Nitrate & Nitrite Free Corned Beef and Cabbage
Corned beef and cabbage is one of those deeply satisfying, one-pot meals that fills the kitchen with an incredible savory aroma and delivers serious comfort on the plate. The challenge with this dish is that most store-bought corned beef is cured with sodium nitrate or sodium nitrite as preservatives — so sourcing a nitrate-free brisket is the key move that makes this version work for anyone avoiding those additives. Once you have the right cut, the process is beautifully straightforward: a long, slow simmer with aromatics like garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns, and mustard seeds coaxes the meat into something genuinely fork-tender and full of flavor. Baby Yukon Gold potatoes and sweet carrots go into the broth toward the end, soaking up all that seasoned cooking liquid, and the cabbage wedges finish just soft enough at the core while holding their shape. Everything comes together on one platter — sliced beef fanned out alongside the vegetables with a ladle of warm broth poured over the top. A little whole-grain mustard and fresh parsley at the table round it out perfectly. It's a classic that tastes like it took all day, even if most of that time was completely hands-off.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
- 3 lb flat-cut corned beef brisket, with spice packet
- 1 medium yellow onion, quartered
- 4 garlic cloves, smashed
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp whole black peppercorns
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 lb baby yukon gold potatoes, halved
- 4 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 small head green cabbage (about 2 lb), cut into 6 wedges through the core
For serving
- whole-grain mustard, for serving (optional)
- fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Place the corned beef brisket fat-side up in a large Dutch oven or stockpot. Scatter the onion, garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns, mustard seeds, and the contents of the spice packet around the meat. Add enough cold water to cover the brisket by at least 1 inch — typically 10–12 cups.
- 2
Bring the pot to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 2 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours, until the brisket is fork-tender and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads at least 195°F (90°C). The meat should yield easily when pressed with tongs.
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