Corned beef with parsley sauce is so yummy!!
Although I do not have one once of the Irish in me, I have been celebrating St. Patrick’s Day since the first time I was introduced to it.
I love to select my corned beef, get all the fixing, bring out my favorite pot, and get to work.
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I do not know if you can call it to work, as the stove does everything for me.
To add a bit of a spin, here is a simple white sauce with parsley, creating this excellent cream to accompany this super tender corned beef dinner.
In this Article
- What is Saint Patrick’s Day?
- You may wonder what exactly “Corned Beef” is.
- Here are a few helpful tips for the ingredients needed to make this Corned Beef with Parsley sauce.
- Equipment needed
- Cooking tips and step-by-step instructions to make this delicious Corned Beef with Parsley Sauce recipe
- Pro Tips
- Storage instructions and reheating
- What can you prepare with leftovers?
- If you enjoy this Corned Beef with Parsley Sauce, check out these flavorful recipes:
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Corned Beef with Parsley Sauce
What is Saint Patrick’s Day?
St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated on March 17, and it is the patron saint of Ireland. It was initially observed as a religious celebration with a feast and services.
The Irish have observed the anniversary of his death in the fifth century for over a thousand years.
When the Irish immigrants reached the United States, they brought this day of celebration.
The first and on-record St Patrick’s Day parade was held in 1601, not in Ireland but in a Spanish colony now St. Augustine, Florida.
More than a century later, Irish soldiers serving in the English military marched on New York City in 1772 to honor the Irish patron saint.
Nowadays, New York and Boston have a spectacular parade every year. Irish or not, everyone joins in the celebration.
You may wonder what exactly “Corned Beef” is.
It is beef that has been cured in a salt solution. Long ago, that was the process of preserving meat. Today’s process remains the same, and beef brisket is the cut of meat.
One of the most asked questions is: why serve it with cabbage? When young immigrants came to America, there was affordable food.
This is one of my favorite dishes, and I love to have leftovers as I always prepare this excellent and super easy recipe of Classic Corned Beef Sandwich. A must-try!
Here are a few helpful tips for the ingredients needed to make this Corned Beef with Parsley sauce.
This is a quick introduction. Please read the recipe for complete instructions.
Corned beef brisket: Most stores have it with all the spices in a packet to go alongside. Just remove it from the sealed package and follow the instructions.
Carrots: nicely chopped, all in the same bite-size. They are the perfect pairing to corned beef; to me, they are so versatile.
Yellow onion: the flavor of onions brings a beautiful layer to your corned beef cooking.
Cabbage: select one where all the leaves are nicely attached together. Slice in four quarters.
Whole milk: The base for your sauce. Do use whole milk, which is richer in flavor and gives you a rich parsley sauce.
Flour: Thickening agent to create your parsley sauce.
Unsalted butter is the miracle ingredient to perfect your white sauce or bechamel. Use unsalted butter as you do not want to over-salt your dish. Unsalted butter has a very neutral flavor to it,
Parsley: Flatleaf parsley has always been my choice. The rich flavor is also in the stems, therefore, do use them.
Mustard: A bit of punch to your sauce.
Nutmeg: The savory, spicy flavor is perfect for all your white sauces. Uplift them.
Equipment needed
I only recommend what I use and love. To achieve this recipe, I used the following:
Large Dutch oven pot
Skimmer
Aluminum foil
Small saucepan
Cooking tips and step-by-step instructions to make this delicious Corned Beef with Parsley Sauce recipe
This recipe is a composition of two recipes that ultimately work together. Of course, the corned beef takes the longest to prepare; thus, that will start first.
The Parsley Sauce: even though we will need some of the cooking water from the corned beef, you can still be able to prepare it ahead of time, set it aside, and when your corned beef is done, you can grab some of the cooking liquid and finish up the sauce.
The sauce can also be enjoyed with other cuts of meat if you have some leftovers.
Let’s start with the Corned Beef.
- Place your corned beef in a large Dutch oven pan. Add the spice packet that comes with most store-purchased corned beef.
- Add the peeled and chopped carrots and onion to the corned beef. Cover with water.
- Bring to a boil and remove the onion gray skim foam that forms while cooking.
- Cover and let it do its thing for a couple of hours.
- Add the cabbage and cook covered for about another 5 minutes. The cabbage needs to be soft.
- Remove the cabbage, place it in a bowl, and cover it with aluminum foil.
Once done, remove the corned beef from the cooking water and set aside covered. It will continue cooking.
Meanwhile, you can prepare the Parsley Sauce
This is a bechamel sauce with the perfect hint and pieces of parsley.
Easy to make, the only tip I have for you is to keep a keen eye and continually stir.
- Melt the butter, add the finely chopped onions, and gently simmer until the onions are translucent. Add the flour and whisk until you create this smooth cream.
- Add your milk slowly and constantly whisk to prevent clumps from creating.
- Add the nutmeg and parsley to this juncture and season with salt and pepper.
At this junction, you can set aside and wait for the corned beef to be done.
- Add the liquid from the corned beef, stir well until all is integrated, and serve immediately over your corned beef once the sauce is thickened.
Pro Tips
A chef’s tip is to let the butter and flour cook together. You want to cook the flour until a fragrant, nutty flavor emerges.
Here is your parsley sauce. Rich and savory. I serve it with my corned beef and I also have extra on the table, as you can see above, in a glass saucier.
For a home feel and fun presentation I used one of my favorite olive board from Forest Decor to showcase my sauce.
Storage instructions and reheating
It will be stored well in an airtight glass container in the refrigerator for several days.
You can also freeze the corned beef for up to two months.
I do not recommend freezing the sauce as it will break down once you try to reheat it.
The beauty of corned beef is that you can reheat it slowly in the oven covered so as not to dry and enjoy it another day or corned beef or make beautiful sandwiches.
What can you prepare with leftovers?
Ruben sandwich is one of my favorites, with 1000 Island dressing, prepared horseradish sauce, swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and lots of sliced corned beef.
If you have leftover corned beef, you can always make corned beef ash with an egg for Sunday brunch.
If you enjoy this Corned Beef with Parsley Sauce, check out these flavorful recipes:
Corned Beef with Horseradish Sauce
Coquilles Saint Jacques – A French Classic
Broiled Beef Tenderloin With Asparagus and Roasted Red Onion Vinaigrette
Frequently Asked Questions
Is corned beed just brisket?
It is a type of meat that is made from brisket, which is a cut of beef from the brest and lower chest of a cow. To prepare corned beef, the brisket is cured in a brine solution for several days, giving it the distinctive salty flavor.
Is pastrami the same as corned beef?
The corned beef is made from a leaner flat brisket. Pastrami is made with point brisket, which contains more marbeling and fat. Pastrami can also be made from other cuts of meat.
What is so special about corned beef?
It is a inespensive cut of beef. The meat goes thru a curing process using large grains of rock salt or corns of salt and brine. It is then cooked for longer period of time slowly to render the meat super tender a nd flavorful.
Equipment used to prepare this recipe
Corned Beef with Parsley Sauce
Ingredients
- 3 pounds corned beef brisket
- 2 carrots, cleaned and chopped
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 1 large cabbage, quartered and cored
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons unbleached all purpose flour
- ¾ cup whole milk
- 2 teaspoons flat-leaf parsley, minced
- ½ teaspoon mustard
- nutmeg, pinch
Instructions
CORNED BEEF
- Place the corned beef with spice packet into a large pot. Add the carrots, onion less 1 tablespoon into a large pot. Cover with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and skim the foam from the surface of the water.
- Cover and simmer for about 2 ½ hours, or until the corned beef is tender.
- Add the cabbage and cook for another 5 minutes, then let it rest in the pan with the juices until tender.
- Remove from the liquid, wrap in foil and set aside. Reserve about ¾ cup of the cooking liquid.
PARSLEY SAUCE
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Mince the reserved onions and add to the butter.
- Cook for about 1 minute then whisk in the flour and cook for another 1 minute more.
- Add the reserved liquid, milk parsley, mustard, nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste whisking the ingredients together until smooth
- Cook for another 5 minutes more, whisking constantly, until the sauce thickens.
- Serve over slices of corned beef and spoon the sauce over it.
Nutrition
Giangi’s Kitchen provides nutritional information, but these figures should be considered estimates, as a registered dietician does not calculate them.
- Course: Beef, Veal & Lamb, Dinners
- Cuisine: International
- Season: Winter
Did you make this?
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Originally published on March 17, 2013. Updated on March 9, 2023.
