Corned Beef Cabbage Recipe

Favorite Restaurant Recipe
for Corned Beef

Irish-Americans and lots of other people eat Corned Beef Cabbage on St Pats Day, as a nostalgic reminder of their Irish heritage or in support of the Irish culture and spirit. They also prepare it because it’s delicious.

Corning" is a form of curing. It has nothing to do with corn. J

In the days before refrigeration, meat was dry-cured in coarse "corns" of salt.

The salt, some the size of kernels of corn, were rubbed into the beef to keep it from spoiling and to preserve it.

Today brining -- the use of salt water -- has replaced the dry salt cure, but the name "corned beef" is still used, rather than "brined" or "pickled" beef.

Commonly used spices that give corned beef its distinctive flavor are peppercorns and bay leaf. Of course, these spices may vary regionally.

Corned beef and cabbage, I hate to say, is really not a traditional Irish meal. North Americans adopted this meal as an "official" meal to help celebrate Saint Pats Day. How that came about can be discovered by reading the suggested menu page for Saint Patrick’s Day.

Whether you are interested in Corned Beef and Cabbage because of Saint Pats Day or you just happen to like corned beef, you've come to the right place. This recipe is a favorite restaurant recipe.

Corned Beef Cabbage Recipe

Favorite Restaurant Recipe

Preparation time: 20 minutes. Cooking time 2 1/2 - 3 hours. Serves 8-10.

Ingredients:

5 pound corned beef brisket
1 1/2 tablespoons pickling spice
1-2 Bay leaves
4 - 6 peppercorns (optional since your brisket is already seasoned)
2 heads of green cabbage
5 pounds small, red-skinned potatoes (for broiled or mashed potatoes)
Horseradish Sauce or spicy mustard

Instructions:

Trim excess fat from corned beef if necessary
Place corned beef in a large soup pot with seasonings and cover with cold water
Bring pot to boil and reduce heat
Remove meat from pot (but save the liquid), and place meat in a roasting pan and pour some of the beef cooking liquid over the corned beef (enough to cover the meat half way)
Cover the roasting pan and roast meat in a preheated 325 degree F oven for about 1 1/2 - 2 hours or until fork tender in the center
Prepare the vegetables by washing and cutting each cabbage into 8 wedges and scrubbing the potatoes
Place potatoes in a soup pot, pour beef cooking broth into the pot, cover and bring to boil
Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are done (15-20 minutes)
Place cabbage wedges in a baking pan and pour a little corn beef broth over the cabbage, cover and bake in a 350 degree F oven until crisp tender (about 15 minutes)

To Serve:

Cut the corned beef brisket across the grain into slices, holding the knife at an angle to get broader slices
Place the sliced meat in the center of a platter and arrange cabbage around meat
Pour or ladle a little corned beef broth over all
Serve potatoes on another platter or in a large serving bowl
Serve with horseradish sauce or spicy mustard