Canadian · Beef
Jiggs Dinner

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Method
- The night before, break salt beef into big chunks and soak in water overnight, at least 8-10 hours. Put split peas into a bowl and cover with water to soak overnight.
- Drain the salt beef and place it into a large stockpot. Cover with fresh water, at least 6-7 litres. Place the split peas into a pease pudding canvas bag or triple layer of cheesecloth and tie, making sure to leave room for peas to expand inside the bag.
- Put the bag inside the pot, tying the strings to the outside handle so it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot with the salt beef. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 2 hours.
- Remove the peas pudding bag and empty contents into a bowl, mixing with butter and pepper for taste. Set aside.
- Add your cabbage to the pot and boil for 20 more minutes. Then add turnip, carrots and potatoes then boil for 20 more, or until vegetables are tender.
- Remove salt beef and vegetables from the pot and put them on a platter.
- Use the cooking liquid in two ways; as a pot liquor which some people like to drink or reduce it to make a jus or gravy to pour over the meal.
Cooking notes
When scaling protein-led dishes, weigh the meat rather than counting pieces, and remember that the pan size limits how much you can sear at once.
For volume-to-weight conversions of any ingredient — flour, sugar, butter, salts — use the ingredient converter. To translate the recipe's oven temperature between °C, °F and gas mark, see the temperature converter.
When you scale this recipe up or down, remember that cooking time does not scale linearly. A doubled cake takes longer, but not twice as long; a doubled soup takes roughly twice as long. The cooking-time guide gives sensible starting estimates by dish geometry.
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Jiggs Dinner
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OpenTemperature
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OpenCooking time
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OpenPan size
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OpenLength
Inches and centimetres — for when a recipe says “cut into 1-inch pieces” and your ruler is metric.
OpenIngredient density
A cup of flour weighs 120 g; a cup of honey weighs 340. The full table of ~40 staples, with sources.
OpenOpen in main scaler
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OpenFrom the journal
Original essays on the small details.
The why behind the technique — original writing on the ingredient and equipment choices that separate a good cook from a frustrated one.
Eggs by weight, not by count
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The case for the oven thermometer
Your oven is probably lying to you, and here's how to catch it
Read essayFebruary 28, 2026
Butter temperature ruins more cookies than the oven does
Cold, softened, melted — three states, three completely different bakes
Read essayDecember 15, 2025
Go deeper
Where this recipe sits in the wider tradition.
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