Corned beef and cabbage is traditional fare for St. Patrick’s Day. For a nontraditional twist, I made Sous Vide Corned Beef with Irish Fried Cabbage. The corned beef was moist, flavorful, and fork tender, and the cabbage was brimming with flavor.
Sous Vide Corned Beef
Initially, I was going to cook the corned beef in my slow cooker, along with some cabbage, carrots, and potatoes. However, the more I thought about it, the more I thought that sous vide would be a perfect way to cook the corned beef. I was right! In case you don’t know, sous vide is a technique of cooking vacuum sealed food at a precise temperature in a water bath. Because the focus is on precise temperature control, sous vide produces perfectly cooked food without fail.
To start, I rinsed and patted dry a 3-1/2 pound piece of corned beef brisket. Then, I vacuum sealed it. I didn’t include the spices that came with the corned beef. Following Serious Eats’ advice, I placed the corned beef in a water bath at precisely 180° F for 10 hours.
After 10 hours, I removed the vacuum sealed corned beef from the water bath. It was way past dinner time, so I put the corned beef in the refrigerator for another day. When the moment of truth arrived, I removed the corned beef from the vacuum sealed bag, rinsed it well, and gave it a taste. Oh my – it was fork tender and full of flavor! I patted it dry, and cut the layer of fat off the top. Then, I wrapped the corned beef in aluminum foil, and heated it in a 375° F oven for about 20 minutes.
Irish Fried Cabbage with Onion and Bacon:
I had parted with tradition in the way that I cooked the corned beef. Therefore, I thought that I would part with tradition in the way that I cooked the cabbage. Rather than boil it, I decided to fry it with onions, and top it with crispy bacon.
First, I cut some thick sliced bacon into 1/2-inch pieces, and cooked it over medium heat until it was crispy brown. This took about 10 minutes. Then, I drained the bacon on paper towels, and poured the fat from the skillet. I returned about a tablespoon of the fat to the skillet, and sautéed some chopped onion over medium heat for about 5 minutes until it began to soften. Next, I added the chopped cabbage and some salt and freshly ground black pepper. I continued cooking the mixture over medium heat for another 10 minutes or so, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage was nicely softened. Finally, I sprinkled on the cooked bacon.
Finishing the Meal:
I decided to make Irish Stacked Potato Bites to serve with the nontraditional corned beef and cabbage. Instead of using Dubliner cheese, though, I used extra sharp cheddar cheese. It was just as good!
The Sous Vide Corned Beef was moist, flavorful, and fork tender. The Irish Fried Cabbage with Onion and Bacon was absolutely delicious. The Irish Stacked Potato Bites were a perfect complement to a perfect St. Patrick’s Day meal. Yum!
- 3 to 4 pounds corned beef brisket rinsed and patted dry
- 4 slices thick bacon about 5 ounces cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 medium onion chopped (about 1 cup)
- 1/2 small head of cabbage chopped (about 4 cups)
- 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Vacuum seal corned beef brisket. Submerge in temperature controlled water bath at 180° F. Cook for 10 hours. Remove from water bath. Either refrigerate for another day, or remove from vacuum seal package. Rinse well and pat dry. Remove fat layer, slice, and serve.
- Cook bacon over medium heat in 12-inch skillet over medium heat until crispy brown, about 10 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels; set aside. Pour fat from skillet.
- Return 1 tablespoon of fat to skillet. Add onion and sauté over medium heat until onion begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Add cabbage, salt, and pepper. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until cabbage begins to soften, about 10 minutes.
- Sprinkle cooked bacon on top of cabbage and serve.
- Yield: 4 to 6 servings.
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