Corned Beef And Cabbage With Horseradish Sauce

This is not your mom's Corned Beef And Cabbage!  This Corned Beef and Cabbage with Horseradish Sauce is so tender and incredibly flavorful.  The sauce is creamy with a kick and is so good you could just eat it with a spoon.  This dish is perfect for celebrating St. Patrick's Day, a family dinner, or feeding a hungry crowd.

It turns out that corned beef and cabbage are more of an American St. Patrick’s Day tradition.  

So rumor has it that long ago, beef was not readily available in Ireland, so their meal was centered around bacon or ham.  When the Irish came to America it was the opposite.

Corned Beef was much cheaper and more accessible, so it became the meal of choice for Irish Americans.

Today it would be almost impossible to walk through a grocery store in the US around St. Patrick’s Day without seeing mounding displays of Corned Beef, Irish Soda Bread, and Guinness Beer.  

And although I personally love an excuse to make a themed meal, until this year St. Patrick’s Day hasn’t been one I’ve participated in.

And to be honest, St. Pat’s celebration in our household usually consists of wearing a green item of clothing.  

Except for most years, I forget about it, and when someone confronts me for not donning the grassy color I quickly remind them of the green eyes that I wear every day.  

So peace out girl scouts!

This year things are a bit different.  Since my full-time job is to develop yummy recipes and share them with you – I’m all about celebrating each and every holiday to the full extent!

Well, at least the food that is associated with it - don’t expect me to be turning out in a green jumpsuit or dying my hair anytime soon.  Although, I’m sure it would really accentuate my eyes.

Less about my personal features and more about the delicious food that helps us celebrate this fabulous holiday!

How to make corned beef and cabbage

I went with the Irish American tradition of Corned Beef And Cabbage.  But you know me, I always have to spice things up a little bit.  

I preheated the oven to 300 degrees.  Then rinse the corned beef and patted it dry.  I added carrots, onion, and corned beef to a dutch oven.

Sprinkled on the seasoning packet, added the beer, chicken stock, and water.  

Then I covered it and cooked it for 3 hours.

I removed the dutch oven from the oven, added the cabbage and potatoes, and continued to cook for 45 minutes or until fork tender.

When cooked I removed it from the oven and placed the corned beef on a cookie sheet.

I switched the oven to broil.  Placed the corned beef back in the oven for about 4 minutes or until the fat got all golden and crispy.

Then I transferred the corned beef to a cutting board and slice it.  I served it warm with creamy horseradish sauce.

Then finished my corned beef under the broiler so the fat got all golden and crispy.  WHOA – so tasty - and think about the Reuben sandwiches that are in my future!

Creamy Horseradish Sauce

I also made a creamy Horseradish Sauce that is so AMAZING!  You just mix the ingredients together and stick the sauce in the fridge to chill.

Here are the ingredients:

• Sour cream
• Mayo
• Raw horseradish
• Dijon mustard

I serve the same sauce with my Standing Rib Roast Recipe and I think we run out every time.

I need to mention that since I developed this recipe I created a slow cooker version that it's out of this world delicious!  It's called Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage with BACON!!!  The bacon truly does magical things when combined with corned beef.

 

 

 

I reserved my veggies after cooking the corned beef because I’m not one to waste food, but I’m also not one to seek out boiled carrots and cabbage.  

So I veered slightly away from tradition and made some Honey Harissa Rainbow Carrots with a yogurt sauce.  

Carrots are naturally sweet so adding a little heat really enhances their inherent flavors.  And the yogurt sauce has a really nice cooling effect that brings out their earthiness.  

So yummy - I will be adding these to my regular veggie lineup!

I did the same thing with the cabbage cooked with the corned beef.  I set it aside to enjoy later and roasted some cabbage wedges.

So now let’s talk cabbage.  As I stated I’m not one for mushy veggies.  I actually prefer mine with some texture and a little crunch... Which is exactly the way I prepared my cabbage:

• First I cut it into 8 wedges and seasoned it with salt and pepper...
• Added some olive oil to a sauté pan and cooked both sides of each wedge for 1 minute...
• Then roasted them in the oven for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.  

Purrrfection I tell you!  MEOOOW.  

Sweet, salty, and a little crispy with a drizzle of the spicy sauce leftover from the carrots.  I’m not sure I’ll be able to eat cabbage any other way from now on!

I’m so glad I got on board the St. Patty’s Day food train this year - and if you even have a wee bit of Irish in ya, then I hope you'll do the same.  

Traditions are a wonderful thing but it’s also fantastic to make your own, according to your personal tastes.  Go ahead my friend…get creative and play with your food!  

Bon Folláin or Good Health if you're not Irish!

Click here for the Honey Harissa Rainbow Carrot recipe!

Click here for the Sweet & Spicy Roasted Cabbage recipe! 

PS: For my gardeners: did you know you can grow your own horseradish?  Find out how to grow horseradish here!