Corned Beef and Cabbage
While often associated with St. Patrick's Day, corned beef and cabbage is primarily an American-Irish tradition, not a traditional Irish dish, with its roots in Irish immigrants finding a cheaper alternative to bacon in America.
In Ireland, the traditional St. Patrick's Day meal often features bacon (or ham) and cabbage, not corned beef. The dish gained popularity in the 19th century when Irish immigrants in New York City, who often lived near Jewish butchers, noticed the similarity between corned beef and their traditional Irish bacon, leading to the creation of corned beef and cabbage as a dish. Corned beef and cabbage became a staple for Irish-Americans to celebrate their heritage and St. Patrick's Day, evolving into a holiday tradition.
Ingredients for Corned Beef and Cabbage
Makes 4 servings
3 lb Corned Beef Brisket
2 each Small Onions, peeled and cut into wedges
As needed Water or Broth (enough to cover 1 -1.5 inch of the bottom of a Dutch oven)
4 cloves Garlic, crushed
2 each Bay Leaves
6 each Carrots, peeled and cut on a bias into 1 inch pieces
1 ½ lbs Red “B” Potatoes, cut into halves or quarters
1 head Green Cabbage, trimmed and cut into 2 inch wedges
1 TBL Chopped Parsley
½ cup Ground Mustard
Method
1. Open the corned beef and remove the spice packet (if included)
2. Peel and trim onions into large wedges and place in the bottom of a Dutch oven
3. Place the corned beef, fat side up on top of the onions.
4. Pour enough water or stock to cover 1 – 1 ½ inches of the pot. Add spice pack from the corned beef, if it was included.
5. Add bay leaves and garlic.
6. Cover the Dutch oven and bake in a 300F oven for 3 hours.
7. Open Dutch oven and add potatoes and carrots to the liquid. Cover and return to the oven.
8. Turn the heat up to 325F and cook for 30 minutes
9. While the potatoes cook, heat some butter in a sauté pan on medium high heat and cook the cabbage wedges on the sides until the edges brown.
10. Add the cabbage to the Dutch oven. Cover and cook in the oven for 30 minutes or until the cabbage is soft.
11. Remove brisket from the Dutch Oven. It should be very tender. Allow to rest for 5 minutes at room temp tented with some aluminum foil.
12. Slice the brisket against the grain.
13. Transfer cooked vegetables onto a large serving platter. Pour some of the cooking liquid over the vegetables. Garnish with parsley.
14. Shingle sliced beef over the vegetables and serve with more broth on the side and whole grain mustard on the side.