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Corned beef and cabbage is a great meal that many people love. It is satisfying, comforting and incredible It is also many people's favorite dish for St. Patrick's Day. However, cooking it can be a challenge if you have never done it before. These tips will help you make your corned beef and cabbage taste mouthwatering!

The Tips For Making Fantastic Corned Beef And Cabbage Are:

The Corned Beef: What to Buy and How to Prepare It
No, corned beef isn't a prime cut of beef you've been overlooking at the grocery store — it's what we call the resulting meat, most often brisket, after it's undergone a long curing process. The meat is cured using large grains of rock salt, or “corns” of salt, and a brine. It's then boiled or slowly cooked, turning a tough cut of beef into one that's super tender and flavorful.

If you're planning to cook corned beef, you have two options for buying the meat. You can buy a ready-to-cook corned beef that's already cured, or you can buy a beef brisket and cure the meat yourself. Each has its own merits, but time is a huge deciding factor. It takes at least seven days to brine your own corned beef, but you're in control of the flavor.

How much to buy: While our golden rule is eight ounces (or a half-pound) of meat per person, corned beef is an exception, since this cut will significantly cook down. When buying a brisket for corned beef, plan on about 3/4 pounds per person.
Curing 
The toughest part is starting early enough to give it sufficient time to cure. For a four- to five-pound brisket plan on at least seven  days to cure the meat.

The brine is made by heating water, salt , and a combination of spices (like peppercorns, whole cloves, mustard seeds, and juniper berries, among others). Once cooled, the meat is submerged in the liquid and stored in the refrigerator for about a week.

 

Buying Ready-to-Cook Corned Beef
You'll find it packaged in a vacuum-sealed bag in brine, weighing an average of three to five pounds. Ready-to-cook corned beef can be cooked exactly the same as one that was cured at home.

For better slices, rest the meat first: Slicing through a hot, tender brisket is a messy affair. Give the meat about 10 minutes to rest and firm up.

The Cabbage: What to Buy and How to Prepare It
Cabbage is traditionally boiled alongside the beef and served on the side. One medium head of standard green cabbage is enough to get the job done.

Prevent mushy vegetables by cutting large pieces: In addition to cabbage, potatoes and carrots are popular additions to the dish.
Cooking

 

 Stovetop 
Corned beef is traditionally covered with water, brought to a boil, and then covered and gently simmered on the stovetop over low heat, with the cabbage added in the last 30 minutes of cooking. A three-pound corned beef takes about three hours to become ultra-tender.

For corned beef that's soft and tender rather than tough and chewy, it's important to cook over low heat and make sure the meat is always fully covered with water.

 Slow Cooker 
Cover the meat with water and mix with chopped onion, carrot, and spices. The low, slow cooking leaves this otherwise tough cut of meat super tender and soft. Depending on the size of the meat, this method will take about eight to 10 hours, cooked on low, with the cabbage added in the last couple hours of cooking.

Happy Cooking!

These tips for buying, preparing and cooking corned beef and cabbage just might make it so easy that you'll want to make it even more often! Have you used these tips before?

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Article Source: The Kitchn