A St. Patrick’s Day Feast

Just the Recipe | 6-10 Servings

3-5 lb Corned Beef Brisket

5-8 Large Carrots, Peeled

1 12-16oz Bottle of Lager, Pilsner or Light Ale

1 Head of Cabbage

3-6 Cloves of Garlic

1 Bay Leaf

Spice Packet

Slow Cooker | LOW 8-10 hrs

Steps:

Prepare the veggies:
- Peel and wash the carrots. Cut into large chunks, about 4-5 inches. Attempt to make them relatively even, halving the thicker ends.
- Remove the outer leaves of the head of cabbage. Cut in half, and rinse well with cold water. Cut into wedges (see photos).
- Peel the garlic cloves.
Remove the corned beef from its bag, set aside the spice packet, and rinse well with cold water. Pat dry.
Add the ingredients to the slow cooker:
- Add the carrots to the bottom of the slow cooker. Add the garlic cloves.
- Place the corned beef on top, fat side up.
- Add the bay leaf and sprinkle with the spices from the spice packet.
- Carefully pour the bottle of beer into the slow cooker (avoid rinsing the spices off the corned beef).
- Finally, add the wedges of cabbage and seal the slow cooker.
Cook on low for 8-10 hours.
When done, remove the vegetables to a serving dish.
Remove the corned beef and cut off the excess fat. Slice across the grain and add to a serving dish. Cover with juices from the crock pot to keep from drying out.

Pairs well with mashed potatoes, Irish Soda bread.

Enjoy Irish Creme Crème Brûlée for dessert!

This traditional St. Patrick’s Day feast is savory and delicious. I’ve made it many different ways over the last two decades. This simple slow cooker method is the simplest, most consistently delicious and tender brisket.

Kitchen Acumen Tips:

Corned Beef. Did you know that you can make your own corned beef. I’ve used the America’s Test Kitchen “wet method” several times with great results. Don’t have time for that? Just grab a corned beef brisket from your local grocery store - they should start showing up in early March. Check the expiration date, they usually will keep for a good bit in the fridge.
Spice packet. When making your own corned beef here’s how to make the spice mix you’d normally get in the spice packet:
- 1 TBS Coriander seeds
- 1 1/2 tsp Whole Black Peppercorns
- 1/2 TBS Mustard Seeds
- 1 tsp Fennel Seeds
- 2 Bay leaves, crumbled
- 1 tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
Beer. Use a beer that has a mild flavor. You won’t want to use a dark beer, fruity beer, or a very flavorful IPA. Best are traditional lagers (Miller, Yuengling) or a standard ale.
Variations:
- Swap the beer for 2/3 cup of water + 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar or 1 cup of beef stock.
- Add 1 onion, sliced to the veggies at the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Skip the garlic.
- Instead of cooking the cabbage in the slow cooker, braise it in the juices from the cooked corned beef 30-45 minutes before serving.
- Add potatoes to the bottom of the slow cooker with the carrots. No need to peel. Wash, remove any large eyes and halve. Red potatoes work very nicely.
For a party, serve this with mashed potatoes, a loaf of Irish Soda bread, and Irish Creme Crème Brûlée for dessert.