Stout Cured Corned Beef and Cabbage
Learn How to Cured Corned Beef In Stout Beer:
Even though the true traditional Corned Beef and Cabbage was more for royalty in Ireland (Irish Bacon and Cabbage was more historically correct for the commoners), this dish has become a celebrated dish in the United States for St. Patrick’s Day. As beef was luxurious in Ireland, when the Irish immigrants made the United States home, so began the substitutions with recipe ingredients. With enough planning (at least 8 days), this Stout Cured Corned Beef and Cabbage recipe will show you how to take a beef brisket | round of beef and transform it into Corned Beef. I overlay my Beer Cuisine | Cooking with Beer lens to this holiday | seasonal recipe, to further add more traditional flavors to the basic Corned Beef recipe, creating Stout Cured Corned Beef and Cabbage.
What is Corned Beef:
I discuss brining a lot in my online cookbook. With Oven Roasted Beer Brined Turkey, Beer Brined Free Range Chicken, and Porter Beer Brined Pork Shoulder, using a salt mixture, whether it be a dry brine or wet brine, to flavor and cure protein. Corned Beef is essentially a salted cured beef or pickled beef. The process of curing the meat in salt tenderizes the cut of the animal. Usually used on tougher cuts like brisket, top-round, or other butcher cuts that don’t just transform the primal cut into ground beef.
To really understand Corned Beef, we need to think about the time, before refrigeration, that meat and proteins from larger animals, that couldn’t be consumed in a short time period after a hunt, had to be preserved. As food science was not as advanced as it is today, the use of salt was key to preserving a cut of meat. Corned Beef starts showing up in cookbook text around the 17th century. As a culinary technique, the use of salt to make lox from fish, curing salumi (think prosciutto, coppa, salami (all from a pig), to bresaola, a cured Italian beef) to bacon, Canadian bacon, and the like; all these meats are cured using salt. With the high percentage of salt, the meat was ok to let sit for days and up to weeks before needing to be cooked and consumed.
Type of Beef Used to Make Corned Beef:
I prefer using a beef brisket to make Corned Beef. Some use the Round Cut, either the Top or Bottom round. All can be used, depending on what is available to you and ultimately how much meat you are wanting to cook and serve. Note that when the beef cooks (see below options) the end results always shrinks, leaving less for leftovers…
The quality of the beef is also something to think about and another option you have when making your own stout Cured Corned Beef and Cabbage. Some use Prime Beef, others Choice, some prefer a cheaper Select. I have used all of these and do prefer Prime or Choice. On occasion, I have used Wagyu or Kobe-style beef, which has a higher marbling content, making a more tender cut. Wagyu | Kobe is not just about the breed of the cattle, but also the technique in husbandry. True Japenese style Wagyu beef is fed beer, to help relax the cows, adding to their essence. In a Beer Kitchen, this would be the preferred option. Snake River Farms offers many different cuts, from American-style wagyu, including their version of corned beef.
Pickling Spices:
To add more flavor and create unique and differential elements between cuisines, spices were added to the salt to infuse their essences into the meat. Pickling spices are a blend of aromatic spices that have become synonymous as a cooking ingredient. Yet what are the spices used to make the pickling spice blend? Most commonly, the basic blend includes mustard seed (brown or black), peppercorns, and bay leaves. This is the most basic blend. More commonly, coriander seeds, dill seed, allspice berries, and some red chili flake are added, to round out the flavor profile of pickling spices. A more advanced or signature flavored pickling spice might include some other exotic spices, such as cardamom seeds | pods (green or black), celery seed, star anise, cinnamon sticks, cloves, fennel seed, juniper berries caraway seed, and even ginger (fresh, candied or dyed). Depending on the use, pickling spices are very common in making pickles (think dill pickles with dill seed and other spices to round out the flavor profile), to other types of pickles, along with Corned Beef, chutney, and more. As each spice company has there own proprietary spice blend, I suggest starting with what is in your spice cupboard and supplementing with what is available to you.
In this recipe, I also utilize the brewer’s spice shelf, for older styles of beer, like Gruits, that was brewed in Europe before hops became a common addition. Spices like anise, grains of paradise, orange peel (bitter or sweet), sage, turmeric, licorice root, lemongrass, other dried citrus peel (lemon | lime | tangerine), lavender, fenugreek (leaves or seeds), just to name a few. All these spices can be added, along with all the spices mentioned above to a brew. You see them show up in many different beer styles from Belgian Wits | Saisons to holiday ales and unique culinary brews. I might be guilty of this too…
One particular spice that is worth pointing out, is star anise. What makes this culinary spice stand out, especially for this recipe, is it adds a meatiness or meat-forward flavor when used in the right amount. Star anise is one of the 5 spices that makes Chinese 5 Spice Powder (fennel seed, cloves, cinnamon, ginger, then sometimes Szechuan peppercorns and nutmeg making a 7 spice blend), a key flavoring in Vietnamese Pho, to desserts and liquors like absinthe, sambuca, and pastis, to being an ingredient in Indian chai, the lovely spiced tea. Adding this unique spice to the pickling spices enhances the meatiness of the corned beef while adding extra depth to the spice blend. Plus the roasted flavors of a stout, are further developed with this spice.
Pink Salt or Sodium Nitrate will help preserve and cure the meat while adding an extra preventative component in making sure the salt cures the meat. It is what keeps the brisket pink and not turn a muddy grayish color when boiled. Pink Salt can be found at Savory Spice Co. It is also used to make bacon, pancetta, hams, some sausage styles, and other cured products. If you have issues with nitrates, you can omit the pink salt from the recipe.
Cooking Beer Suggestions:
This recipe makes one large brisket, once cured and cooked, will yield about 10 portions. Leftover Stout Cured Corned Beef and Cabbage are great in a breakfast hash, on a killer Reuben sandwich (rye bread with beer mustard, steamed Stout Cured Corned Beef, some Chow Chow relish (or homemade sauerkraut), topped with a few caramelized onions and some of my 2K Island Dressing). If there are any leftovers, this Stout Cured Corned Beef and Cabbage can also be transformed into an amazing Corned Beef Hash.
To read more about if Corned Beef is really Irish, here is an interesting article on Chowhound: Is Corned Beef Actually Irish? by Greg Stegeman.
How to Cook Corned Beef:
If you didn’t make this recipe, but would like to cook a store-bought Corned Beef, here are three different cooking techniques on How to Cook Corned Beef. In this recipe, I describe how to boil it slowly on the stovetop, slow cook the Corned Beef, cook it in a water bath or Sous Vide and I also have an Insta Pot cooking option.
To serve the Stout Cured Corned Beef and Cabbage, I love having a Mustard Ale Sauce, Horseradish Ale Sauce, and melted clarified butter, sometimes infusing it with a few cloves of peeled garlic, to give an extra pop of flavor.
More Irish Beer Cuisine Recipes:
Check out my Irish Menu Ideas
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 1 Large Corned Beef | 20 minute |
| Cook Time | Passive Time |
| 2 1/2 hour | 5 - 8 days |
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Even though the true traditional Corned Beef and Cabbage was more for royalty in Ireland (Irish Bacon and Cabbage was more historic for the commoners), this dish has become a celebrated dish in the US for St. Patrick's Day. With enough planning, this recipe will show you how to take a beef brisket and turn it into Corned Beef.
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- 1 .5 quart water filtered
- 2 pint Stout Style Ale, such as Samuel Smith’s Oatmeal Stout, Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout or Guiness
- 2 cup salt, kosher
- 1/4 cup sugar organic
- 1/4 cup sugar, light brown
- 1 ounce pink salt (sodium nitrate), from Savory Spice Co.
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns whole
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds whole
- 1 teaspoon cloves whole
- 1 teaspoon mustard seed black or yellow, whole
- 1 teaspoon Grains of Paradise whole
- 1 teaspoon Allspice Berries whole
- 1 teaspoon cardomon pods, green or black (optional)
- 1 teaspoon Star Anise whole (optional)
- 1 teaspoon caraway, seeds whole (optional)
- 1 teaspoon orange zest, (optional)
- 1 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
- 7 each bay leaves preferably fresh, bruised
- 3 each garlic, cloves peeled
- 2 each cinnamon sticks
- 2 quart ice or 4 pounds
- 1 each beef brisket, whole about 5 pounds
- 2 pints Stout Style Ale, such as Samuel Smith’s Oatmeal Stout, Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout or Guiness
- water enough to cover the meat by 2 inches
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns whole
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds whole
- 1 teaspoon cloves whole
- 1 teaspoon mustard seed black or yellow
- 1 teaspoon Grains of Paradise whole
- 2 each cabbage, green, heads quartered
- 5 each carrots, large peeled and quartered
- 6 - 8 each potatoes, red bliss or Yukon gold washed and peeled
- 1 each onions, yellow peeled and sliced
- 5 each garlic, cloves peeled and sliced
- 1 cup butter, clarified (optional)
- 1 recipe Mustard Ale Sauce recipe HERE
- 1 recipe Horseradish Ale Sauce recipe HERE
- Rinse off the beef brisket, to remove any of the juices and small pieces of fat.
- In a large stock pot or 12 quart dutch oven, add the water, stout beer, salt, sugars, and pink salt (if using) and turn heat to medium.
- In a sauté pan over medium heat, add peppercorns, coriander, cloves, mustard seed, grains of paradise, allspice berries and if using cardamom pods, star anise and caraway seeds.
- Mix with a wooded spoon; till the spices start to pop and release their essential oils (you should smell all the spices).
- Remove from the heat and add to the water | stout beer mixture. Add the orange zest, red pepper flakes, bay leaves, garlic cloves and cinnamon sticks to the water | beer mixture.
- Alternatively, you can purchase a store bought pickling spices or create your own mix and use about 3 tablespoons. I like to create my own mix, which is what is above. Bring the brine to a boil for about 5 minutes, to dissolve the salts and sugars, while infusing all the flavors like a tea. Turn off the heat and add the ice to chill mixture.
- Check the temperature of this mixture to make sure that it is below 38°F | 3°C or chill in the refrigerator till that temperature is reached. Transfer the stout brine to a Cambro 8 qt Polypropylene Food Storage Container
or zip lock bag and add the brisket.
- If using a container, add a small plate to the top of the brisket, to make sure the beef is completely submerged. seal the container with its Red Lid
.
- Place in the refrigerator or kegerator for 5 - 8 days to fully cure the brisket. A larger brisket will take longer to cure. The long the brisket cures in the stout brine, the more flavor it will pick up.
- Remove the brisket from the brine and rinse well to remove any of the whole spices. Notice how the color changes, not only from the dark stout, but the brine. The corned beef should feel firmer, than when it was just raw meat.
or zip lock bag and add the brisket.
.- Place the corned beef into a large dutch oven or pot and add stout beer and enough water to cover the brisket.
- In a sauté pan over medium heat, add peppercorns, coriander, cloves, mustard seed and grains of paradise. Stir the spices until they start to pop and become very aromatic, about 3 minutes. Add the toasted spices to the brisket and bring the liquid to a simmer. Turn the heat to medium low, creating a gentle simmer, cover the pot with a lid and cook for about 3 hours or till the brisket is fork tender.
- Prep the cabbage, potatoes, carrots, onion and garlic cloves. About 2 ½ hours into the cooking of the brisket, add these vegetables to the pot and recover, checking the level of the cooking liquid; making sure there is enough to fully cover the meat and vegetables. Cook for the remaining ½ hour or until the brisket and vegetables are fork tender.
- Remove the now corned beef into your crock pot. Add the stout beer and enough water to just cover the corned beef. In a sauté pan over medium heat, add peppercorns, coriander, cloves, mustard seed and grains of paradise. Stir the spices until they start to pop and become very aromatic, about 3 minutes. Add the toasted spices to the brisket and cover with a lid.
- Most crock pots have two temperature settings. If set to the low setting, set the timer for 8 - 9 hours. The temperature for low (which varies depending on the brand and manufacturer can range from 190°F | 88°C - 200°F | 93°C. This is very similar to what temperature you would sous-vide brisket. The last 45 minutes of cooking, add the potatoes, carrots, onion and garlic. The last 20 minutes add the cabbage.
- For high temperature setting, 290°F | 143°C - 315°F | 157°C, the corned beef will take around 3 1/2 - 4 1/2 hours to be tender and fully cooked. Add the potatoes, carrots, onion, garlic and cabbage the last 30 minutes of cooking.
- In a sauté pan over medium heat, add peppercorns, coriander, cloves, mustard seed and grains of paradise. Stir the spices until they start to pop and become very aromatic, about 3 minutes. Add the toasted spices to a bowl to cool.
- Place the corned beef into a large bag, or split the corned beef into pieces that will fit into your size bags (even individual serving sizes). If you have a chamber style vacuum sealer, add enough stout beer to barely cover the meat, then add the spices, dividing among the number of bags. Seal on high.
- If you have a 'seal a meal' style vacuum sealer, first freeze the stout beer in ice cube trays over night. Then add the ice cubes with the cured meat and divided amount of spices and seal. This will keep the beer in the bag and not be sucked out into the machine when sealing.
- Set the water bath temperature to 180°F | 82.2°C. Place the sealed corned beef into the water bath and set the time for 8 hours. I have experimented with other temperatures and cooking times, trying to achieve the most tender corned beef. I tried 136°F | 57.7°C and cooked for 72 hours (3 days). This yielded a pretty tender, medium rare corned beef, but not falling apart tender. It sliced well, and was tender the thinner the meat was sliced.
- For the vegetables: Vacuum seal the potatoes and carrots separately, adding a few tablespoons of butter and seasoning with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Add the potatoes and carrots bags after the meat has cooked for 7 hours. The potatoes and carrots will take about an hour to fully cook. For the cabbage, first sauté the sliced onions in butter over medium heat, until they turn transparent, about 5 minutes. Add the sliced garlic and cook another minute. Then add the cabbage (slice for this version, removing the core) and stir to coat the cabbage in butter, and sauté until the cabbage turns a bright green color, about 4 - 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and it's ready to serve.
- When ready to serve, remove the corned beef from the cooking pot and transfer it to a large cutting board. Slice the meat across (perpendicular) to the grain of the meat, to make the corned beef more tender. If you cut the corned beef with the grain, it will be noticeably tougher. Place the sliced meat on a serving platter and add/arrange the strained vegetables. Use a few tablespoons of the cooking liquid to moisten the meat for presentation.
- To enhance this classic feast, serve with clarified butter infused with a clove or two of peeled garlic, Mustard Ale Sauce and/or Horseradish Ale Sauce.
Leftover Stout Cured Corned Beef and Cabbage:
Stout Cured Corned Beef Hash
This one is delicious! I tried it and my husband loved it! Thanks for sharing!