Corn Beef and Cabbage

Corn Beef and Cabbage

Corn Beef and Cabbage is a tradition in my family, and not just for St. Patrick's Day.  We eat it all year round.  My Mother had a classic recipe for it, but this year I tried something a little different and damn if it didn't get some rave reviews.  Everyone at the dinner table last night (we had it for Sunday dinner, instead of today) said to keep the recipe, this was the version they wanted again.

The version was inspired by some of the thinking done at America's Test Kitchen, where they use their spice mixture instead of the one included with the corn beef brisket, and they bake it instead of boil it.

INGREDIENTS
1 corned beef brisket, rinsed (4-5 pounds).  (Can can also trim the fat).
4 cups of chicken broth
4 cups of water
5 carrots, pealed and chopped
2 celery stalks
1 onion (pealed and quartered)
3 bay leaves
1 tablespoon of black peppercorns
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 teaspoon of ground allspice (this is an interesting addition, and ended up working out very well).
3 tablespoons of butter
2 lbs of small red potatoes
7 onions, pealed (I keep them whole)
5 carrots, pealed
1 head of green cabbage cut into 8 parts
salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a dutch oven add the beef, broth, water, carrots, celery, 1 onion, bay leaves, peppercorns, thyme and allspice.  Cover it and bake it at 300 degrees for 5 hours.  (Yes... 5 hours!)
2. Remove the beef and place it into a 13x9 serving dish.  Strain and discard the solids.  Put a little bit of the juice over the beef, and seal it tight with foil.  You'll let it sit for about 30 minutes.
3. In the pot add the potatoes and whole onions, and boil for 15 minutes covered.
4. Then add the carrots and cabbage and cook for 15 more minutes.
5. Take the meat out and slice it against the grain.  Serve with the vegetables and the juice.

VARIATIONS

My usual version of this meal was to boil the meat in water the whole time. Baking it this way makes it more tender and more flavorful.  You could experiment with the spice mixture, and you can always add extra onions (my family LOVES boiled onions) carrots and potatoes.