Corned Beef and Cabbage

Once a year, come mid-March, we Americans enjoy the best excuse ever to make corned beef and cabbage, St. Patrick’s Day! Corned beef is cured in a salt mixture, so it can be very salty, depending on the source. We recommend first bringing the corned beef to a boil in plain water, and discarding the water, (repeat for less salt), before proceeding with the baked version. The traditional way to prepare corned beef and cabbage is to boil it, both the beef and the cabbage. Enjoy and Happy St Patrick’s Day!

Traditional Corned Beef and Cabbage

Prep time: 10 minutes / Cook time: 2 hours, 30 minutes / Yield: Serves 5

• 1 (4-pound) cured corned beef brisket, trimmed
• 16 cups water
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup chopped carrot
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pickling spice
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled
• Cooking spray
• 1 tablespoon caraway seeds
• 1 (2 1/2-pound) head green cabbage, cored and cut into 1-inch strips
• 4 pounds small red potatoes, quartered
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 2 teaspoons butter
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs
• 1 (5-ounce) jar prepared horseradish, drained and squeezed dry
• 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Preparation

1. Place brisket in a large stockpot; add water and next 5 ingredients (water through garlic). Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 3 hours. Remove brisket from pot.

2. Place brisket on the rack of a broiler pan or roasting pan coated with cooking spray; place rack in pan.

3. Strain cooking liquid through a colander into 2 large bowls; discard solids. Return liquid to pot.

4. Add caraway seeds and cabbage; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 20 minutes. Drain.

5. While cabbage is cooking, place potatoes in a large Dutch oven. Cover with water. Bring to a boil; cook 20 minutes or until tender. Drain. Return potatoes to pan. Stir in parsley, butter, rind, juice, and pepper; toss to coat.

6. Preheat broiler.

7. Combine breadcrumbs and horseradish. Spread mustard over one side of brisket. Press breadcrumb mixture onto mustard.

8. Broil 3 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve brisket with cabbage and potatoes.