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National Corned Beef and Cabbage Day

Food · March 17

A food day for corned beef and cabbage, the salt-cured brisket simmered with cabbage, potatoes and carrots in one big pot.

National Corned Beef and Cabbage Day falls on Wednesday, March 17, 2027. That is 141 days away.

Corned beef and cabbage is a one-pot meal of salt-cured beef brisket simmered slowly with wedges of cabbage, usually joined by potatoes and carrots. The "corned" part has nothing to do with corn. It refers to the coarse grains of salt, once called corns, used to cure the meat.

The cure gives the beef its pink color and its firm, savory bite. Many cooks add a spice packet of peppercorns, mustard seed and bay leaf to the pot, and the kitchen smells of it for hours. The cabbage goes in near the end so it turns tender without collapsing into the broth.

In American homes it is often a big, unhurried dinner, the kind that fills a table and leaves enough for the next day. Slicing matters more than people expect. Cutting the brisket across the grain keeps each slice tender instead of stringy.

Leftovers have a life of their own. Chopped corned beef fried with potatoes becomes hash, and thin slices end up between rye bread with mustard. Some people grow fonder of the second meal than the first, which may be the dish's quiet secret.

A spoonful of grainy mustard on the side is the most common finishing touch.

Ways to celebrate

• Simmer a corned beef brisket with cabbage, potatoes and carrots.
• Try slicing the beef across the grain and compare the texture.
• Turn leftovers into corned beef hash for breakfast.
• Make a sandwich on rye with mustard.
• Share a family version of the recipe with a friend.

Dates

All national days on March 17

Also on March 17

• St. Patrick's Day
• Camp Fire Girls Day

Categories: Food days