
Thank you so much Monica, I haven’t thought about that and appreciate the prayers and tips!
I am so sorry to hear Sweetie is still missing. My prayers and thoughts are with you.
Please keep us posted.
I hope she is home very soon!!!
Thank you Lisa!!!!
So sorry about your dawggie girl!I know how we love our kitties and losing one would be torture!Hoping she turns up safe and sound really soon.
We will be trying the Irish Boil.StPaddy’s is my grown middle daughter’s Cami’s favorite day cos she can wear her favorite color all day.I saw a similar recipe elsewhere and they didnt mention the spices were pickling spice.That’s pretty interesting.
Can’t wait to try it.
Have a good day and hope Ms.Sweetie moseys on to the house.
Thank you Melissa!!! I hope you enjoy the Irish Boil!!