Corned Beef & Cabbage

My roommate Wendy made this for Saint Patrick’s Day and it was super yummy. I hate to admit it but I had never had corned beef and cabbage before! It’s funny how many basic things like this I have never even tasted. I was little concerned about pickled beef brisket, but was pleasantly surprised by the good slightly tangy flavor the brining and cooking adds to the meat. We had several friends over and just sat around the dining table and chatted and ate a ton. For drings we served Black & Tans, and for a side I made French bread and Irish Soda Bread.

Corned Beef & Cabbage

1-3/4 pounds onions, divided use
2-1/2 pounds carrots, divided use
6 pounds corned beef brisket or round
1 cup malt vinegar
12 ounces Irish stout beer
1 tablespoon mustard seed
1 tablespoon coriander seed
1/2 tablespoon black peppercorns
1/2 tablespoon dill seed
1/2 tablespoon whole allspice
2 bay leaves
3 pounds cabbage, rinsed
2-1/2 pounds small red potatoes, scrubbed
1/2 cup coarse grain mustard, optional
1/2 cup Dijon mustard, optional

You'll need a heavy-duty pot large enough to hold 4 gallons for this large quantity recipe.
Divide onions and carrots and chop enough to fill 1 cup of each, reserving the rest.

Place the corned beef in the stockpot. Add the chopped onions, carrots, malt vinegar, stout beer, mustard seeds, coriander seeds, black peppercorns, dill seeds, whole allspice, and bay leaves. Add enough water to cover the corned beef, and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer about 3 hours until meat is fork-tender.

While the corned beef is cooking, cut the reserved onions into eight wedges and the carrots into 2-inch chunks. (Larger carrots should be halved first.) Slice each head of cabbage into 8 wedges.

Remove corned beef, skim fat. Cover and return to a boil. Add onions, carrots and red potatoes to the broth, with the cabbage on top. Reduce heat and simmer about 20 minutes, until potatoes and cabbage are fork-tender.

To serve, cut corned beef against the grain into thin slices and accompany with the cooked vegetables. Dijon mustard and/or coarse-grained mustard complement the corned beef as optional condiments. Or horseradish sauce.


Horseradish Sauce

¼ Cup Mayonnaise
1-8 Ounce Jar Horseradish
Zest of 1 Lemon
Salt and Pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients and let sit for a few minutes for flavors to mingle.

Irish Soda Bread

My roommate Wendy made Corned Beef and Cabbage for St Patrick’s day and I contributed to the meal with this really yummy Irish Soda Bread. It was so easy to make and had a great texture, was very moist and only took a few minutes to throw together. I served this with honey, which was really good, as the bread is a bit tangy. It would also be good with a marmalade or even just with butter. I will be posting the recipe for Corned Beef and Cabbage soon.

Irish Soda Bread

2 1/4 cups bread flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup wheat bran
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups plain yogurt

Preheat an oven to 425°F. Place a baking sheet in the oven to preheat. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, oats, bran, baking soda and salt. Using a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the yogurt and stir to blend, forming a rough ball. The dough will start rising as soon as the baking soda comes in contact with the yogurt, so work quickly to form the dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead gently for about 30 seconds. The dough should feel soft to the touch. Dust a clean work surface with flour and set the ball of dough on it. Flatten slightly into a 7-inch dome and sprinkle with flour, spreading the flour lightly over the surface. Using a sharp knife, cut a shallow X in the loaf from one side to the other. Transfer the loaf to the preheated baking sheet. Bake until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly. Serve warm. Any leftover bread can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Recipe from williamssonoma.com