So, I’m apparently way behind on my blog posts, since I’m sharing a corned beef recipe a month after St. Patrick’s Day! Truth be told, I’ve been so busy traveling and working on Paleo Takeout that I didn’t have a chance to make this holiday meal until recently, but it turned out so well that I wanted to share it with you folks immediately. Part of why it worked like a charm is because of my handy Instant Pot electronic pressure cooker, which cut the cooking time of this dish down to just over 90 minutes.
The corned beef I used for this dish was this uncured corned beef brisket from US Wellness Meats. Because it is traditionally preserved (without the use of sodium nitrite), it doesn’t have the pink color that we’re accustomed to when we think of modern corned beef. But fear not – it tastes just as good as what you’d expect.
The term “corned beef”, as you have probably guessed, has nothing to do with corn. A logical conclusion would be that it is seasoned with peppercorns, but that’s not the case, either. The secret is that in medieval times, “corn” was a description of salt when in a large-grain form. So really, it just meant salted beef, which is a process that has been around for thousands of years. The specific term “corned beef” is traced as far back as the 11th century in Ireland (600 years after St. Patrick was around, by the way). The concept of eating corned beef and cabbage (sometimes referred to as New England Boiled Dinner) on St. Patrick’s Day is a mostly American concept; a more appropriate Irish dish to enjoy on St. Patrick’s Day would be Colcannon.
Pressure Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage (Paleo, Primal, Gluten-free, Whole30)
corned beef brisket (2-3 lbs)
3 cups beef broth
4 bay leaves
4 whole cloves
1 tsp whole white peppercorns (black peppercorns okay)
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
2 drops liquid smoke
1 head green cabbage, cut into large chunks
4 carrots, cut into bite-sized chunks
4 russet or yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-sized chunks (optional, not pictured)
1. Add the brisket to the Instant Pot; add the broth, bay leaves, cloves, peppercorns, mustard seeds, and liquid smoke, then add enough water to just nearly cover the brisket. Cover and set to “Meat/Stew” under high pressure for 55 minutes. Once finished, allow it to depressurize naturally, about 15 minutes, then remove the cover. As it depressurizes, cut up the cabbage, carrots, and potatoes if you’re using them.
2. Transfer the liquid from the Instant Pot into a stockpot, pouring the liquid through a strainer to catch the peppercorns, cloves, and bay leaves. Keep the beef in the Instant Pot, cover it, and turn it off; it’ll stay warm as we prepare the vegetables. Add the carrots and potatoes to the liquid in the stockpot and bring to a boil over med/high heat; once boiling, add the cabbage, reduce heat to low, and cover. Simmer until the vegetables are soft, about 20 minutes, then taste and add salt if needed.
3. Slice the brisket and serve with the vegetables and broth.
** This cooking time will allow for tender meat that’s still sliceable. If you want it falling apart, increase the pressure cooking time to 65 minutes.
** Looking for a creative use for leftover corned beef? Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered – there is an awesome (and exclusive) recipe for Corned Beef Hash in my eBook, The Safe Starch Cookbook.
The Domestic Man 
I dont eat beef, but like the pic.
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I wonder if you take the meat out, and platter it with aluminum foil, and then add the veggies to the Instapot, if you couldn’t do the veggies in there?
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Hilary, you most certainly could! I chose to transfer the broth to a separate pot since I was straining the broth anyway to remove the peppercorns and mustard seeds.
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This is great! Thanks for the history of corned beef. I was sure that it was the peppercorns that gave it the name. I’m glad you explained that in the article.
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Man, I had to wing it on St. Paddy’s day w/my InstantPot. We might just have to have CB&C again…I’ll probably just strain out the leaves and spices, then just cook back in the pot on “saute” for a bit…I love that feature and it saves me from washing another pot. :D
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It is never to late for corned beef and cabbage. That is why I have three briskets in my freezer just waiting for the right time for me to eat them.
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where was this when I needed it! Looks great
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Eating is a wonderful thing, a pleasure. The animals also hunt to eat , I don’t understand why it has to be morally wrong in some humans.
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Hi, can’t get hold of corned brisket in Sweden , can I use the same recipe using “ordinary” brisket? I’d love to try this one out!
//Christina
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Hi Christina, you could most definitely use a regular brisket but you’d want to cure it first, like in this recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/corned-beef-recipe.html
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Beef fry, beef chilly during monsoon is my favorite lool
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How would you do this with a slow cooker instead of an instant pot?
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Most definitely, it should take about 8-10 hours on low. Please let me know how it turns out if you do try it!
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Part of why it worked like a charm is because of my handy Instant Pot electronic pressure cooker, which cut the cooking time of this dish down to … ccookerp.wordpress.com
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OK, next year I need to put on my calendar to buy a brisket on March 6 and brine it for 10 days so that it’s ready for St. Pat’s day. This year, I’m too late.
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Other Instant Pot recipes I’ve found online call for 90 minutes of cooking time. Was yours done and tender enough for slicing easily (but not falling apart) at 55 minutes? Don’t want to mess this up with 8 of us for dinner! :) Thanks!!!
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By the way, I’ve got 2 uncured briskets totaling a little over 5lbs of meat. (Might not all fit in the pot!)
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Hi Kate, I saw that you already commented on FB, but I will say that you would want to increase the cooking time if you have 5lbs, which is double what I used in my testing. About 75 minutes is what I’d shoot for. Best of luck!
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This looks pretty damn tasty, going to give this a shot in the next couple of weeks. Time to hit up the butcher for some corned beef :)
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Is this recipe whole 30 approved?
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Hi Steph, yes it is, assuming that the corned beef you buy is sugar-free!
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I was told that using flank steak would suffice as a replacement to brisket. Is this true? Additionally, if I don’t have a slow cooker or Instant Pot, could I just put it in a wok like pot with a cover on low flame? Thanks!
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