Go Back

Guinness Corned Beef Tacos with Pickled Cabbage Slaw

5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Servings 12 tacos

Ingredients
  

For the Corned Beef *

  • 4 lbs beef brisket
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup kosher salt
  • 3 tablespoons curing salt this will make the meat pink
  • 3 tablespoon whole allspice berries
  • 1 tablespoon whole cloves
  • 1 tablespoon ground ginger
  • 2 tablespoon mustard seeds
  • 2 tablespoon whole peppercorns
  • 3 cups of water
  • 3 (12 ounces) bottles of Guinness Extra stout
  • 4 cups ice
  • 1 yellow onion quartered

Pickled slaw:

  • 2 cup red cabbage shredded
  • 2 cup savoy cabbage shredded
  • ½ red onion thinly sliced
  • 1/3 cup lemon juice
  • 2 cups apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 teaspoon whole cloves
  • 2 teaspoon black peppercorns

For the Tacos

  • 12 corn tortillas

Instructions
 

  • In a large pot or Dutch oven, add brown sugar, curing salt, kosher salt, allspice berries, cloves, ginger, mustard seeds, peppercorns, along with the water.
  • Cook on high just until the salt and sugar dissolve, remove from heat. Add 2 bottles of stout (reserve the last bottle for cooking) and  ice, stir until ice has melted and brine is cool.
  • Add the brisket, cover with a lid and refrigerate for 5 days and up to 10.
  • Remove from brine and rinse well. Discard the brine and clean the Dutch oven.
  • Place the brisket back in the cleaned pot, along with the onion, pour the remaining bottle of stout and then cover with cold water until the brisket is fully cover with about one inch of water above the beef.
  • Bring to a low boil, cover and reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Simmer for 3 hours or until the meat is fork-tender. Move to a carving board, thinly slice against the grain.
  • While the brisket cooks, make the pickled slaw. In a saucepan over medium heat, add the lemon juice, vinegar, salt, sugar, ginger, allspice, cloves and peppercorns in a pot.
  •  Bring to simmer just until the salt and sugar dissolve, remove from heat. Allow to cool to room temperature. 
  • In a large bowl, add the cabbage and onion. Pour the cooled pickling liquid over the cabbage and onion, refrigerate for one hour and up to a week (this can be done well in advance).
  • Fill the tortillas with beef and top with pickled slaw.

Notes

To use a pre-cured corned beef, skip the curing step and go right to the cooking part in step 5 step.
You’ll only need one bottle of Guinness Extra Stout, an onion  from the list of ingredients in the “for the corned beef” section, plus a cured, uncooked, corned beef brisket.