Authentic Irish Corned Beef and Cabbage Recipe – An easy low carb and keto diet friendly dinner idea, especially on St. Patrick’s Day.
We’ve been living in Ireland for a couple of weeks now. I’ve been loving cooking with local ingredients and asking the advice of locals for what to cook and how to cook it. The other day I shared a recipe for the BEST Irish Scrambled Eggs and today is all about Irish Corned Beef.
While visiting a local, village butcher the other day, I noticed that they specialise in the BEST Corned Beef. So, I asked how best to cook it to experience a local, authentic classic Irish dish.
He gave me heaps of tips, which I’m sharing with you in this post. So, you get to benefit from local, Irish knowledge – without having to make a trip to the Irish countryside. (Although, I do hope that one day you get to see this magical country and meet friendly, local Irish people for yourself, if you haven’t already! )
When I make corned beef, I usually include sea or rock salt, black pepper, garlic cloves, onions and carrots in the pot. Well, my friendly butcher told me to cook the corned beef in only water. That’s all. Nothing else added.
Which makes sense, as it’s been marinated in a brine during the curing process that usually includes ingredients such as bay leaves, mustard seeds and a whole spice packet, for days, which likely includes more than enough salt than the piece of corned beef needs.
You can cook the easy corned beef recipe in a large Dutch oven on the stove top or in a crock pot or slow cooker, following your machine’s instructions.
The next genius piece of advice was about how to cook the perfect cabbage to accompany your corned beef. The secret? Cook the cabbage in the pot, in the water that you used to boil the corned beef. I know. My mind was blown too!
And, the Irish way to make truly spectacular cabbage? Add some butter too and you’ll get to enjoy buttery, flavorsome cabbage wedges. (As pictured above, cooking in the buttery, meaty beef broth goodness.)
So, the cabbage absorbs so much flavor from the meat juices, butter and cooking goodness from the corned beef, and you get to enjoy the most amazing cabbage of your life!
Traditional Corned Beef and Cabbage Recipe Video
Here’s the video where you can watch the one-pot meal being prepared, step by step. Hit play below or click here to watch on YouTube.
The complete meal is simple to prepare, yet tastes wholesome and homely and is the perfect warming low carb comfort food dish on a cool day. Enjoy leftover corned beef dinner in thin slices for breakfast with fried eggs or in hearty fritters.
Irish Corned Beef and Cabbage Recipe
Corned Beef
Cabbage
Butter
Remove the piece of meat from the packaging and place into a large pot on the stove top over high heat.
Pour over enough water to cover the meat, and bring up to the boil.
Once boiling, reduce the heat and gently simmer.
Check on the corned beef from time to time, adding more water if needed, through the cooking process.
Cook for 1.5 to 2.5 hours, depending on the size of the corned beef, until fork tender.
Remove from the pot and reserve the cooking liquid.
Chop the cabbage into bite sized pieces.
Place into the reserved cooking liquid, along with a few generous knobs of butter.
Bring up to the boil and simmer until cooked to your liking.
Slice the corned beef up and serve the delicious meal with the cooked cabbage.
This really is a life changing way to enjoy corned beef and I can’t wait to go back to the butcher, thank him for the great recipe, and get another piece of corned beef to make the classic recipe again.
If you’re following a low carb diet, then corned beef and cabbage is perfect enjoyed as an entire meal it’s own. If not, then feel free to serve with a slice of traditional Irish Soda Bread and a creamy horseradish sauce for an authentic Irish experience that the whole family will enjoy.
More St. Patrick’s Day Recipes:
10 Irish Breakfast Recipes
Baked Cauliflower Mash
Irish Lamb Stew Recipe
Low Carb St Patrick’s Day Recipes
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Disclaimer – this post is meant for informational post only and should not be construed as medical advice. Please consult with your health professional before making any dietary changes.
Traditional corned beef hash is high in carbs. Since it's made with a filler of chopped potatoes, Keto dieters can't eat this. However, corned beef alone is an excellent Keto food. Corned beef is made with brisket, so it's high in fat and sodium - exactly what you need!
Cabbage is another great vegetable that will fit within your keto restrictions. One cup of raw cabbage provides only 2.9 grams of net carbs and 25 calories.
Corned beef and cabbage is not the national dish of Ireland. You would not eat this dish on St. Patrick's Day in Dublin. It is usually only eaten around the religious holiday in the US.
Because meat is naturally carb-free, it's a popular choice for people following the keto diet. But not all types of meat are created equal. The AHA advises limiting the amount of fatty meats like beef, lamb, and pork in your diet, since they're high in saturated fat.
A. Corned Beef is not suitable for weight loss. According to USDA, 100 g of corned beef brisket contains 251 kcal. In addition, it is incredibly high in sodium and unsaturated fat, making it unhealthy for weight loss and overall health.
Corned beef and cabbage is a good source of the mineral iron. The high level of vitamin C in corned beef and cabbage helps your body absorb more of the iron from the food as well. Iron helps make up red blood cells, which carry oxygen throughout your body.
- Starchy Vegetables: Potatoes, peas, sweet potatoes, yams, corn, cassava, artichoke, etc. - Refined Carbs: Bread, pasta, pastries, tortilla, sandwich, etc. Due to the high-carb content of these food items, they are not keto-friendly.
Keto-friendly fruits include avocados, watermelon, strawberries, lemons, tomatoes, raspberries, peaches, cantaloupe, star fruit, and blackberries. If you're unsure whether the keto diet is right for you or how it may affect your health, consider speaking with a dietitian or your healthcare provider.
So it was the Irish-American consumption of corned beef that initiated its association with Ireland and the holiday of St. Patrick's Day. And as for pairing cabbage with corned beef, it was simply one of the cheapest vegetables available to Irish immigrants, so it was a side dish that stuck.
But some Irish Americans might be surprised by another entry on that list of suspect foods: corned beef and cabbage. Experts say the meal originated on American soil in the late 19th century as Irish immigrants substituted corned beef for bacon, which was meat of choice in the homeland.
With more money for food, the Irish could afford meat for the first time. But instead of their beloved bacon, the Irish began eating beef. And the beef they could afford just happened to be corned beef, the thing their great-grandparents were famous for.
Red meat is also a source of micronutrients, including vitamin B12, zinc, potassium, niacin, and selenium. There are plenty of types of red meat you can eat on a keto diet, including all cuts of steak, beef, lamb, mutton, and veal.
Steaks are also a great source of protein for keto, and the fattier the cut the better, so ribeye and sirloin steaks are ideal. Beef – ribs, ground beef, steaks and more!
Introduction: My name is Lidia Grady, I am a thankful, fine, glamorous, lucky, lively, pleasant, shiny person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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