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March 13, 2008

Timely recipe: Corned beef and cabbage

Consider this a public service announcement. We know there are folks tackling their first "Irish Day" in the kitchen, wondering how to do it.

Last Sunday, I made this recipe for the family. It was terrific. And easy. Can't go wrong. Try it, and let them tell you what a great cook you are.

Corned beef and cabbage

5 pounds corned brisket of beef (two supermarket packages)
1 bottle (12-oz) Guiness Stout
6 peppercorns, or packaged pickling spices
6 cloves garlic, peeled
3 carrots, peeled and quartered
3 onions, peeled and quartered
1 medium-sized green cabbage, quartered or cut in wedges
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Place the corned beef in Guinness and water to cover with the garlic and peppercorns or mixed pickling spices (in supermarkets, these often come packaged with the corned beef).

Cover the pot or kettle, bring to a boil; put a dinner plate on top of the meat to keep it submerged.

After it boils, put the covered pot in the oven and bake at 325 degrees for 6 hours or until tender, skimming occasionally if necessary. (We didn't have anything to skim.)

During the last hour, add the carrots and onions and cover again.

During the last 30 minutes, add the cabbage.

Transfer meat and vegetables to a platter, cover with foil and let rest for 15 minutes. (It will be easier to slice.)

It's traditional to serve corned beef with boiled parsley potatoes, cooked separately. (Small potatoes will take 20-30 minutes, larger chunks more like 45 minutes.)

But I don't really care for boiled potatoes. If you have two racks in the oven and room for both dishes, roll small potatoes, washed but not peeled, in a bit of oil and/or melted butter and bake them on a cookie sheet or in a shallow pan, uncovered, for an hour.

You can also boil small potatoes for fifteen minutes, then drain and dry them in a towel, then roll them in oil or butter and pop them into the oven for 15 minutes -- while the corned beef is resting -- for quick oven-roasted flavor. Turn the oven up to 375 degrees for this.
The stock can be saved to add to a pot roast or stew.

Notes: We made this with the cheapest corned beef in the supermarket, and it was terrific.

Posted by Sheila Lennon at 3:44 PM | Permalink

Comments

You can also cook it with a few whole cloves (makes the kitchen smell great) and throw in a few bay leaves as well. I put it in the crock pot before I leave for work and it's all done in plenty of time for dinner. You can follow the same instructions for the vegetables in the crock pot just like in the oven, always put the cabbage in last and it'll cook up just fine. Sometimes, we'll have corned beef sandwiches instead of the whole dinner, either way, it's a great meal.

Posted by: Judy Murphy on March 15, 2008 8:01 PM

I'm smelling it, Judy. Good idea for Monday.

You must cook it on low all day... Do you use the same amount of liquid?

Talk about corned beef at work included a family recipe with cloves, cinnamon, vinegar and sugar.

Posted by: Sheila Lennon on March 16, 2008 12:23 AM