Dutch Oven Corned Beef (Easy Silverside Recipe)

An oldie but a goodie. I grew up on Dutch oven corned beef and cabbage, did you? While not in the traditional sense, simmering together on the stove for a few hours, but in separately cooked dishes. A large piece of boiled corned beef and sauteed cabbage with a little onion and sometimes bacon (or even leftover corned beef). It’s serious comfort food on a cold winter’s day – or to be honest, every day of the year. It’s a super classic, easy corned beef recipe full of simple ingredients. And I just love it.

While many associate corned beef with Ireland and St Patrick’s Day, it’s really more of an American-Irish belief that it’s a traditional St Patrick’s Day dish. To be honest, it’s so damn good I’m happy to eat it any day of the year, national holiday or not!

What you need to get started

• Corned Beef – In Australia we refer to corned beef as corned silverside due to the “silverside” cut of beef used. In other parts of the world, it’s a different cut of meat and is referred to as a corned beef brisket. Sometimes (especially in the United States) all the hard work is done for you and a spice packet comes with the corned beef!!! Essentially, while different cuts of beef, both are slow-cooking meat cuts ideally suited to this method of cooking. In Australia, the brining process is already done for you, so all that is left, is to slow-cook your corned beef along with your chosen flavors. I use a 1.5-1.7kg corned beef silverside for this recipe.
  
  
  
• Enough water to cover the corned beef. In my 26cm cast iron casseroles, I roughly use 2L cold water.
  
  
  
• Herbs and Vegetables – brown onion, carrot, celery stalk, garlic, bay leaves
  
  
  
• Whole Cloves
  
  
  
• Pantry staples – malt vinegar, brown sugar, seas salt flakes, and black peppercorns

The details

1. Preheat the oven to 150 degrees Celsius.
   
   
   
2. Pop the corned beef (fat side up) in a large Dutch oven, along with all the remaining ingredients.
   
   
   
3. Fill the Dutch oven with water so that it covers the corned beef fillet. Pop on the lid and bring to a simmer on medium heat. Once simmering, skim the top of the liquid to remove any scum that has come to the surface. Pop the lid back on and put the pot into the preheated oven for 1 hour 45 minutes or until fork tender.
   
   
   
4. Remove the pot of silverside from the oven. Drain the meat on a plate. Carve up and serve!

Equipment

A large cast iron Dutch oven is essential. I cook corned beef silverside in a Le Creuset 28cm cast iron French oven.  A 20cm cooks knife and a cutting board also come in really handy for carving the cooked corned beef. 

You can also cook this corned silverside recipe in a slow cooker, crock pot, pressure cooker, or Instant pot, although the cooking time will differ with each cooking method.

I also cook corned beef in a pressure cooker if I’m short on time. Here’s how…

1. Pop the corned silverside in a pressure cooker, along with all the remaining ingredients.
   
   
   
2. Fill the pressure cooker with water so that it covers the corned beef fillet. Make sure you don’t exceed the maximum fill line! Pop on the lid and bring to full pressure on medium-high heat on top of the stove. Once full pressure has been reached, reduce to low heat and continue cooking at full pressure for 45 minutes.
   
   
   
3. Remove from heat and let the pressure slowly release until it’s safe to open the pressure cooker. Drain the corned beef silverside on a plate and carve!

What to serve with this corned silverside recipe

Add some colcannon mash, cheesy white sauce, and marrowfat peas on the side, and I am, on a cold, winter’s day,  comfort food heaven. Horseradish sauce is another popular side, however in our house good old HP Brown Sauce always seems to find its way onto the table. 

If you’re serving up your Dutch oven corned beef with colcannon mash, or even just mashed potatoes, always make a bit extra for tomorrow’s breakfast! Irish fry up anyone? The next day, you can add the leftover beef (shred or cut it finely) to the leftover mashed potatoes, and shape it into a pancake-shaped disc. On medium heat, panfry the potato pancake on both sides in a little butter. It’s freaking good for breakfast alongside bacon and eggs!

Have leftovers?

The great thing about Dutch oven corned beef is that there are always leftovers in our house!!! Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.

To reheat the corned beef the next day, cover the bottom of an oven-safe roasting pan with slices of corned beef silverside. Drizzle approx. half a cup of the reserved cooking liquid over the meat. Cover with foil and place into a preheated 150-degree oven for 20-30 minutes or until hot.

Not a lot beats a next-day fresh corned beef sandwich in one’s lunch box. Or better yet… turn it into a Ruben by topping rye bread with corned beef and adding sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, and thousand island dressing. Grill till everything is warm and melted!

Ahhh to be sure… A few more hearty one-pot recipes you might like.

• An Irishman’s Wife’s Irish Stew
• Bacon Cheese & Chive Soda Bread
• Persian Lentil Sweet Potato Soup
• Beef and Red Wine Ragu

What’s your favorite way to eat corned beef? Let me know in the comments!

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