Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Redux for St. Patricks Day....Corned Beef and Cabbage


I first posted this last year around this time and the recipe is really good enough to revisit. This is my favorite...A tall glass of Guinness and a thick slice of my herbed soda bread and we become Irish for the day. I am aware that in Ireland this would be made with bacon and not corned beef... but we follow the Irish American tradition.
This year it will only be my younger son and myself here. My older son is home now on Spring break, having a much deserved rest from his engineering studies...even though he does have some work to do while he is here.. I may just make this dinner before he goes back to UPenn on Sunday night...he said I HAD to make him soda bread before he goes back. I may as well make the whole shebang.
My husband is in Brussels working for the next six weeks.This is one of his favorite dinners of the year, I miss him being here with us.
Wishing all of you who celebrate a Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Here is a link to the soda bread recipe...a favorite of mine from Darina Allen.
Herbed Irish Soda Bread
This recipe is definitely not rocket science, but it is my favorite version of corned beef and cabbage. I love the way the veggies come out and the sauce is simply to die for. This makes a ton of sauce, so if you are not having many people I usually cut it in half for my family of four and still have quite a bit leftover. The sauce with the boiled potatoes and the cooked leeks are heaven in my mind, I hardly even need the meat. I came to this recipe via my dear friend Becky and will forever think of her when I make it. It is from the Silver Palate girls...never had a bad recipe from them.  I only use flat cut corned beef brisket. It shrinks so even if you think the piece you have is huge...you need more. Becky suggests an uncooked pound per person and I agree....
This with the herbed soda bread and you are in business...as long as the fairies are well taken care of, you will eat like a queen!

Corned Beef and Cabbage

From The New Basics Cookbook; Serves 4-6

1 corned beef (5-6 pounds)
2 onions, studded with 3 whole cloves (onions can be halved or quartered)
4 carrots, peeled and halved
2 ribs celery, halved
4 sprigs Italian parsley

1 green cabbage (about 3 pounds), cut into 6 wedges (See *Note below)
12 small red new potatoes
6 small leeks (white part and 2 inches of green), well rinsed (See *Note below)
6 carrots, peeled and cut into 2 1/2-inch lengths
Salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
4 T. chopped Italian parsley

Place corned beef in large kettle or dutch oven. Add the onions, halved carrots, celery, and parsley sprigs (use seasoning packet if provided with your corned beef). Cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 2 3/4 to 3 hours, turning beef over in broth every 30 minutes. DO NOT allow water to boil again; keeping at low simmer will ensure tenderness. When it is very tender, remove it from kettle and keep warm.

Strain the broth and return it to the kettle. Add the cabbage, potatoes, leeks, cut-up carrots, salt and pepper, and 2 T. of the chopped parsley. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover, and simmer until vegetables are tender, 30 minutes.

Arrange beef on warmed serving plater, and surround it with the cooked vegetables. Ladle broth over beef and vegetables, and sprinkle with remaining 2 T. chopped parsley. Optional - serve with Horseradish Cream Sauce (below).

*Note: Keeping the core in the cabbage wedges will help hold them together while cooking. Remove the core before serving. After thoroughly washing, leeks can be tied together with kitchen twine/string; remove for serving.

Horseradish Cream Sauce

This makes 2 cups of sauce.  The recipe can easily be halved or quartered, as needed.

3/4 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup prepared horseradish, drained
2 T. Dijon mustard
Pinch of sugar
Salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

Whip cream in bowl until it forms soft peaks. Combine mayonnaise, horseradish, and mustard in another bowl. Fold in whipped cream. Add sugar, salt and pepper. Stir well, and transfer to serving bowl.



27 comments:

  1. St. Patrick's Day already? It feels like it was just Christmas. Brava to you for celebrating in style with this great traditional dish.

    ReplyDelete
  2. It sounds so good..all of it except your missing men for the day..

    I love your star studded onion too:)


    Thanks Linda.....I bet your men worship the ground you walk on:)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Your horseradish cream sauce sounds fantastic with this meal. I can't wait to try it. I think I'll make it a week early.

    ReplyDelete
  4. You're back! Missed you. Missed seeing your wonderful, homely dishes ... like this one. I love this hearty dish ... your food is always cooked with so much love, Linda. It shows. :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. This is wonderful...the horseradish cream...yum! I do have to make this. Have been thinking about it and am not sufficiently motivated!

    ReplyDelete
  6. YUM!!! Looks so good Linda. I don't think I have prepared Corn Beef since last St. Patrick's Day. And I made your Soda Bread to serve with it.

    Ann

    ReplyDelete
  7. BACON? Are you serious? The Irish do it with bacon, amazing. And, all these years I thought corned beef was the tradition. It seems lately, everywhere I look, there's bacon. The Irish were ahead of their time. Not that corned beef isn't lovely.

    ReplyDelete
  8. It looks like such a comfort food...warm and tender...im sure ur family loves u for it ^^

    ReplyDelete
  9. Claudia... it is what they call boiling bacon...more like what we call "Canadian Bacon"....or a brined pork loin or shoulder butt.The American bacon would be known as "rashers" there...

    Thank you all my friends...
    xo

    ReplyDelete
  10. Wonderful recipe! My ex used to love it so I made it frequently...but I only ate the veggies as I never cared for corned beef. I did experiment with soda bread this year though. So many people will be posting it that I decided to do something else and maybe the soda bread at another time.
    You'll have a great time with just your son!

    ReplyDelete
  11. YIKES! It's almost St. Pat's day! Where has this first quarter of the year gone?

    This meal looks so wonderful. I don't know if I can get corned beef here, but I can get some other cuts that might go as well. Maybe even some Irish bacon. And HOW DID I MISS THAT SAUCE??? A MAY ZING.

    I'm sorry your husband won't be there to help eat it. Maybe you could send him some? ...and me too... :-)

    ReplyDelete
  12. Kate...I wish I could send you some! I do not think my husband is going to have the stomach for corned beef seeing as how sick he has been...I hope he will.

    There are recipes for making one's own corned beef. It is really just putting beef in a brine for some time. I know Julia Child has one.But I think that one requires a longer commitment of time.

    It is certainly a little project...
    here is a link to making ones own corned beef from Bon Appetit...
    http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/cookingclub/2008/04/homemade_irish_corned_beef_and_vegetables

    Here is one from Cook's Illustrated...I have not tried it myself but it has gotten great reviews....you could more than likely use pork for this instead of beef.

    If you prefer a leaner piece of meat, feel free to use the flat cut. In fact, we found more flat cut than point cut briskets in supermarket meat cases, so you'll probably have to ask the meat department attendant or butcher to bring you a point cut. Leave a bit of fat attached for better texture and flavor.

    Ingredients
    1/2 cup kosher salt
    1 tablespoon black peppercorns , cracked
    3/4 tablespoon ground allspice
    1 tablespoon dried thyme
    1/2 tablespoon paprika
    2 bay leaves , crumbled
    1 beef brisket (fresh, 4 to 6 pounds), preferably point cut, trimmed of excess fat, rinsed and patted dry
    Instructions

    1.

    1. Mix salt and seasonings in small bowl.
    2.

    2. Spear brisket about thirty times per side with meat fork or metal skewer. Rub each side evenly with salt mixture; place in 2-gallon-size zipper-lock bag, forcing out as much air as possible. Place in pan large enough to hold it (a jelly roll pan works well), cover with second, similar-size pan, and weight with two bricks or heavy cans of similar weight. Refrigerate 5 to 7 days, turning once a day.
    Rinse the brisket and pat it dry.
    You could then use this recipe I posted.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Yum. Now I can't wait till next Wednesday. I read this at work today and then had to explain "corned" beef to the Bolivian work force. They thought it was ground beef cooked with corn in it. Sounds good too! I wasn't blogging last year so I'm delighted by the Beef Redux.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I'm game for trying a new version of CB&C! I have Darina Allen's cookbook as well as the Silver Palate one. Thanks for pointing out both sources.
    I'm going to make it early, like Kathleen, as we never seem to tire of CB&C & your horseradish sauce with it is really tempting.

    Thanks for posting these recipes & BTW, your photos of it are awesome!

    ReplyDelete
  15. I can not recommend the soda bread highly enough either, especially the herbed one. It is splendid with the corned beef dinner....

    Thanks for stopping by everyone!

    ReplyDelete
  16. This is a very healthy homely dishes. I like this.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Hi Linda! I tried looking for ur email address on your blog but couldnt find it.I would like to send you something...if you could just give me a tinkle on my email I would be so happy!

    xoxo
    zurin

    ReplyDelete
  18. Perfection, my friend! I've tried that sauce and it is "to LIVE for"! Excellent!!

    I don't think anyone has made Corned Beef and Cabbage look more attractive than the way you've captured it here...(and I'm half Irish ~ I've seen and eaten a lot of it in my day!) hahaha.

    Oooh, and then your Darina Allen's version of Herbed Irish Soda Bread.
    Yummmmie!

    I'm hoping the 6 weeks while M is away will pass like a blink of an eye. ((Hugs)) xoxo

    ReplyDelete
  19. I agree.. you really put a beautiful aura around the humble corned beef... beautiful post too.. hope everyone gets a small taste!

    ReplyDelete
  20. One word: YUM. This looks perfect for my dreary Seattle evening!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Oh, Linda, thanks for that recipe! You're amazing. I can't believe you put it her for me.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Not sure if I would be brave enough to try it...
    let me know if you do...should be interesting!
    It will not be red because there is no saltpeter in it....
    Otherwise you could use a smoked pork shoulder, apparently that is the piece of meat used in Ireland...
    I now know more than I ever wanted to know about this subject...lol!
    L xo

    ReplyDelete
  23. Oh, I haven't had corned beef and cabbage in so long. I used to make it every year when everyone was here. So easy and oh so good. I am loving the horseradish sauce. That is like the icing on the cake.

    My engineering son was home for spring break and I made all of his favorites. I love that. What type of engineering is your son majoring in?

    Hope your husband feels better soon...being away from from home and sick? Oh, no!

    Thanks Linda...my Irish grandmother would love it, too, but then again, aren't we all Irish on St. Paddy's Day?.

    Diane

    ReplyDelete
  24. I learned something new today - I didn't know it was an Irish tradition to use bacon vs. corned beef! Either way this looks delicious!!!

    ReplyDelete
  25. Looks terrific, Linda! Wish Bill would eat corned beef :(

    ReplyDelete
  26. Linda,

    Love your added music! Next year I must try the soda bread. Everything looks so yummy!

    ReplyDelete
  27. Hi Linda,

    I wanted to thank you for posting the delicious horseradish creme recipe! I made it for my St. Patrick's day dinner party & the guest raved about it. I also incorporated some of your corned beef recipe & have posted about it too, for the Sat. Blog Showcase.

    Thank you for helping to make this a very delicious holiday this year.

    fondly,
    Rett

    p.s. How DID you come up with the title of your blog???

    ReplyDelete