Corned Beef and Cabbage Dinner
Growing up in a American-Polish-Irish household was a unique experience to say the least. Holiday’s were something special especially when it came time to sit down for dinner, St. Patrick’s Day with the memories of a traditional corned beef and cabbage was no exception. Growing up it was my favorite holiday dinner.
If it wouldn’t be St. Patrick’s Day in my house without Corned Beef & Cabbage, here’s an authentic recipe. Cured beef was a traditional St. Patrick’s Day dinner; the beef killed and preserved before winter could then be eaten after the long Lenten fast.
In the truest sense of the word then, this really doesn’t qualify as a traditional Irish recipe. But, it has become so closely associated with the Irish and St. Patrick’s Day, I’d be remiss not to include it.
After the Irish potato blight, or Great Famine, of the mid-19th century brought hundreds of Irish emigrants to the shores of America, the newly immigrated Irish Americans found corned beef to be both more accessible and more affordable than it was in Ireland. Both corned beef and cabbage were ingredients of the lower working class, and their popularity among the Irish population likely had little to do with similarities to the food of Ireland and more to due with the relatively inexpensive nature of salt cured beef and green cabbage.
For several decades following the Irish immigration, St Patrick’s Day was celebrated with music, crafts and revelry but banquets, while lavish, contained a scarcity of traditional Irish cuisine. However by the 1920s, corned beef and cabbage came to have an association with Irish American cooking, according to Hasia Diner in Hungering for America: Italian, Irish and Jewish Foodways in the Age of Migration and joined Irish bacon and greens as a food reminiscent of Ireland.
Now that St. Patrick’s Day has finally here and you’re tired of looking at that succulent beef brisket that has been sitting in your refrigerator week or two. Now is the time to take it out to begin preparing it so you, your family and friends can reap the fruits of your labor.
Ingredients:
- 4-pound corned beef brisket [see Note 1].
- 16 cups beef stock
- 3 large carrots, cut into large chunks
- 6 to 8 small onions, roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon powdered English mustard
- 1 large spring of fresh thyme and several parsley stalks [see Note 2]
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 2 teaspoons black peppercorns
- 4 whole allspice berries
- 2 whole cloves
- 2 T Tomato Paste
- 1 cabbage [see Note 3]
- Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
- Brine Beef Brisket prior to cooking (see Note 4).
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.Place beef Brisket in colander in sink and rinse brisket under cold water.
- Add oil to heated Dutch Oven and sear brisket to a deep brown color on all sides.
- Add the beef stock, bay leaves, peppercorns, allspice, cloves, brown sugar, tomato paste, thyme/celery bundle, powdered English mustard, salt and pepper to taste.
- Bring to boil, uncover and skim off any scum that rises to the surface. Cover and transfer pan to the oven, braise until very tender about 3 hours and 45 minutes
- Transfer the corned beef to a cutting board and cover tightly with foil to keep warm. Add the cabbage and potatoes to the cooking liquid and bring to a boil.
- Add more stock if needed. Heat and simmer vegetables until they are tender, about 20 minutes.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cabbage to a large platter.
- Slice the corned beef across the grain of the meat into thin slices. Lay the slices over the cabbage and surround it with the potatoes. Ladle some of the jot cooking liquid over the corned beef and season with pepper.
- Serve immediately with the horseradish sauce.
In addition to quality “Stone Ground Deli Mustard”, I also like the following horseradish sauce:
For the Horseradish Sauce
- 3/4 cup Mayonnaise
- 3/4 Sour Cream
- 1.4 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated horseradish (with liquid)
- 1/2 teaspoon grated fresh lemon zest
- 2 teaspoons Kosher salt
- Black Pepper, cracked or course (to taste)
Preparation:
- Freshly cracked black pepper In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, sour cream, horseradish, lemon zest, and 2 teaspoons kosher salt.
- Season generously with pepper to taste.
- Refrigerate the horseradish sauce for at least 30 minutes before serving.
[Note 1] ‘Silverside’ if you can get it; many butchers are familiar with the term and can prepare your cut of brisket in this special way. But, do allow them several days to prepare it properly.
[Note 2] Tie the thyme and celery together it will be easier to remove later
[Note 3] I prefer my cabbage crispy firm, so, I cook it separately. Cooked quickly in boiling water, it retains its beautiful bright green color. I season it heavily with fresh ground pepper and I don’t go easy on the butter!
[Note 4] For a more flavorful brisket it is best to brine it prior to braising. Here is a great brine recipe for corned beef Brining Corned Beef
In the Irish American tradition, here is to a tanker of ice cold Guinness and mouth watering falling apart juicy succulent corned beef and cabbage.
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