Ask A Chef: Best Corned Beef & Cabbage Recipes

Corned beef and cabbage, the quintessential St. Patty's Day grub, has a bad rap for being bland and boring, but that's not the case here. Kirstyn Brewer, executive chef at Victor Tangos, Adam Kovac, executive chef director of culinary operations for Bread Winners, and Jon Stevens, chef and partner of Stock & Barrel, have put a modern twist on this humble Irish-American dish and share their secret recipes below.

Victor Tangos has a reputation for serving deliciously innovative cuisine. Brewer says that she likes to give people the comforting flavors they crave in a slightly different way than they might expect, and her corned beef cheeks with sweet onion puree, Brussels sprouts and apricots is a perfect example. For this recipe, the beef cheeks take the place of brisket and the sprouts replicate mini cabbages.

Corned Beef Cheeks with Sweet Onion Puree, Brussels Sprouts and ApricotsIngredients for the Beef Cheeks:

• 6 garlic cloves
• 2 tsp. allspice
• 2 tsp. mustard seeds
• 2 tsp. coriander seeds
• 2 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 2 tsp. black pepper
• 2 tsp. whole cloves
• 4 tsp. ground ginger
• 12 bay leaves
• 18 cardamom pods
• 1 1/2 cups of salt
• 3/4 cup of sugar
• 4 tsp. pink Himalayan sea salt
• 2 white onions
• 2 carrots
• 4 celery stalks

Directions:

1. Make the pickling spice mixture with the first 10 ingredients, reserving 4 tbsp. for later use. Then combine the spice mixture, both salts, sugar and 3 gallons of water in a large pot and brine the cheeks for 3 days.
2. After 3 days, rinse cheeks with water and place in a large pot with the onions, carrots, celery and 4 tbsp. of the reserved brine mixture. Cook over low heat until cheeks are fork tender, about 3-4 hours.

Ingredients for Onion Puree:

• 2 white onions
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp. sugar
• salt to taste

Directions:

1. Sauté onions until soft, but not browned. Add cream and sugar, then cook for another 1-3 minutes.
2. Remove from heat and puree until smooth in blender. Season with salt.

Ingredients for the Sprouts and Apricots:

• 2 pounds Brussels sprouts, cored and cut in half
• 1 cup dried apricots, cut into quarters
• 1/2 cup sherry vinegar
• 10 cippolini onions, peeled
• 1 tsp. butter

Directions:

1. Blanch Brussels sprouts in boiling salt water until crisp-tender and shock in ice water.
2. Soak apricots in sherry vinegar until re-hydrated.
3. Toss cippolini onions in a little olive oil and salt and arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast at 350 degrees F until soft and slightly browned.
4. Sauté sprouts in butter, then add in the onions and apricots for 2 more minutes. Season with salt.
5. To assemble, spoon onion puree on plate, top with cheeks and garnish with sprout-apricot mixture.

Related: Best Corned Beef & Cabbage In DFW

Known as the premier brunching spot in the city, one of Bread Winners' most popular brunch dishes is its mouthwatering brisket hash. In this recipe, Kovac reinvents the brisket hash into a corned beef hash with beer-braised cabbage wedges. Kovac tweaked the original recipe by eliminating the bold Texas spice mixture and substituted a slow-cooked corned beef brisket in place of the braised brisket. He also increased the quantity of dark beer to make the flavor profiles on this dish a standout. Cooked corned beef can be found in the deli section of most grocery stores.

Corned Beef Brisket HashIngredients for Hash:

• 4 pounds cooked corned beef brisket, trimmed and diced
• 1 cup yellow onion, diced
• 1/2 cup red bell pepper, peeled and diced
• 1 1/4 cups russet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 tbsp. fresh garlic, chopped
• 1 tbsp. dried oregano
• 2 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/2 cup dark beer
• 1 1/4 cups prepared mashed potatoes
• 1/2 cup beef stock
• 1/2 tbsp. kosher salt
• 1/2 tbsp. black pepper

Directions:

1. Sauté onion, bell pepper and potatoes in a large pot with olive oil over medium heat for 6-8 minutes, until onion is translucent.
2. Add diced brisket and continue cooking for 10-12 minutes, until brisket begins to break apart.
3. Add garlic, thyme and oregano, and cook for 2 minutes more.
4. Add beer to de-glaze, scraping the bottom of the pan. Continue cooking until reduced by half and then add stock and mashed potatoes, simmer on low heat, stirring regularly for 15-20 minutes.

Ingredients for Cabbage:

• 3 tbsp. bacon grease
• 1 yellow cabbage cut into 8 wedges
• 1 cup dark beer
• 1 cup beef stock
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 2 tsp. fresh Italian parsley, chopped

Directions:

1. Cook bacon grease and cabbage in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until browned, about 3-4 minutes each side. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Then add beer and cook until reduced by half.
3. Add stock and simmer 10-15 minutes until cabbage is tender. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve alongside the hash.

After stints in some of the most famous Dallas and San Francisco kitchens, Jon Stevens is sprouting out on his own, opening up one of the most anticipated restaurants of the year. Stevens is sharing his favorite corned beef recipe that also happens to be on the restaurant's brunch menu— an oven-baked corned beef hash with hatch chili hollandaise and eggs. It's the perfect recipe for those with a cabbage aversion. He says the dish is a combination of his favorite things – hash and the baked egg dish, huevos a la flamenca. This recipe serves six.

Oven-Baked Corned Beef Hash with Hatch Chili Hollandaise and EggsIngredients for Hollandaise:

• 3 egg yolks
• 3 tbsp. lemon juice
• 8 oz. clarified butter
• 4 tbsp. hatch green chiles, roasted, seeded and minced
• 1 scallion, minced
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• salt to taste

Directions:

1. Whisk together yolks and lemon juice in a heatproof bowl over barely simmering water, until fluffy.
2. Add in butter, 2 tablespoons at a time, and continue whisking until sauce thickens, being careful not to overcook because the eggs will scramble.
3. Remove from heat and stir in remaining ingredients. Cover and place in a warm spot until ready to use.

Ingredients for Hash:

• 2 cups cooked corned beef, medium diced
• 3 large Yukon potatoes, medium dice and skin on
• 1 large sweet yellow onion, medium dice
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup Italian parsley, chopped
• 1 tsp. smoked paprika
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp. crushed red chili flakes
• 6 large eggs
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Sauté potatoes in olive oil until golden brown and fully cooked, remove from pan and reserve.
2. Add the onions to the pan and caramelize over medium heat.
3. Mix in garlic, corned beef, spices and potatoes. Toss in parsley, salt, pepper and chili flakes.
4. Divide hash evenly into six 8-ounce baking ramekins. Crack one egg on top of each ramekin and place in 450 degree oven for around 8 minutes, until egg whites are cooked.
5. Remove ramekins from oven and top with hollandaise before serving.

Related: Best Resources To Brew Beer At Home In DFW