Traditional Corned Beef with Vegetables and White Sauce

Slowly simmered to juicy perfection and flavoured with cloves, this traditional corned beef recipe with vegetables and white sauce is sure to be a hit.

If you were to ask me what my all-time favourite meal was, it would be corned beef and vegetables with white sauce.

From the time I left home to now, every time I return home to visit Mum, I request her special corned beef. 

And keeping the tradition alive, it’s now my son’s favourite dish. 

Apart from the delicious flavour, everything except the sauce is made in one pot. Super easy, not too much washing up.

What is Corned Beef and Where Can You Buy It

Corned beef is salt-cured beef, traditionally beef brisket, that has been seasoned with large-grained rock salt and then usually boiled or simmered in a cooking liquid, hence the distinctive salty favour and tender texture.

If you’re interested in trivia (I love trivia), then the term ‘corned’ comes from the old English word for grain or small, hard particles (or further back, the Proto-Germanic word ‘kurnam’, from which we get kernel) describing the coarse salts used in curing. In England, fresh corned beef is usually referred to as ‘salt beef’, while the term ‘corned beef’ refers to the canned variety.

Corned beef has its roots in Ireland, although the popularity of eating corned beef and cabbages on St Patrick’s Day is more American than Irish. It is also a key ingredient in various cultural dishes around the world, including Caribbean corned beef stew and the famous Jewish deli sandwich, the Rueben.

When it comes to buying corned beef here in Australia, you can find it in the meat section of any major supermarket. It is a relatively cheap cut, and with our family of four (teenage son), we still have leftovers for lunches later in the week.

The terms corned beef and silverside are often used interchangeably here in Australia, but they are two different things (I’ve made the mistake of buying a silverside roast instead of corned beef because that’s what we called it as kids).

While corned beef is usually brisket cured in brine, silverside is a hindquarter cut. Because it is less fatty and more tough than other cuts, it is perfect for slow cooking or braising.

I once came across a massive piece of corned beef that was reduced to clear because it was approaching its use-by date. I cut it into thirds and froze each portion (prior to cooking) so we could have several meals over a few months. Alternatively, I could have frozen the cooked, sliced meat for lunches.

Traditional Corned Beef and Vegetable Ingredients

How to Cook Corned Beef

Cooking corned beef couldn’t be easier. Simmer in a pot of water with the addition of some aromatics, slice, and serve.

Some key points for getting the perfect outcome:

• Rinse the corned beef in cold water first. This removes some of the brine. Don’t worry; it will still have plenty of salty flavour.
• Avoid boiling the beef. If you let it boil, it can become tough. I have to slide my pot backwards a little so it is partially off the electric hotplate to get the simmer just right. The pot also rests on the back burner (turned off), so it is level and safe. Don’t slide it forward or have the pot unstable, as that can be a burn hazard just waiting to happen.
• I use a digital meat thermometer similar to this one to make sure my meat is cooked just right.

One-Pot Dish: Cooking the Vegetables

One of the appeals of this dish (apart from the salty flavour) is that is made in one pot (two if you make sauce). 

Once the beef is cooked, remove it from the cooking liquid, cover it, and let it rest.

Add some chopped potatoes and carrots to the water and simmer until they are almost tender. 

Then add the greens—it is traditional to add cabbage wedges, but you can add peas or green beans if you prefer. 

Cook for a further few minutes until the vegetables are tender and cooked to your liking. 

How to Serve Corned Beef

To serve the corned beef, slice the beef finely and serve on a platter surrounded by the vegetables. 

Some people like to eat the corned beef slavered in mustard (hot English was my nanna’s favourite). But I prefer the traditional white or parsley sauce. The mildness of the sauce cuts through the saltiness of the beef, balancing the meal.

Alternative Vegetable Sides

Don’t like boiled vegetables?

Other alternatives include mashed potato, colcannon, and my favourite, braised cabbage, where you cook the cabbage in a frypan in a little chicken stock and butter until the liquid evaporates, it fries a little, and you have tender, flavourful cabbage, 

How to Make the Most Delicious White, Parsley Sauce, or Mustard Sauce

The key to making a flavour-packed white sauce that is the perfect accompaniment to corned beef is to save some of the cooking water to add to the sauce.

All that yummy, salty, clove and bay-infused water adds a tonne of flavour to the white sauce. 

The recipe notes below provide instructions for making the white sauce, but for more information, including video instructions, see How to Make a Basic White Sauce.

What to do with Leftover Corned Beef

The best part of cooking up a large cut of meat is the leftovers! 

The most famous way to use corned beef leftovers is in a Rueben sandwich. It’s traditionally made with rye bread, but we’re home cooks using leftovers, so you can use whatever bread you have on hand.

Spread generously with Thousand Island dressing. If you don’t have that on hand, a quick cheats version that is similar can be achieved by mixing mayonnaise with tomato sauce (ketchup) and Worcestershire sauce or mixing mayonnaise with BBQ sauce).

Add the corned beef, top with some tasty cheese, and if you have it on hand, sauerkraut for tangy perfection. Alternatively, use up the leftover boiled or braised cabbage if you made some.

Another option is to make corned beef hash, which is basically  finely chopping the meat dicing leftover boiled potatoes, and frying them in oil or butter until browned. A great breakfast option, served with an egg.