Slow-Cooker Corned Beef with Root Vegetable Puree

The slow cooker is a corned beef's best friend: set the brisket to braise in beer in the morning, and by dinner it is fall-apart tender with almost no effort. This version dresses it up beyond the usual boiled dinner — a silky root-vegetable purée, cabbage sautéed with bacon, and a piquant mustard sauce — so the ease of the method meets a plate that feels thoughtfully composed. It is comfort food that practically cooks itself.

The Slow-Cooker Brisket

Convenience is the whole appeal here. Nestle the corned beef brisket into the slow cooker with beer and aromatics and let it braise low and slow all day, hands-off, until it is meltingly tender. The gentle, unattended heat breaks the brisket down completely while the malty beer infuses it with savory depth — and you don't have to watch the pot. Slice it against the grain for the most tender result, and it will pull apart at the fork.

Bacon Cabbage, Purée & Mustard Sauce

The sides make it a meal worth setting the table for. Whip the root vegetables into a smooth, comforting purée, and sauté the cabbage with bacon so it turns tender and smoky rather than plain and boiled — the bacon is a small addition that transforms it. Then a piquant mustard sauce brings the sharp, tangy bite that cuts the rich, salty beef. Slice the brisket over the purée, add the bacon cabbage, and pass the mustard sauce at the table.

Jorj Morgan

Slow-Cooker Corned Beef with Root Vegetable Puree

This exquisite slow-cooked corned beef melts into tender perfection, complemented by a silky root vegetable puree and savory bacon-sautéed cabbage. A piquant horseradish sauce adds a bright flourish to this deeply comforting and elegantly plated meal.

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Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 8 minutes mins

Total Time 8 hours hrs 25 minutes mins

Servings: 6 servings

Course: Main Course, Dinner Party

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

The Brisket & Beer Braise

• 1 4-pound raw corned beef brisket
• 2 12-ounce bottles dark beer (stout or porter preferred)
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon whole mustard seeds

The Root Vegetable Puree

• 6 small potatoes peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
• 2 medium rutabagas peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
• 2 medium parsnips peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
• 4 small white onions peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon coarse black pepper

The Bacon-Sautéed Cabbage

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ¼ pound thick-cut bacon about 4 to 5 slices, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 large white onion peeled and sliced
• 1 medium head Savoy cabbage cut into 2-inch slices

The Piquant Mustard Sauce

• 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• 1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
• 1 to 2 tablespoons hot cooking liquid from the slow cooker for thinning

Method

 

Slow-Cook the Brisket

1. Place the raw corned beef brisket directly into the insert of a heavy-capacity slow cooker.
2. Pour the 2 bottles of dark beer over the brisket to completely submerge it.
3. Drop the dried bay leaves, whole black peppercorns, and whole mustard seeds into the liquid.
4. Cover tightly and cook on HIGH for 7 to 8 hours. The low-and-slow cooking will break down the tough connective tissues, yielding a profoundly tender brisket.

Make the Vegetable Puree

1. During the final 2 hours of the braise, add the peeled potatoes, rutabagas, parsnips, and white onions directly into the slow cooker alongside the brisket. Cook until the vegetables are completely fork-tender.
2. Using a slotted spoon, carefully transfer the softened root vegetables from the slow cooker directly into the bowl of a food processor.
3. Add the 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter and pulse the machine until the vegetables are pureed into a smooth, silky mixture. Season aggressively with the kosher salt and coarse black pepper. Keep warm.

Rendering the Cabbage

1. Heat the 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the 1-inch bacon pieces and cook until deeply browned and crisp, rendering out the smoky pork fat, about 3 to 4 minutes.
2. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
3. Add the sliced onion to the residual bacon fat in the skillet. Cook until soft, about 5 minutes.
4. Add the sliced Savoy cabbage to the pan. Sauté until the leaves are wilted and tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the cabbage to a holding bowl, sprinkle heavily with the crumbled crisp bacon, and keep warm.

The Piquant Sauce & Assembly

1. In a small ceramic bowl, vigorously whisk together the horseradish, sour cream, and Dijon mustard. Stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons of the hot, beer-infused cooking liquid from the slow cooker to thin the sauce and bridge the flavors.
2. Transfer the rested corned beef to a cutting board and use a sharp knife to carve thin slices strictly against the grain to ensure a tender bite.
3. To serve, place a generous, sweeping spoonful of the root vegetable puree onto a warm plate. Top with the bacon-sautéed cabbage. Fan the sliced corned beef elegantly over the cabbage, and finish with a dollop of the piquant mustard sauce.