There’s nothing quite like that all-day smell of a Boiled Dinner filling the kitchen on a Sunday, all while everyone is anticipating a plate full of fall-apart meat & tender to completely softened vegetables covered in Butter, seasoned with Salt & Pepper. It’s a meal steeped in tradition, bringing families together around the table for generations. It transcends cultures too, with versions coming from NFLD, Maritimes (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, PEI), Acadians, Irish or Irish-American, New England, and even Portuguese.
It also makes for an excellent St.Paddys Day Meal. For this recipe, we go with a Homemade Corned Pork that is cured for 3 days. Along with some Potatoes, Carrots, Cabbage, and Onions. Butter with Salt & Pepper to season the plate and that Mustard Horseradish Sauce. Optionally broil the Corned Pork with a Mustard & Brown Sugar mix.
What is a Boiled Dinner
In its most simplistic form, A boiled dinner is a source of protein such as Salted Pork or Beef, Corned Pork, Cottage Rolls, Ham or Corned Beef. Even uncured meats such as Pork Shoulder or Butt and Beef Roasts. Although with non-cured meats, you don’t get that beautiful pink color meat. The choice of meat is simmered until fall apart tender with boiled Vegetables. Most commonly Potatoes, Carrots and Cabbage.
What’s different about this recipe
This recipe is my very own method on how to make a boiled dinner using a homemade corned pork. It’s mainly the Pickling Spice used for the meat that makes this dish just something else, and the fact that all the vegetables are boiled separately with the whole meal being placed into a large turkey roasting pan with a bit of the broth liquor poured in to keep everything warm, moist and flavorful for serving. Below is how this recipe differs from the classic or traditional approach.
Homemade Corned Pork
I have tried making this with salt pork, store-bought corned pork and cottage rolls, and even homemade corned pork with clubhouse pickling spice. None of these are as good as the homemade corned pork; it really is something else.
Since the meat is diced into bite-sized pieces, instead of simmering a large piece of meat, the cure only takes 3 days. The JAH Pickling spice is what adds that unique and elegant flavor. I don’t imagine you will get any better flavor using another pickling spice. This is something uniquely special in it’s own right.
Slow Cooked
Placing the meat into the pot and filling it with water to bring it to a simmer over low heat is key to achieving tender, fall-apart meat. Despite the name Boiled Dinner, the meat is never boiled or brought to a simmer fast. It is a low and slow process that requires patience and this makes all the difference for nice tender fall apart meat. Not only that, but the long slow simmer builds more flavor in the broth itself.
Everything is cooked separate
The meat is cooked until tender, then scooped out and placed into a tray to keep warm while covered. The vegetables are cooked one at a time and added to a large tray once they are tender. Along with some broth so the meat and vegetables can seep in it. This allows you to make far more vegetables and better control over the tenderness, no matter how many you are feeding, be it a family of 4, or a gathering of 8 or more.
Vegetables
The vegetables are chopped into large pieces and are cooked until tender or softened and removed. This allows more control over the Vegetables, despite their size and how many you want to add. With the meat removed, it frees up a lot of space and prevents the meat from falling apart during stirring.
Since the vegetables are added one at a time and cooked until tender. Adding more vegetables to feed a crowd or adding in vegetables such as Parsnip, Turnip etc… is not an issue at all. Just boil until tender and set aside.
With staging the vegetables, you can run into issues, depending on the size, the hardness or softness of the vegetables added and so on. No guess work at all with boiling them separately. It takes a bit more time, but you are guaranteed tender to soft vegetables every time. No matter how much you are making and without overcrowding the pot and free to add any additional vegetables desired. Although you may need another tray for the added vegetables.
Cabbage
Usually cabbage is sliced into wedges and simmered with the core intact. I much prefer torn cabbage. It takes up less space, and sometimes the cabbage can still fall apart anyway. Also when the butter hits, it covers more.
Reduction
Finally, with everything scooped out, you can strain and reduce the broth for a stronger, richer flavor. This is poured over the tray holding the meat and all the vegetables. This is also very good to serve in a small dipping bowl to pour over your plate, adding more flavor. It can also be transformed into a Gravy or saved for Soups.
Boiled Dinner Tray
This boiled dinner is not served out of the pot. Instead, a large Turkey Roasting pan or something else similar. The meat is first cooked and takes the longest. Once this is cooked, it is scooped out and placed into the tray. Covered and into the oven at the lowest setting or just set aside on the counter. As the Vegetables cook, they are added into the tray with the meat until finally everything is in the tray. Hot Broth is poured over to let everything soak it up and is held until ready to serve.
For really soft Vegetables and Meat that has browned more, keep in the oven. If you intend to serve right away or don’t want the vegetables to soften more then just set aside on the counter.
History of Boiled Dinners
This is a dinner that has very deep roots, not only in one culture but across many. While the basic concepts or techniques are shared across the board. With the results being fall-apart meat & tender vegetables. There are differences that are uniquely enjoyed by a particular upbringing, and we’re going to get into them the best we can in this article so that you can explore and perhaps try something new, yet familiar.
The Boiled Dinner has variations from the NFLD Jiggs Dinner, Acadian Boiled Dinner, Maritime Boiled Dinner (Bouilli), Irish or Irish-American, New England, and even Portuguese (Cozido). There are other ones too, but the previously mentioned ones are all very similar in their use of boiled meats & vegetables.
Jiggs Dinner
The Newfoundland Boiled Dinner, also known as “Jiggs’ Dinner,” is a traditional one-pot meal consisting of salted meat, typically beef or pork, and various vegetables, all boiled together. This hearty dish is influenced by British and Irish culinary traditions. The vegetables typically used in the dish are potatoes, carrots, turnips, cabbage, and parsnips. A classic accompaniment is Pease Pudding, made from split yellow peas boiled alongside the meat. Doughboys, which are optional dumplings, may also be added to complete the meal.
The traditional recipe can be viewed at https://parks.canada.ca/culture/gourmand-gourmet/recette-recipe76.
Acadian Boiled Dinner
The Acadian version of a boiled dinner shares similarities with other Maritime and Newfoundland versions but incorporates distinctive regional influences from French culinary traditions. Salted pork, often the primary meat choice, provides a rich base for the dish, though corned beef or ham may also be used. Key vegetables in the Acadian version include potatoes, carrots, turnips (rutabaga), cabbage, leeks, and occasionally parsnips and onions. Dumplings, known as “chouquettes” or “bouillettes,” are sometimes added towards the end of cooking. Seasonings such as bay leaves, black pepper, salt, and herbs like savory, thyme, or marjoram, as well as occasional garlic, reflect the French-inspired flavor profile of Acadian cooking.
Maritime Boiled Dinner
In Atlantic Nova Scotia, the traditional boiled dinner, known as Bouilli, consists of a one-pot meal featuring 150g of salt pork, about 3 lbs of pork, and various vegetables, including 1 lb each of potatoes and cabbage, and 1/2 lb each of turnip, carrots, and beans. This dish is part of the broader Maritime Boiled Dinner tradition, enjoyed throughout the Canadian Maritimes, including Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island. Similar to Newfoundland’s Jiggs’ Dinner, it reflects regional variations influenced by local culinary traditions.
The key ingredients in Bouilli include salted or smoked meats like corned beef, ham, or picnic ham, along with vegetables like potatoes, carrots, turnips, cabbage, onions, and optional parsnips or beets (usually cooked separately). Flour-based dumplings are sometimes added near the end of cooking, similar to Newfoundland’s doughboys. This hearty dish remains a staple in Maritime homes, offering a warm, comforting meal.
The traditional recipe can be viewed at https://parks.canada.ca/culture/gourmand-gourmet/recette-recipe47
Irish Boiled Dinner
The Irish version of a boiled dinner is known as Bacon & Cabbage in Ireland, though in North America, it is more commonly referred to as Corned Beef & Cabbage, a variation rooted in Irish-American tradition. Both versions involve boiling meat with vegetables for a hearty, one-pot meal.
In Ireland, the dish is made with Irish bacon (a cured pork joint), while the Irish-American version uses corned beef (brined beef brisket). Vegetables commonly include potatoes, carrots, cabbage, and sometimes parsnips or turnips. Onions are also often added. The dish is typically seasoned minimally, relying on the saltiness of the cured meat for flavor, with additional aromatics like bay leaves, black peppercorns, and sometimes cloves or parsley.
New England Boiled Dinner
In the UK, a boiled dinner is often referred to as a “Sunday Roast” or “Boiled Bacon & Cabbage,” depending on the region and ingredients used. While it differs from the Irish or Maritime versions, the concept of boiling meat with vegetables in a simple broth remains a staple in British cooking.
The traditional meat for a British boiled dinner is boiled bacon, typically an unsmoked back bacon or ham joint, which is cured and boiled to create a tender, flavorful dish. Beef cuts like silverside or brisket are sometimes used, especially for Sunday roasts. Key vegetables include cabbage, potatoes, carrots, turnips, and parsnips. The meat is typically boiled with seasonings such as bay leaves, black pepper, cloves, and occasionally vinegar or mustard to enhance flavor. Salt is added sparingly, depending on the saltiness of the bacon or ham.
Boiled Dinner Ingredients
Corned Pork ((Shoulder, Butt, Loin, or Tenderloin), Brine (Sea Salt, Sugar, Garlic, JAH Pickling Spice, Sure Cure, or Prague Powder #1)), Onions, Carrots, Potatoes, and Cabbage.
Other common options that can be included are Turnips or Rutabaga, Parsnips, Celery, Leek, Waxed Beans.
Corned Pork
The Corned Pork recipe is what I typically use for this recipe and includes the pickling spices and garlic, which are included when simmering the meat.
The bite size pieces of Corned Pork are brined for 3 days, strained, and rinsed. Place back into the pot to fill with fresh cold water, garlic, and the previous strained pickling spice. On medium-low heat (9 position) while covered for 4–5 hours to start the Boiled Dinner.
Vegetables Sizes
The size or thickness of the vegetables directly correlates to the cook times needed to soften the vegetables. You can also use baby carrots & potatoes, and in that case, everything can go in at once to cook until tender or soft, about 15 minutes. The other option is to chop all the vegetables to size so that they all cook up at the same rate. I like the chunky vegetables like halved carrots and potatoes, so these will cook up at different times.
- Carrots: Chop in half to separate the thinner part from thicker top part. Slice the thicker top part in half lengthwise. Or chop the Carrots into about 1/2 inch rounds.
- Potatoes: Chop medium potatoes in half. Or dice to about 1 inch or slightly larger.
- Cabbage: Chop into wedges and layer by layer tear the cabbage into bite size pieces.
- Onions: Chops the ends off and quarter.
Boiled Vegetables Cook times
These cook times are for when making a boiled dinner where the vegetables are added to the pot one at a time, and covered over medium heat. Always check the tenderness as they cook.
- Carrots: Chopped in half across, and the thicker part chopped in half lengthwise so that they are roughly the same size takes about 15 minutes.
- Onions: Quartered onions take about 15 minutes. These can be thrown in at the same time as Cabbage.
- Cabbage: Torn cabbage takes about 15 minutes.
- Potatoes: Halved potatoes or quartered potatoes if they are larger take about 25 minutes. Diced Potatoes at about 1 inch or slightly larger takes about 15 minutes.
Staged Vegetables
You only really stage the vegetables if they are cut at different sizes and because of that cook at different rates. This really depends on your pot size too. Because fitting in all the vegetables takes up a lot of space, especially if your cabbage is chopped in wedges instead of torn. However, knowing the boil times for each vegetable, they can be added in stages.
Since carrots, onions and cabbage cook in the same amount of time, about 15 minutes, these can be added together during the last 15 minutes of cooking. Potatoes take the longest, mainly because they are so large. It takes about 25–30 minutes to cook the potatoes. You could quarter the potatoes, and in that case, the potatoes will only take about 15 minutes to cook through. So considering the cook times and the staging of the vegetables based on size, would be as follows;
- Add halved potatoes to cook while covered over medium heat for 10 minutes.
- Then add the carrots, cabbage, and onions to cook while covered for 15 minutes.
Cook the vegetables all at once
To cook all the vegetables at the same time, the size of them is essential so that everything cooks up at the same rate. This, again of course, depends on your pot size and how much you are making. But if using baby Carrots & Potatoes, everything can be thrown in at the same time to boil for about 15 minutes or until done to your liking. This includes having everything the same, but chopping the potatoes at 1 inch or slightly larger.
How to Make a Boiled Dinner
The key here is very low heat and patience to yield the best results. This Boiled Dinner is made with Homemade Corned Pork that is diced and has cured for 3 days. Then strained reserving the pickling spice used while curing.
Simmer the Meat
Place the strained Corned Pork into a large stockpot with 16 cups of cold water with the strained Pickling Spice. Set over medium-low heat and set the timer for 4–5 hours. After 2 hours, skim the scum from the surface and occasionally afterward if there is more. Stir every so often. Lower the heat if it is simmering to hard.
Rest the meat and Strain the Broth
Remove the meat once it is tender and falling apart. Lift and dunk it a bit to remove any spices as you remove it. Place it into a large tray and cover it just to keep warm.
Strain out the broth, discarding the pickling spice and the bottom part of the broth that contains a lot of tiny bits. Place the broth back into the pot.
Vegetables
Turn the heat to medium and cook the vegetables one at a time until tender or soft, while covered.
This method removes the meat avoiding it breaking down during stirring and gives you more control over the tenderness of your vegetables. No matter what vegetables you decide to add, their size or pot size, and no overcrowding the pot.
Boiled Dinner Tray
Once you have everything transferred to the tray, ladle in some broth to let the meat and vegetables seep in it. You can additionally reduce the broth for a more concentrated flavor.
The Pork Broth can be served on the side to drizzle over your boiled dinner plate, as a small soup to serve on the side or make a gravy from it. It can also be saved for soups like Split Pea Soup.
Boiled Dinner Serving Suggestions
- Newfoundland: Typically served with mustard pickles or sweet mustard sauce, sometimes pickled beets.
- Maritime: Often served with mustard pickles, chow-chow, or homemade bread.
- Irish: In the Irish-American version, horseradish, or mustard is often used. Traditional Irish servings might include soda bread or brown bread.
- UK: Mustard, apple sauce (for ham), or horseradish might accompany the dish.
- Portuguese: Papo Secos
Combine equal amounts of brown sugar and yellow mustard and spread over the top of the Corned Pork. Then broil it for a few minutes. You can also add some heat through cayenne pepper for a Spicy Sweet Corned Pork with brown sugar and mustard glaze.
Butter
Set the whole tray at the table or plate individually. Bring Butter, Salt & Pepper for everyone to add it to their boiled dinner plate.
Salt & Pepper Blend
Use the below Salt & Pepper blend to sprinkle over your plate with a dollop of butter or two.
Salt & Pepper ingredients
- 1 Tbl Sea Salt
- 1 tsp Black Pepper
- 1/2 tsp White Pepper
Mustard and Horseradish Sauce
This is perhaps one of my favorites to serve; that sauce is so good. Optionally, you can replace the sour cream with Hellmann’s Mayo. Combine the below ingredients and serve on the side.
Mustard and Horseradish Sauce
- 3 Tbl Sour Cream
- 1 Tbl Mayo
- 1 Tbl Prepared Mustard & Horseradish
- Salt to taste
Dinner Rolls
Serve with Dinner Rolls that can be prepared and oven baked while simmering the meat.
Boiled Dinner Serving Size
Allot 1/2 lb of meat with 1 large Potato and 2 Carrots with a handful of Cabbage per serving. Since this recipe boils everything until tender or soft. You can scale the recipe up or down how you see fit regardless of pot size. Even using two or more large trays to hold the meat and vegetables if making for a large crowd.
Ingredients
- 5 lbs Corned Pork - see notes
- 16 Cups Water
- 3-5 lbs Potatoes - see notes
- 2-3 Large Onions - Quartered
- 2 lbs Carrots - see notes
- 1 Head Cabbage - Small to medium head of cabbage torn into pieces.
Instructions
- Slow Simmered Corned Pork: Place the strained corned pork and pickling spice into the pot and fill with cold water, about 16 Cups. Cover and set over medium-low heat. Set the timer for 4 hours. After 2 hours, it should be simmering; skim the scum off to keep the broth clean. After the 4 hours, test a piece to see if it is tender. Simmer another hour uncovered if it needs more time. Else scoop the meat out and place it into a large tray, cover it, and place this into the oven on the lowest setting to keep warm. Strain the broth to get rid of the spices and small bits of protein, and return the broth to the pot.
- Vegetables: Turn the heat up to medium, cover, and wait until it starts to boil. When it starts to boil, add Potatoes to simmer while covered for 25 minutes or until soft. Scoop out the Potatoes and transfer them to the tray with the corned pork. Add the Carrots to simmer while covered for 15 minutes or until soft. Scoop out the Carrots and place them into the tray. Add torn Cabbage & Onions to simmer while covered for 15 minutes. Scoop them out with a spider and place them into the tray.
- Reduction: Taste the broth, and if a stronger flavor is desired, reduce over max heat until it has a good flavor. If it needs to be diluted, add more water. Ladle about 2–3 cups of broth into the tray for the vegetables and meat to soak up. The tray can stay here while covered until ready to serve or placed into the oven on the lowest setting to keep warm and further softened the vegetables.
- Butter, Salt & Pepper: Once everything is placed into the tray, present the whole tray at the table for everyone to help themselves along with butter, salt & pepper, and any additional sides.