Irish Corned Beef & Cabbage
A St. Paddy’s Day traditional dish that is soul satisfying. This is a recipe from of one of the great cooks of all time, James Beard. He was particularly instrumental in my early culinary education and still remains my main go-to guy for core recipes. Making your own corned beef takes a bit of time, so I suggest pre-seasoned corned beef, which is available in most quality markets.
Ingredients:
5 pounds corned brisket of beef
1 package pickling spices (usually found in Mexican section of market)
3 carrots, peeled and quartered
3 onions, peeled and quartered
1 medium-sized green cabbage, quartered or cut in wedges
Melted butter (about 4 tablespoons)
Preparation:
Place the corned beef in water to cover with the peppercorns or mixed pickling spices (packaged with the corned beef). Cover the pot or kettle, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 5 hours or until tender, skimming occasionally. During the last hour, add the carrots and onions and cover again. During the last 20 minutes, add the cabbage. Transfer meat and vegetables to a platter and brush the vegetables with the melted butter. Serve with boiled parsley potatoes, cooked separately. (The stock can be saved to add to a pot roast or stew instead of other liquid.)
Yield: 6
Suggestions: Add a bottle (or two) of stout or dark ale to water for corned beef. If you don’t want to do potatoes separately, add 8-10 small, whole, red potatoes with carrots and onions.
Wine: To complement the spices in this dish, match with our Syrah.