Dish of Corned Beef & Cabbage
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Corned Beef & Cabbage


North American Irish
Serves:
Effort:
Sched:
DoAhead:  		 6 main
**
3-1/2 hrs
Yes		 Corned Beef and Cabbage was not well known in Ireland until recently, but it did exist - see History. The secret to the best corned beef and cabbage is to cook the minimum time it takes to get things tender.




4-1/2
------
2
1/2
1
1
1
1/2
------
1
10
1
2
3/4
2
4
1/2
------
#
---

T
T
T
t
c
---
#
oz
#
#
in


T
---
Corned Beef Brisket
--Seasonings
Bay Leaf
Peppercorns black
Mustard seeds
Coriander Seeds
Red Pepper flake (1)  
Malt Vinegar
-- Vegetables
Carrots large
Onions, boiling (2)
Potatoes small red
Cabbage Head
Ginger root
Thyme sprig fresh
Parsley sprig
Mustard, dry
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Make   -   (3-1/2 hrs - 1 hr work)
  1. Put the CORNED BEEF BRISKET in a pot (5 quart) including the liquid it is packed with. If you're using a "point cut" (it's the cheaper one) there may be a piece on top separated from the main part by a layer of fat. If you cut this off and pack it beside the main piece you'll need less water - and it is a good piece for "quality control sampling". Add Water to cover and bring to a slow boil uncovered, skimming off the scum until no more rises.
  2. Add all Seasonings items including Malt Vinegar, cover and continue to simmer - about 1-1/2 hours for a 3-1/2# brisket or 1-3/4 hours for a 4-1/2# brisket.
  3. Meanwhile:   Peel CARROTS and cut into largish chunks by whatever art you prefer (I cut diagonal with a rotation). Peel POTATOES and cut into large bite size chunks. Peel ONIONS and slice depending on size (see Note 2).
  4. Remove outer leaves from CABBAGE and cut lengthwise into 1/8ths leaving the core to hold the leaves together.
  5. Put the Vegetables in a pot large enough to hold everything (8 quarts). Add Thyme, Parsley and Mustard.
  6. After the Corned Beef has cooked its allotted time, remove it and put it in the pot with the Vegetables.
  7. Strain the liquid, discarding the solids. Remove the fat by running the liquid through a gravy separator, and pour it into the pot with the vegetables. Bring to a boil and simmer until the carrots are tender, about 3/4 hour.
  8. Lift out the Corned Beef and fish out the stems from the Thyme and the Parsley sprigs.
  9. Arrange vegetables on plates (you'll probably want to cut the cabbage wedges into smaller pieces). Slice corned beef across the grain and place with vegetables. ladle a liberal amount of the liquid over and serve hot. See also Note-2.
NOTES:

  1. Red Pepper Flake

      optional but recomended. Allepo for no heat, Allepo Extra Hot for very light heat, Korean for medium, etc. Use your own discretion as to how much and how hot.

  2. Onions:

      If you are able to get small boiling onions (1 inch and under), just peel them, and up the weight to 12 or 14 ounces. If medium boiling onions, peel and halve lengthwise. and you can up the weight a bit. If you have only regular onions, split them into quarters lengthwise and reduce the weight to about 7 oz. Always slice from the root end so you can be sure the segments will hold together. To peel boiling onions easily, scald them 1 minute in boiling water. Slice the absolute minimum from the root end, slice some off the top and peel.

  3. Buffet Service:

      Slice the corned beef across the grain 3/4 inch thick. Cut the slices into pieces about 1-1/4 inches on a side. Cut the Cabbage wedges into 3 or 4 pieces. Mix both back in with the other vegetables and all the liquid. Put out in a large slow cooker set to "keep warm". Provide bowls and a shallow ladle. It will be a hit.

  4. History

      Corned Beef and cabage as we know it is considered an American / Canadian dish. When Irish came to North America, they found beef and salt, both very expensive in Ireland, cheap in the U.S. and Canada, so they adopted this take, similar to the New England Boiled Dinner.  
    I have a book of ancient Irish recipe which has pretty much the same ingredients except Potaoes. This recipe starts with instructions on how to "corn" the Beef, using lots of salt and brown sugar and a week's time. This made it much more salty than that which we buy in North America, and required a 3 hour soak before cooking. Our Corned Beef and Cabbage was recently made popular in Ireland by demand from American / Canadian tourists. The tourist trade also brought the St Patric's Day celebration, which, in Ireland, had simply been a day when the pubs were closed - not any more!
  5. U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch, ar=as required tt=to taste
1mm_cornbeefcab1 060317 r 160326 r 240309 var   -   www.clovegarden.com
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